1952 Topps #285 Cliff Fannin
1952 Topps #285 Cliff Fannin
About Cliff Fannin
Clifford Bryson "Mule" Fannin was a right-handed pitcher who spent his entire eight-season major-league career (1945-1952) with the St. Louis Browns, the perennial American League also-rans who would relocate to become the Baltimore Orioles in 1954. Born May 13, 1924, in Louisa, Kentucky, Fannin was signed by the Browns in 1942 at age 18 and developed three years in their farm system before debuting on September 2, 1945. Across 164 games (98 as a starter), he went 34-51 with a 4.85 ERA, 352 strikeouts, 28 complete games, six shutouts, and six saves. His finest year came in 1948, when he posted a 10-14 record with ten complete games and a career-high 102 strikeouts over 213.2 innings, the only season he reached triple digits in punchouts. Nicknamed "Mule" by his parents, Fannin also holds a dubious footnote: he was on the mound when the Red Sox routed the Browns 29-4 on June 8, 1950, the most lopsided game in modern big-league history, surrendering eight runs in two innings. He died December 11, 1966, at age 42. This short-printed card sits in the fifth series, before the scarce #311-407 high-number run that includes the celebrated Mickey Mantle #311.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Variations & how to tell them apart
Short Print
Cards 281-300 were single-printed relative to the rest of series 5 — EXCEPT #289 Holmes, #295 Cavarretta and #296 Rolfe. 17 SP cards in all.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 598 | 1 | 7 | 69 | 91 | 141 | 128 | 159 | 2 |
| SGC | 72 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 19 | 31 | 2 |
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 Cliff Fannin card?
It is card #285 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.
Is the 1952 Topps Cliff Fannin 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.