1951 Topps Major League All-Star Eddie Stanky
Pictured: the copy Heritage Auctions sold in December 2024, encapsulated by PSA as Authentic (Altered). Its back carries old tape.
About this card
The Major League All-Stars are eleven die-cut stand-ups of the stars of 1950-51, made to be folded and stood up like Connie Mack's All-Stars.
About Eddie Stanky
The Braves sent Stanky and shortstop Al Dark to the Giants on December 14, 1949, for Sid Gordon, Willard Marshall, Buddy Kerr and Sam Webb, and under Leo Durocher he had one of his best seasons in 1950. He batted .300, scored 115 runs and led the league with 144 walks, a .460 on-base percentage and 12 times hit by a pitch, and he finished third in the MVP voting. The Giants climbed from 73-81 to 86-68. On August 12 he was ejected for waving his arms to mimic the pitcher's windup while a Phillies hitter stood in. His die-cut stand-up is one of three in that 11-card issue, with Robin Roberts and Jim Konstanty, reportedly not distributed with the others, and in 2008 a single graded copy of each was known.
Eddie Stanky was a 5-foot-8 second baseman who won games with his batting eye, his spikes-high slides and his temper, playing 11 National League seasons for the Cubs, Dodgers, Braves, Giants and Cardinals from 1943 through 1953. Born Edward Raymond Stankiewicz in Philadelphia, he was hit in the head by Rip Sewell in the first inning of his debut on April 21, 1943. The Cubs traded him to Brooklyn for pitcher Bob Chipman on June 6, 1944, and in 1945 he drew 148 walks, then a league record, and led the league with 128 runs. Brooklyn fans tagged him The Brat. In 1947 Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson both rated him Robinson's earliest important backer among the Dodgers. He was an All-Star in 1947, 1948 and 1950 and played in the World Series for three pennant winners: Brooklyn in 1947, Boston in 1948 and the Giants in 1951. Named player-manager of the Cardinals for 1952, he was The Sporting News Manager of the Year after an 88-66 season. He later managed the White Sox from 1966 into 1968 and the Texas Rangers for a single game in 1977, and his South Alabama teams went 488-193 over 14 seasons beginning in 1969. He died in Fairhope, Alabama, on June 6, 1999.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia · PSA
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
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 Eddie Stanky in this set: Red Back #48
Team card: Team card New York Giants
More New York Giants cards:
- Red Back #21 Larry Jansen
- Red Back #32 Henry Thompson
- Red Back #37 Wes Westrum
- Red Back #41 Whitey Lockman
- Red Back #48 Eddie Stanky
- Red Back #50 Monte Irvin
- Connie Mack's All-Star Christy Mathewson
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1951 Topps Major League All-Star card?
It is Major League All-Star in the 135-card 1951 Topps Baseball checklist, picturing Eddie Stanky of the New York Giants. The Major League All-Stars are eleven die-cut stand-ups of the stars of 1950-51, made to be folded and stood up like Connie Mack's All-Stars.
Why is this Major League All-Star so rarely seen?
PSA describes Jim Konstanty, Robin Roberts and Eddie Stanky as "the three short print cards that were reportedly not issued with the others" (PSA, 1951 Topps Major League All-Stars). They are real, graded cards and count in the 135-card full set, but so few exist that collectors often count a complete set as 132 without them.
What are the key cards in 1951 Topps?
The three rarest are the Major League All-Stars of Jim Konstanty, Robin Roberts and Eddie Stanky, the three short prints of the issue. Red Back #1 Yogi Berra leads the Red Backs and Blue Back #3 Richie Ashburn the Blue Backs, with Blue Back #50 Johnny Mize and Blue Back #37 Bobby Doerr next; Red Back #49 Al Zarilla and Blue Back #51 Eddie Waitkus are the hardest of the two decks to find in top condition. Of the Team cards, the Boston Red Sox (Ted Williams' first Topps card) and the St. Louis Cardinals are the scarcest, and the Brooklyn Dodgers card pictures Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese and Roy Campanella. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig lead Connie Mack's All-Stars, and Yogi Berra the Major League All-Stars.
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.