1952 Topps #254 Joe Dobson
About Joe Dobson
Joseph Gordon "Burrhead" Dobson was a durable right-handed pitcher whose career is one of baseball's great overcoming-adversity stories: at age nine, playing with a dynamite cap in Durant, Oklahoma, he lost his left thumb and forefinger, yet he still reached the majors. Signed out of Arizona amateur ball by Cleveland scout Grover Land, he broke in with the Indians in 1939 before a 1941 trade sent him to Boston, where he did his best work. Over 14 seasons with the Indians (1939-40), Red Sox (1941-43, 1946-50, 1954), and White Sox (1951-53), Dobson went 137-103 with a 3.62 ERA and 992 strikeouts. He was an All-Star in 1948 and posted standout years in 1947 (18-8) and 1952 (14-10, 2.51 ERA). His signature moment came in the 1946 World Series, when he threw a complete-game, four-hit 6-3 victory in Game Five against the Cardinals. Nicknamed "Burrhead" and "Curly" for his wavy hair, Dobson was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2012. This mid-series card sits well below the scarce high-number run (#311-407) of Topps' landmark 1952 debut flagship.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 520 | 0 | 4 | 52 | 93 | 122 | 95 | 150 | 4 |
| SGC | 61 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 31 | 0 |
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 Joe Dobson card?
It is card #254 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the Chicago White Sox player.
Is the 1952 Topps Joe Dobson 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.