1952 Topps #373 Jim Turner
1952 Topps #373 Jim Turner
About Jim Turner
James Riley "Milkman Jim" Turner (1903-1998) was a right-handed pitcher who reached the majors improbably late, debuting with the Boston Bees in 1937 at age 33 after fourteen seasons in the minor leagues. He earned his nickname because he worked on his family's dairy farm in Antioch, Tennessee, in the offseason. Turner's rookie year was a sensation: he won 20 games and led the National League in ERA (2.38), complete games (24), and shutouts (5), earning an All-Star selection the following year in 1938. Over nine seasons with the Bees (1937-39), Cincinnati Reds (1940-42), and New York Yankees (1942-45), he went 69-60 with a 3.22 ERA and 329 strikeouts in 231 games, and won World Series titles with the 1940 Reds and 1943 Yankees. His greater fame came as a coach: as the Yankees' pitching coach under Casey Stengel from 1949 to 1959, he helped guide the club to seven World Series championships, and across a 24-year coaching career with the Yankees and Reds he was part of ten pennant-winning teams. This card depicts him as a Yankees coach and belongs to the scarce high-number series (#311-407), the harder-to-find run printed in far lower quantities that makes these final 1952 Topps cards rare today.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
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 | 521 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 55 | 74 | 92 | 268 | 3 |
| SGC | 119 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 74 | 7 |
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 Jim Turner card?
It is card #373 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the New York Yankees coach.
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 Jim Turner 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.