1951 Topps Blue Back #49 Hank Sauer
About Hank Sauer
Sauer drove in 103 runs for the Cubs in 1950, his first 100-RBI season after 97 in 1948 and 99 in 1949, and hit 32 home runs, one more than the year before, while batting .274 on 148 hits. Splitting his time between 125 games in the outfield and 18 at first base, he scored 85 runs and made the first of his two All-Star teams. He swung the 40-ounce Chick Hafey model bat that Syracuse manager Jewel Ens talked him into using in 1946.
Hank Sauer was a right-handed slugging left fielder from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who spent more than a decade in the minor leagues before becoming one of the National League's most feared power hitters. Signed by the New York Yankees in 1937, he moved through their farm system until Cincinnati took him in the minor league draft, and although he reached the Reds for brief looks as early as 1941, he did not stay in the majors for good until Cincinnati made him a regular at age 31 in 1948. A June 1949 trade sent him to the Chicago Cubs, where his popularity earned him the nickname the Mayor of Wrigley Field. He hit 30 or more home runs six times in the seven seasons from 1948 through 1954, twice hitting three homers in a single game against the same pitcher, Curt Simmons of the Phillies. His finest season came in 1952, when he tied Ralph Kiner for the league home run lead with 37, drove in a major league best 121 runs and was named National League Most Valuable Player. A two-time All-Star, he played for Cincinnati, the Cubs, St. Louis and the Giants before retiring in 1959 with 288 home runs, then coached and scouted for the Giants. He is a member of the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 160 | 0 | 10 | 36 | 17 | 13 | 49 | 35 | 0 |
| SGC | 14 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 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 Chicago Cubs cards:
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- Blue Back #17 Roy Smalley
- Blue Back #27 Andy Pafko
- Blue Back #41 Johnny Schmitz
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1951 Topps Blue Back #49 card?
It is Blue Back #49 in the 135-card 1951 Topps Baseball checklist, picturing Hank Sauer of the Chicago Cubs.
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.