1952 Topps #364 Clyde Sukeforth
1952 Topps #364 Clyde Sukeforth
About Clyde Sukeforth
Clyde Leroy Sukeforth (1901-2000), a native of Washington, Maine, starred as a catcher and left fielder at Georgetown University before turning pro and reaching the majors with the Cincinnati Reds in 1926. A backup catcher, he spent parts of ten seasons with the Reds (1926-1931) and Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1934, 1945), batting .264 with 326 hits, 2 home runs and 96 RBI over 486 games; his best year came in 1929 (.354 in 84 games), before a 1931 hunting accident that damaged his eye curtailed his playing days. Nicknamed "Sukey," he made his greatest mark off the field: in August 1945, on Branch Rickey's orders, he scouted Jackie Robinson and brought him to Brooklyn for the historic meeting that broke baseball's color line, and as interim manager filling in for the suspended Leo Durocher he wrote Robinson into the Dodgers' Opening Day lineup on April 15, 1947. As a Dodger coach he summoned Ralph Branca in the 1951 pennant playoff that ended with Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World," then joined the Pittsburgh Pirates after 1951 as a coach and scout, later helping steer the 1954 draft acquisition of Roberto Clemente. This 1952 Topps card places him with Pittsburgh and, as card #364, falls in the scarce high-number series (#311-407) printed in far smaller quantities and famously dumped at sea, making these cards among the set's rarest 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 | 525 | 1 | 7 | 34 | 73 | 84 | 89 | 231 | 6 |
| SGC | 102 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 17 | 68 | 8 |
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 Clyde Sukeforth card?
It is card #364 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the Pittsburgh Pirates coach.
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 Clyde Sukeforth 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.