1951 Topps Major League All-Star Jim Konstanty
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 Jim Konstanty
Konstanty was 7-3 in 36 appearances at the 1950 All-Star break and pitched a scoreless sixth inning at Comiskey Park on July 11, striking out Hoot Evers and Jim Hegan. After a July slump he went 13 games and 22 1/3 innings without allowing a run, until Ralph Kiner homered off him in the 10th inning at Pittsburgh on August 25; he stayed on for nine innings in all and won when the Phillies scored twice in the 15th. With the 15 scoreless innings that followed, he gave up one run in 46 1/3 innings. He finished 62 games, and the writers gave him 18 of 24 first-place MVP votes and 286 points to Stan Musial's 158. On January 9, 1951, he was voted Associated Press Athlete of the Year.
Casimir James Konstanty was a right-handed relief pitcher who spent eleven big league seasons with the Reds, Braves, Phillies, Yankees, and Cardinals. Born in 1917 in Strykersville, New York, he lettered in four sports at Syracuse, reached the majors as a 27-year-old starter with Cincinnati in 1944, and pitched for Boston in 1946. Philadelphia bought his contract in 1948, and Eddie Sawyer turned him into a bullpen specialist surviving on a slider and a change-up rather than a fastball. In 1950 he carried the pennant-winning Whiz Kids, setting a major league record with 74 appearances, going 16-7 with a 2.66 ERA, and leading the National League with 22 saves, then an unofficial statistic. He was the first relief pitcher in either league voted Most Valuable Player. Sawyer started him in Game 1 of the World Series, where he scattered four hits over eight innings but lost 1-0 as the Yankees swept. Waivers sent him to New York in August 1954; he finished with the Cardinals in 1956, ran the sporting goods store he had opened while still pitching, and later coached in the Yankees and Cardinals farm systems. He died in 1976 and was elected to the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 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.
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Related cards
Team card: Team card Philadelphia Phillies
More Philadelphia Phillies cards:
- Red Back #45 Andy Seminick
- Blue Back #3 Richie Ashburn
- Blue Back #4 Del Ennis
- Blue Back #8 Dick Sisler
- Blue Back #29 Granville Hamner
- Blue Back #43 Willie Jones
- Blue Back #51 Eddie Waitkus
- Major League All-Star Robin Roberts
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 Jim Konstanty of the Philadelphia Phillies. 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.