1951 Topps Red Back #35 Al Rosen
About Al Rosen
Rosen spent most of 1949 with San Diego of the Pacific Coast League, playing alongside Minnie Minoso and Luke Easter, and reached 1950 as the man who had to replace Ken Keltner at third base. Cleveland fans, who still adored Keltner, were skeptical at first. Rosen answered by leading American League third basemen and the whole league in assists with 322, and by drawing 100 walks to reach a .405 on-base percentage. Those 100 walks matched his 100 runs scored, and his 154 games at third base meant he missed almost nothing.
Al Rosen played his entire major league career at third base for the Cleveland Indians, from 1947 to 1956. He spent four years in the U.S. Navy during World War II, navigating an assault boat in the landings on Okinawa, before resuming his career. He was on Cleveland's 1948 World Series winner, pinch-hitting once in the Series. Handed third base in 1950, he hit 37 home runs to become the first rookie to lead the American League in the category, and he drove in 100 or more runs in five consecutive seasons. He led the league in home runs twice and in runs batted in twice, and was an All-Star every year from 1952 through 1955. His masterpiece came in 1953: .336 with 43 homers and 145 RBI, a unanimous American League MVP award, and a Triple Crown missed only when Mickey Vernon edged him for the batting title on the season's final day. Injuries finished him at 32, leaving a career line of .285 with 192 home runs and 717 RBI. He spent 17 years as a stockbroker in Cleveland, then returned to the game as a front-office executive with the Yankees, Astros and Giants, and was inducted into the Cleveland Indians team Hall of Fame in 2006.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 305 | 0 | 35 | 79 | 29 | 32 | 71 | 59 | 0 |
| SGC | 60 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 39 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. 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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Related cards
More Cleveland Indians cards:
- Red Back #8 Early Wynn
- Red Back #12 Jim Hegan
- Red Back #13 Dale Mitchell
- Red Back #22 Bob Feller
- Red Back #23 Ray Boone
- Red Back #26 Luke Easter
- Red Back #29 Bob Kennedy
- Red Back #40 Mike Garcia
- Blue Back #31 Lou Brissie
- Blue Back #52 Sam Chapman
- Connie Mack's All-Star Tris Speaker
- Major League All-Star Larry Doby
- Major League All-Star Bob Lemon
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1951 Topps Red Back #35 card?
It is Red Back #35 in the 135-card 1951 Topps Baseball checklist, picturing Al Rosen of the Cleveland Indians.
How many cards are in the 1951 Topps Baseball set?
135 cards across five issues - the Red Backs and Blue Backs (52 each), nine Team cards, and eleven each of Connie Mack's All-Stars and the Major League All-Stars. With the Zernial and Holmes variations and both versions of each Team card the master set is 146. All 135 count toward the full set; Jim Konstanty, Robin Roberts and Eddie Stanky, the three rarest Major League All-Stars, are so rarely seen that collectors often count a complete set as 132 without them.
Sources: PSA, BaseballCardPedia, Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-26.