1951 Topps Red Back #12 Jim Hegan
About Jim Hegan
Hegan caught 129 of Cleveland's games in 1950 and played in 131, batting .219 with 91 hits in 415 at-bats. His 14 home runs equaled his 1948 total, the most of his career, and his 58 RBI were his second-highest season figure after the 61 of the 1948 championship year. The year brought his second consecutive All-Star selection, in a run of four straight from 1949 through 1952.
Jim Hegan caught three no-hitters for Cleveland: Don Black's in 1947, Bob Lemon's in 1948 and Bob Feller's in 1951. He earned five All-Star selections and caught for the 1948 World Series champions and 1954 pennant winners. The Lynn, Massachusetts, native signed with Cleveland in 1938, reached the majors in 1941 and served in the Coast Guard from 1943 through 1945. Manager Lou Boudreau called pitches from shortstop in 1947, then gave Hegan that responsibility before the 1948 season. Hegan and Lemon roomed together for 17 years, beginning in the minors. Across 17 major league seasons with five clubs, Hegan batted .228 in 1,666 games. He later coached for the Yankees and Tigers and scouted for New York. Cleveland inducted him into its team Hall of Fame in 1966.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · MLB.com · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 290 | 2 | 55 | 81 | 38 | 43 | 38 | 33 | 0 |
| SGC | 38 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 1 |
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 Cleveland Indians cards:
- Red Back #8 Early Wynn
- 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 #35 Al Rosen
- 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 #12 card?
It is Red Back #12 in the 135-card 1951 Topps Baseball checklist, picturing Jim Hegan 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.