1951 Topps Blue Back #50 Johnny Mize
About Johnny Mize
Part of Mize's 1950 season went to a minor league rehabilitation assignment, and he played only 90 games for the Yankees, 72 of them at first base. He made the at-bats count, hitting 25 home runs with 72 RBI in 274 at-bats, about one home run every 11 at-bats, to go with a .277 average. Those 25 home runs made him the second player to hit 25 in a season in both leagues. The Yankees swept the Phillies in the World Series, and Mize went 2-for-15.
Johnny Mize was a left-handed-hitting first baseman who hit for average and distance for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants and New York Yankees between 1936 and 1953. He batted .364 in 1937, won the 1939 National League batting title at .349, and hit 43 home runs in 1940, a Cardinals record that lasted nearly 60 years. Traded to the Giants after the 1941 season, he led the league with 110 RBI in 1942, then lost 1943 through 1945 to Navy service. In 1947 he hit 51 home runs, tying Ralph Kiner for the league lead, and became the first player to hit 50 home runs while striking out fewer than 50 times; he tied Kiner again with 40 in 1948. The Yankees acquired him late in 1949, and he spent his last five seasons as a part-time first baseman and pinch hitter on five straight World Series winners. He hit three home runs in the 1952 Series. He finished with 359 home runs, a .312 average and 2,011 hits, and the Veterans Committee elected him to the Hall of Fame in 1981.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 250 | 1 | 35 | 55 | 28 | 28 | 40 | 63 | 0 |
| SGC | 47 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 23 | 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
More New York Yankees cards:
- Red Back #1 Yogi Berra
- Red Back #5 Phil Rizzuto
- Red Back #6 Allie Reynolds
- Red Back #18 Gerry Coleman
- Red Back #24 Hank Bauer
- Blue Back #10 Joe Page
- Blue Back #35 Tommy Byrne
- Blue Back #39 Ed Lopat
- Connie Mack's All-Star Lou Gehrig
- Connie Mack's All-Star Babe Ruth
- Major League All-Star Yogi Berra
- Major League All-Star Phil Rizzuto
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1951 Topps Blue Back #50 card?
It is Blue Back #50 in the 135-card 1951 Topps Baseball checklist, picturing Johnny Mize of the New York Yankees.
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.