1934 Goudey #78 Pinky Higgins
High number: this card belongs to the fourth and final 24-card press sheet (#73-96), printed as the 1934 season wound down — the reason the set's last two dozen cards are its hardest to find.
About Pinky Higgins
Michael Franklin Higgins signed with Philadelphia Athletics scout Mike Drennan for $3,500 out of the University of Texas at Austin and got his call in 1930, picking the A’s because aging third baseman Jimmie Dykes looked replaceable. After a 33-homer year with Portland of the Pacific Coast League, Higgins claimed the Athletics’ regular third-base job in 1933, batting .314 with a cycle against Washington that August. Often listed in box scores as Frank or Mike Higgins, he’d already been tagged with “Pinky” for his rosy infant complexion — a nickname he never much cared for but could never shake. Higgins made three All-Star teams (1934, 1936, 1944), set a major league record with base hits in 12 consecutive at-bats in 1938, and batted .333 in the 1940 World Series for Detroit. Over 14 seasons with the A’s, Red Sox, and Tigers he hit .292 with 140 home runs and 1,075 RBIs, then managed Boston for parts of eight seasons, winning Manager of the Year in 1955. His 1934 Goudey #78, issued on the set’s tough final high-number sheet as an Athletic, is his rookie card by catalog convention.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 143 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 26 | 19 | 19 | 62 | 1 |
| SGC | 54 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 35 | 2 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-14. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8). PSA counts are straight-graded.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Find on eBay
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
More Philadelphia Athletics cards:
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1934 Goudey Pinky Higgins card?
It is card #78 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 Pinky Higgins with the Philadelphia Athletics.
Is the 1934 Goudey #78 a high number?
Yes. Cards #73-96 came from the fourth and final press sheet, issued late in the 1934 season, and are the toughest cards in the set - with #49-72 a step behind.
Is the 1934 Goudey Pinky Higgins #78 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.