1951 Topps Major League All-Star Ralph Kiner
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 Ralph Kiner
Kiner began 1950 on a two-year contract at $65,000 a season, the highest salary in the National League. Branch Rickey became Pittsburgh's general manager that year, and the Pirates sank to last place. Kiner still led the league with 47 home runs and scored 112 runs in 150 games, though his average fell from .310 to .272. He drew at least 100 walks for a third straight season, a pattern he blamed on the lack of a feared hitter batting behind him.
Ralph Kiner was a Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder who topped the National League in home runs seven straight years, 1946 through 1952, a record run. He hit 54 in 1949, which made him the first National Leaguer with two 50-homer seasons, and from 1947 through 1951 he hit at least 40 and drove in at least 100 every year. The Sporting News named him its 1950 Player of the Year. Pittsburgh's only winning season in his years there came in 1948, and after continued salary disputes with general manager Branch Rickey he was traded to the Chicago Cubs in a ten-player deal in June 1953. A back injury ended his career with the Cleveland Indians after 1955, at 32, with 369 home runs, 1,015 RBIs and a .279 average. Between his minor league seasons and the majors he flew antisubmarine patrols as a Navy pilot in World War II. The Baseball Writers elected him to the Hall of Fame in 1975 in his last year of eligibility, with one vote more than required. Kiner called New York Mets games from the club's first season in 1962 and hosted the post-game show Kiner's Korner, and he kept broadcasting for 53 seasons.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 10 |
| SGC | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
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 Ralph Kiner in this set: Red Back #15
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- Red Back #15 Ralph Kiner
- Red Back #17 Dave Bell
- Red Back #25 Cliff Chambers
- Red Back #27 Wally Westlake
- Red Back #33 William Werle
- Blue Back #16 Murry Dickson
- Connie Mack's All-Star Honus Wagner
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 Ralph Kiner of the Pittsburgh Pirates. 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.
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.