1934 Goudey #27 Luke Appling
Luke Appling’s recognized rookie card. "Old Aches and Pains" played 20 seasons at short for the White Sox and won two batting titles.
About Luke Appling
Luke Appling got his start with the Atlanta Crackers in 1930 out of Oglethorpe College, and the Chicago White Sox bought his contract for $20,000 that September. He never played for anyone else, holding shortstop for the Sox across 20 seasons — 1930 to 1950, minus 1944-45 spent in the Army during World War II — and retired holding the major-league record for games at shortstop, a mark Luis Aparicio broke years later. Appling won two American League batting titles, hitting .388 in 1936, still the highest average ever posted by a 20th-century shortstop, and .328 in 1943; he finished with 2,749 hits and seven All-Star nods, though he never reached a World Series. Teammates called him 'Old Aches and Pains' for a nonstop litany of sore backs, bad knees, and phantom injuries that never once kept him out of the lineup — a running joke he punctuated decades later by parking a home run off Warren Spahn in an old-timers' game at age 75. Chicago writers voted him the greatest player in franchise history, and Cooperstown called in 1964. His 1934 Goudey card, issued as he settled in at short for the Sox, is his rookie card.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 361 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 43 | 53 | 233 | 1 |
| SGC | 253 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 26 | 193 | 10 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-14. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8). PSA counts are straight-graded.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1934 Goudey Luke Appling card?
It is card #27 of the 1934 Goudey (R320) Baseball set - the 96-card, 2-3/8 by 2-7/8 inch color-art set issued in 1934 with Big League Chewing Gum. It pictures Luke Appling with the Chicago White Sox.
Is the 1934 Goudey Luke Appling #27 a rookie card?
By modern catalog convention, yes. Sheet 1 of the set reused returning 1933 subjects, but most of the remaining cards picture players getting their first major gum card - 63 of the 96 cards carry the rookie-card (RC) designation.
How many cards are in the 1934 Goudey set?
96 cards, printed on four 24-card press sheets. 84 fronts carry the blue 'Lou Gehrig says' strip and 12 carry the red 'Chuck Klein says' strip (#80-91). The high numbers #73-96 are the scarcest cards.
Sources: PSA CardFacts, Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and hobby press-sheet research (SABR). Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-08-16.