1952 Topps #215 Hank Bauer
About Hank Bauer
A decorated World War II Marine before he was a ballplayer, Hank Bauer served 32 months in the Pacific with the 4th Raider Battalion, earning two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts and taking shrapnel in his thigh at Okinawa. Signed by Yankees scout Danny Menendez, the hard-nosed right fielder reached New York in 1948 and starred for the Yankees dynasty through 1959 before finishing with the Kansas City Athletics (1960-1961). Over 14 seasons he batted .277 with 1,424 hits, 164 home runs, and 703 RBI, made three straight All-Star teams (1952-1954), and won seven World Series championships as a player (1949-1953, 1956, 1958). He set a World Series record by hitting safely in 17 consecutive Fall Classic games from 1956 to 1958, and in Game 6 of the 1951 Series he drove in three runs with a triple and made a game-saving diving catch. Comedian Jan Murray famously said Bauer had "a face like a clenched fist," a nickname that stuck to the rugged veteran. After his playing days he managed the Baltimore Orioles to their first-ever title, a four-game sweep of the Dodgers in the 1966 World Series. This fourth-series card falls well before the scarce high-number run (#311-407) that makes the late 1952 Topps cards so hard to find today.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 944 | 0 | 4 | 78 | 132 | 203 | 197 | 326 | 4 |
| SGC | 261 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 23 | 20 | 58 | 146 | 7 |
SGC by variation: Standard 260 · (Authentic) 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 Hank Bauer card?
It is card #215 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the New York Yankees player.
Is the 1952 Topps Hank Bauer 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.