1951 Topps Blue Back #33 Don Lenhardt
About Don Lenhardt
Winter ball in Havana made Lenhardt's 1950. He tied for the Cuban League lead in home runs, batting .314,, then won a job with the Browns that spring as a 27-year-old rookie. On April 18 he went 2-for-4 with a double in his debut and homered in a 3-for-5 second game, yet he was batting under .200 on May 21. He finished at .273 with 131 hits in 139 games and 75 runs scored. The Browns used him 86 times at first base and 39 in left field, and after three costly misplays between August 11 and September 28, manager Zach Taylor said Lenhardt belonged in the outfield. Walt Dropo, with 34 home runs and 144 RBI, and Whitey Ford stood ahead of him among the league's rookies.
Don Lenhardt was a right-handed hitter who played mainly left field, plus 93 games at first base, over five American League seasons from 1950 through 1954. He batted .271 with 61 home runs and 239 RBI and wore five uniforms, with two stints each for the Browns and the Red Sox. An Alton, Illinois, native, he served on a Navy gun crew aboard merchant ships during World War II and signed with St. Louis in 1946. His 22 home runs and 81 RBI as a 1950 rookie led the Browns. Then the trades came: to the White Sox on June 4, 1951, to Boston on November 13 in a deal for Chuck Stobbs, to Detroit in a nine-player trade on June 3, 1952, and back to St. Louis that August 14. In 1952 he hit three grand slams, one of them against the Red Sox six days after they traded him. He batted .317 for the 1953 Browns. Teammates called him Footsie for his very narrow feet. A broken ankle with the 1956 San Francisco Seals ended his playing days, and Boston hired him as a scout in 1957; his signings included Al Nipper, Scott Cooper and Cory Bailey. He died on July 9, 2014, in Chesterfield, Missouri, at 91.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 181 | 0 | 38 | 55 | 18 | 23 | 29 | 18 | 0 |
| SGC | 19 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1951 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
More St. Louis Browns cards:
- Red Back #9 Roy Sievers
- Red Back #19 Dick Kokos
- Blue Back #18 Ned Garver
- Blue Back #24 Sherman Lollar
- Blue Back #36 Cliff Fannin
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1951 Topps Blue Back #33 card?
It is Blue Back #33 in the 135-card 1951 Topps Baseball checklist, picturing Don Lenhardt of the St. Louis Browns.
Is 1951 Topps Blue Back #33 a rookie card?
Yes - Blue Back #33 is the rookie card of Don Lenhardt.
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.