1952 Topps #229 Gene Bearden
About Gene Bearden
Henry Eugene "Gene" Bearden was a left-handed knuckleball pitcher whose 1948 rookie season became one of the great one-year wonders in baseball history. Signed by the Phillies out of Memphis Technical High School in 1939, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and, while pitching for Oakland in the Pacific Coast League, learned the knuckleball that manager Casey Stengel helped him harness. Reaching the Cleveland Indians for good in 1948, Bearden went 20-7 with a league-leading 2.43 ERA and six shutouts, finishing second to Alvin Dark in Rookie of the Year voting. On one day's rest he threw a complete game in the AL's one-game pennant playoff, beating the Boston Red Sox 8-3, then shut out the Boston Braves on five hits in a 2-0 World Series Game 3 win and saved the clinching Game 6, sealing Cleveland's last championship. He also played for the Senators, Tigers, White Sox, and the 1952 St. Louis Browns pictured on this card, finishing 45-38 with a 3.96 ERA over seven seasons; a colorful war-hero legend of a fractured skull aboard the USS Helena was later debunked. On card #229 his surname is misspelled "Beardon."
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Variations & how to tell them apart
Spelling error error
Bearden's surname is misspelled 'Beardon' on the card.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 760 | 0 | 5 | 58 | 148 | 183 | 168 | 192 | 6 |
| SGC | 103 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 10 | 35 | 40 | 2 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-22. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. Totals are summed across each grader's listed variations.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1952 Topps Gene Bearden card?
It is card #229 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 Gene Bearden 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 2026-10-05.