1951 Topps Red Back #33 William Werle
About William Werle
Billy Meyer started Werle only 22 times in 48 games in 1950, mostly at the beginning and end of the year. He went 8-16 with a 4.60 ERA and eight saves over 215 1/3 innings. On July 15 he beat the Giants 2-1 at Forbes Field with a two-hitter, outpitching All-Star Larry Jansen. In June, Tommy Holmes homered off him in the eighth inning to break a 6-6 tie for the Boston Braves.
Bill Werle was a left-handed pitcher who worked for the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox from 1949 to 1954, finishing 29-39 with a 4.69 ERA in 185 games. He came up through the Pacific Coast League, where he pitched for the San Francisco Seals under Lefty O'Doul and went 17-7 in 1948, and reached Pittsburgh at 28 after the Pirates bought his contract for three players and cash. He won 12 games as a 1949 rookie, after which manager Billy Meyer moved him steadily into relief, and his 59 appearances in 1951 were a Pirates record at the time. A fine and suspension in spring 1952 preceded a trade to St. Louis for Red Munger, and Boston claimed him on waivers that October. Back in the minors he won 17 games for Portland in 1955, later managed in the Giants and Orioles systems, joined the Giants' roster as an extra coach in September 1967, and scouted for Baltimore and Cleveland. His interest in entomology earned him the nickname Bugs. He died in San Mateo, California, on November 27, 2010.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 267 | 3 | 26 | 71 | 29 | 32 | 45 | 61 | 0 |
| SGC | 32 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 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.
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Related cards
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- Red Back #15 Ralph Kiner
- Red Back #17 Dave Bell
- Red Back #25 Cliff Chambers
- Red Back #27 Wally Westlake
- 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 #33 card?
It is Red Back #33 in the 135-card 1951 Topps Baseball checklist, picturing William Werle 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.