1951 Topps Red Back #27 Wally Westlake
About Wally Westlake
Westlake hit .285 with 24 home runs and 95 RBI in 1950, one homer more than the year before, while the Pirates sank to last place at 57-96, 33.5 games behind the Phillies. No Pittsburgh starter had a winning record. His roommate Ralph Kiner led the league with 47 homers. Ahead of that season, new general manager Branch Rickey singled out Westlake as the one player on the roster who would bring fair value in a trade, and on June 15, 1951 he went to St. Louis with Cliff Chambers in a five-player deal, with 16 homers and 45 RBI already in the books.
Wally Westlake was a right-handed outfielder, with some time at third base, who hit 127 home runs in 958 games between 1947 and 1956 for the Pirates, Cardinals, Reds, Indians, Orioles and Phillies. In Pittsburgh he hit for the cycle twice, on July 30, 1948 against Brooklyn and on June 14, 1949 against Boston, and in 1949 he drove in 104 runs with 23 homers. On August 26, 1947 he became the first white batter hit by a pitch from a black pitcher, Brooklyn's Dan Bankhead. He was a National League All-Star in 1951, entering the game as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning. The Pirates traded him to St. Louis on June 15, 1951; Cincinnati and then Cleveland followed in 1952. He played in two games of the 1954 World Series for the Indians, going 1-for-7 as the New York Giants swept. Baltimore acquired him on June 15, 1955. Westlake was born in Gridley, California, on November 8, 1920, and died on September 5, 2019.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 275 | 0 | 48 | 71 | 31 | 36 | 48 | 41 | 0 |
| SGC | 32 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 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.
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 Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- Red Back #15 Ralph Kiner
- Red Back #17 Dave Bell
- Red Back #25 Cliff Chambers
- Red Back #33 William Werle
- Blue Back #16 Murry Dickson
- Connie Mack's All-Star Honus Wagner
- Major League All-Star Ralph Kiner
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1951 Topps Red Back #27 card?
It is Red Back #27 in the 135-card 1951 Topps Baseball checklist, picturing Wally Westlake of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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.