1952 Topps #82 Duane Pillette
1952 Topps #82 Duane Pillette
About Duane Pillette
Duane Xavier "Dee" Pillette, a right-handed pitcher born in 1922 in Detroit, was the son of former Tigers hurler Herman "Herm" Pillette and picked up the nickname "Dee" during his San Diego high-school days. Yankees scout Joe Devine steered him to Santa Clara University rather than signing him out of high school, and after wartime service in the Naval Air Cadet program, Pillette signed with New York in 1946 and developed a sinker and curveball in the minors at Newark and Portland. He reached the majors with the World Champion 1949 Yankees, then spent the bulk of his career with the St. Louis Browns (1950-1953), Baltimore Orioles (1954-1955), and Philadelphia Phillies (1956). Over eight big-league seasons he went 38-66 with a 4.40 ERA and 305 strikeouts across 188 games, never posting a winning record. In 1951 he tied for the American League lead in losses with 14; his father had led the AL with 19 losses in 1923, making the Pillettes the only father-son duo to lead the league in defeats. Pillette started the game in which 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel made his famous pinch-hit appearance for Bill Veeck's Browns in 1951, and he threw the final pitch in Browns history in St. Louis in September 1953. After the franchise moved, he became the first winning pitcher in modern Baltimore Orioles history with a complete-game 3-2 victory over Detroit in 1954, his best season (10-14, 3.12 ERA). He was later inducted into Santa Clara's Athletic Hall of Fame and died in 2011.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 588 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 89 | 108 | 116 | 232 | 6 |
| SGC | 111 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 26 | 65 | 3 |
SGC by variation: Standard 110 · Red 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 Duane Pillette card?
It is card #82 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 Duane Pillette 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.