1952 Topps #328 Bob Borkowski
1952 Topps #328 Bob Borkowski
About Bob Borkowski
Robert Vilarian "Bush" Borkowski was a right-handed outfielder from Dayton, Ohio, signed by Chicago Cubs scout Joe Kernan in 1946 after he played on a Navy service team in Hawaii during World War II. He broke in as a pitcher-outfielder at Elizabethton in the Appalachian League, then earned his shot by winning the 1949 Southern Association batting title (.376) with the Nashville Vols. Over six big-league seasons (1950-1955) he played for the Cubs (1950-51), Cincinnati Reds (1952-54), and Brooklyn Dodgers (1955), appearing in 470 games and batting .251 with 294 hits, 16 home runs, and 112 RBI. His best year came in 1953 with Cincinnati, when he hit .269 with seven homers in 94 games; he hit his first major-league home run off Pittsburgh on May 28, 1950. His nickname "Bush" traced to his hometown, where locals who couldn't pronounce his Polish surname simply called his family "the Bushes." Traded to the pennant-winning Dodgers in mid-1955, he appeared in only nine games and was optioned to St. Paul when Duke Snider returned, so his time with Brooklyn's championship club was brief. This card is part of the scarce high-number series (#311-407), printed in far smaller quantities than the earlier numbers and famously dumped in bulk, which makes surviving 1952 Topps high numbers difficult to find today; it also served as Borkowski's Topps rookie card. He died in Dayton in 2017 at age 91.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Variations & how to tell them apart
High Number
Series 6 (311-407). Minimally distributed in the fall of 1952 when retailers cut orders — the scarcest and most coveted run in the set, holding Mantle, Robinson, Campanella, the Mathews rookie and more.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 498 | 0 | 4 | 36 | 74 | 80 | 75 | 225 | 4 |
| SGC | 92 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 46 | 6 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-22. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8); totals are summed across each grader's listed variations.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1952 Topps Bob Borkowski card?
It is card #328 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the Cincinnati Reds player, and is his rookie card.
Why is this card scarce?
It is in the 1952 Topps high-number series (311-407), which was minimally distributed in the fall of 1952 and is the scarcest, most sought-after run in the set.
Is the 1952 Topps Bob Borkowski valuable?
Value depends on grade and (where it applies) the back variation. Use the links above to check current T206 Cards inventory and live eBay listings.
Sources: the Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, and PSA & SGC population reports. Card data & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-01.