1952 Topps #174 Cuddles Marshall
1952 Topps #174 Cuddles Marshall
About Cuddles Marshall
Clarence Westly "Cuddles" Marshall was a hard-throwing but wild right-handed pitcher signed out of Bellingham High School in Washington by the Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League in 1943. He reached the majors with the New York Yankees, debuting in relief on April 24, 1946, and pitched parts of four big-league seasons for the Yankees (1946, 1948-49) and St. Louis Browns (1950), working mostly out of the bullpen. On May 28, 1946, he made history by starting the first night game ever played at Yankee Stadium, taking the loss in a 2-1 defeat to the Washington Senators. His nickname was coined that year when teammate Joe Page joked that girls wanted to "cuddle" the tall rookie like a teddy bear; a reporter printed "Cuddles" and it stuck, though Marshall long preferred his given name. He earned a championship ring as a member of the 1949 World Series-winning Yankees but did not pitch in the Series. Sold to the Browns in 1950, he finished with a 7-7 record, 5.98 ERA, 4 saves and 69 strikeouts (against 158 walks) in 73 games before a 1953 car accident ended his career. He is not a Hall of Famer, and this card - his only Topps flagship issue - is his rookie card, found 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 | 537 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 80 | 141 | 140 | 143 | 4 |
| SGC | 73 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 19 | 38 | 2 |
SGC by variation: Standard 71 · Gray Back 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1952 Topps Cuddles Marshall card?
It is card #174 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 Cuddles Marshall 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 Cuddles Marshall 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.