1952 Topps #349 Bob Cain
1952 Topps #349 Bob Cain
About Bob Cain
Bob Cain was a left-handed pitcher who signed with the New York Giants in 1943 out of Longford, Kansas, and reached the majors with the Chicago White Sox, debuting on September 18, 1949. Over parts of six big-league seasons (1949-1954) he pitched for the White Sox, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, and Philadelphia Athletics, compiling a 37-44 record with a 4.50 ERA and 249 strikeouts in 140 pitching appearances. Nicknamed "Sugar" Cain (a tag sportswriters routinely applied to players named Cain), he is remembered above all for August 19, 1951, when, as a Tiger, he walked 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel on four straight pitches in Bill Veeck's famous stunt, making Gaedel the shortest man ever to bat in the majors; Cain later drove hundreds of miles to be the lone baseball figure at Gaedel's 1961 funeral. His finest game came on April 23, 1952, when, pitching for the Browns, he beat Bob Feller 1-0 in a celebrated one-hit duel. That 1952 season, spent in the Browns uniform pictured on this card, he won a career-high 12 games to tie teammate Satchel Paige for the club lead. Cain died in 1997. As a member of the 1952 Topps set, his card falls in the scarce high-number series (#311-407), which was printed in far smaller quantities than the earlier cards, making it considerably tougher to find in high grade today.
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 | 457 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 52 | 85 | 90 | 208 | 2 |
| SGC | 89 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 23 | 50 | 4 |
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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Find on eBay
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
More St. Louis Browns cards
- Fred Marsh
- Gordon Goldsberry
- Bob Mahoney
- Roy Sievers
- Duane Pillette
- Les Moss
- Bobby Young
- Dick Kryhoski
- Owen Friend
- Stan Rojek
- Cuddles Marshall
- Ned Garver
- Gene Bearden
- Tommy Byrne
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1952 Topps Bob Cain card?
It is card #349 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the St. Louis Browns player.
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 Cain 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.