1952 Topps #172 Eddie Miksis
1952 Topps #172 Eddie Miksis
About Eddie Miksis
Edward Thomas "Eddie" Miksis (1926-2005), born in Burlington, New Jersey, signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1944 and reached the majors that same year at just 17 years old, having barely paused in the minors. A right-handed utility man who could cover all four infield positions and the outfield, he played 14 big-league seasons (1944-1958) for the Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, and Cincinnati Reds, batting .236 with 722 hits, 44 home runs, 228 RBI, and 52 stolen bases over 1,042 games. His signature moment came in Game 4 of the 1947 World Series: pinch-running for Pete Reiser, Miksis scored on Cookie Lavagetto's ninth-inning double that broke up Bill Bevens' bid for the first no-hitter in Series history and won the game for Brooklyn. Dodgers executive Branch Rickey coined the hopeful slogan "Miksis will fix us" in 1948, and after his 1951 trade to the Cubs, Miksis famously lent a glove to a young Ernie Banks. This card, #172, falls in the set's third series and is found with both white and gray back stock. Miksis was not an All-Star and is not in the Hall of Fame.
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 | 476 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 66 | 131 | 119 | 139 | 5 |
| SGC | 68 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 20 | 35 | 2 |
SGC by variation: Standard 64 · Gray Back 4
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 Eddie Miksis card?
It is card #172 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the Chicago Cubs player.
Does the 1952 Topps Eddie Miksis 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 Eddie Miksis 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.