1952 Topps #147 Bobby Young
1952 Topps #147 Bobby Young
About Bobby Young
A left-handed-hitting second baseman, Robert George "Bobby" Young was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals organization before the 1946 season and honed his craft in the minors, batting .347 at Class B Allentown and starring defensively at Triple-A Rochester, where in 1950 he reportedly ran off 329 consecutive errorless chances. He debuted briefly with the Cardinals in 1948 before landing across town, becoming the St. Louis Browns' regular second baseman from 1951 to 1953. Slick with the glove, Young tied for the American League lead in double plays as a 1951 rookie (118) and led the league outright in 1952 (127). He moved with the franchise to Baltimore as the first Oriole to sign a contract for the relocated club in 1954, then was dealt to Cleveland in June 1955 and made his final big-league appearances with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1958. Over eight major-league seasons he hit .249 with 15 home runs and 137 RBIs across 687 games, posting a .980 fielding percentage. Nicknamed "The Razor" for his lean build, Young died of a heart attack in Baltimore in 1985 at age 60. This is his rookie card; #147 falls in the third series, well below the scarce high-number run (#311-407) headlined by the iconic Mickey Mantle, and it is known with both white- and gray-back stock.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Variations & how to tell them apart
White Back / Gray Back Series 3 (cards 131-190)
The third series exists on two different card stocks. The standard issue is on white/cream stock; a much scarcer parallel was printed on gray cardboard. The gray stock was used at the END of the series-3 run — leftover stock run through the same press, not a separate or foreign printing. Gray backs have a duller, gloss-less front and are never found with gum stains.
- White Back: Standard issue. White/cream card stock, normal red-ink back. Sharper, glossier front.
- Gray Back — scarcer: Scarce parallel on gray card stock. Duller, gloss-less front; never gum-stained. #189 Pete Reiser is the rarest of the run; #146 Frank House appears with a pale/yellow Tiger logo. NOTE: long mislabeled 'Canadian' (borrowed from the genuinely-Canadian 1954 Topps issue) — there is no evidence the 1952 grays were a Canadian release. TCDB catalogs these as 'Grey Back' against the normal 'Red Back'.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 618 | 0 | 6 | 45 | 119 | 147 | 120 | 177 | 4 |
| SGC | 107 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 15 | 26 | 47 | 3 |
SGC by variation: Standard 106 · Gray Back 1
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 Bobby Young card?
It is card #147 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, and is his rookie card.
Does the 1952 Topps Bobby Young have back variations?
Yes. The third series exists on two different card stocks. The standard issue is on white/cream stock; a much scarcer parallel was printed on gray cardboard. The gray stock was used at the END of the series-3 run — leftover stock run through the same press, not a separate or foreign printing. Gray backs have a duller, gloss-less front and are never found with gum stains.
Is the 1952 Topps Bobby Young 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.