1934 Goudey #45 Oscar Melillo
About Oscar Melillo
Oscar “Ski” Melillo built a 12-year career as a sure-handed American League second baseman, debuting with the St. Louis Browns in 1926 after six minor-league seasons at Winnipeg and Milwaukee. He anchored St. Louis’s infield for nine-plus seasons before finishing with the Boston Red Sox (1935–1937), retiring with a .260 average, 22 home runs, and 548 RBIs. His finest year came in 1931, when he hit .306 and placed eighth in AL MVP voting; the season before, he played all of 1930 at second base without an error on 971 chances, a mark just 17 shy of Nap Lajoie’s major-league record. His “Ski” nickname dated to grammar school, when classmates likened his ball-kicking to “Ski” Fiske, an International Harvester football standout. Melillo closed 1938 as the Browns’ manager, then coached for nearly two decades, including a spot on Cleveland’s 1948 World Series championship staff. This 1934 Goudey #45, picturing him in Browns flannels, is his recognized rookie card — arriving nine seasons into a career built on the glove.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 264 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 30 | 34 | 50 | 127 | 4 |
| SGC | 87 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 20 | 51 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-14. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1934 Goudey Oscar Melillo card?
It is card #45 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 Oscar Melillo with the St. Louis Browns.
Is the 1934 Goudey Oscar Melillo #45 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 are rookie cards.
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 2026-10-05.