1952 Topps #398 Hal Rice
1952 Topps #398 Hal Rice
About Hal Rice
Harold Housten "Hoot" Rice was a left-handed-hitting left fielder who signed with the St. Louis Cardinals organization as a 17-year-old amateur in 1941, beginning his pro career with the Class D Williamson Red Birds in his native West Virginia. Born February 11, 1924, in Morganette, West Virginia, he interrupted his baseball path to serve in World War II, enlisting in early 1943 and fighting in the Pacific Theater; he earned a battlefield commission as a second lieutenant, was wounded in the legs in the Philippines in 1945, and received the Purple Heart. Rice reached the majors with the Cardinals in 1948 and spent seven big-league seasons (1948-1954) with St. Louis, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Chicago Cubs, largely as a reserve who backed up Stan Musial in the Cardinals outfield. Over 453 career games he batted .260 with 19 home runs and 162 RBI; his best stretch came after a 1953 trade to Pittsburgh, where he hit .311 as a near-everyday player. This card sits in the scarce 1952 Topps high-number series (#311-407), printed in far smaller quantities than the earlier series and famously dumped as overstock, which makes even common role players like Rice genuinely difficult to find today.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
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 | 415 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 50 | 71 | 77 | 196 | 4 |
| SGC | 88 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 59 | 5 |
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 Hal Rice card?
It is card #398 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the St. Louis Cardinals player.
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 Hal Rice 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.