1952 Topps #320 John Rutherford
About John Rutherford
John William "Johnny" Rutherford was a Canadian-born right-handed pitcher whose entire major-league career was a single, memorable 1952 season with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Born May 5, 1925 in Belleville, Ontario, he was signed by the Dodgers as an amateur free agent before the 1947 season and spent five years working through the farm system — including stops with the Montreal Royals and St. Paul Saints — before debuting on April 30, 1952 in relief against the Cardinals. Used as both a spot starter and reliever for the pennant-winning "Boys of Summer" Dodgers, he went 7-7 with a 4.25 ERA, 29 strikeouts, and 11 starts across 22 games. He also appeared in the 1952 World Series against the Yankees, pitching in Game 4, where he surrendered a triple to Mickey Mantle and an earned run in a Series Brooklyn ultimately lost in seven games. Nicknamed "Doc," Rutherford saw his career cut short by shoulder trouble; fittingly, he later earned an osteopathic medical degree in 1962 and built a general practice near Detroit. He died December 25, 2016. This is his rookie card and his only Topps issue, and it sits in the coveted high-number series (#311-407) — the scarce, lower-printed run headlined by the iconic #311 Mickey Mantle — which makes even short-career players like Rutherford legitimately tough 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 | 531 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 39 | 56 | 87 | 326 | 7 |
| SGC | 112 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 90 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Find on eBay
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
More Brooklyn Dodgers cards
- Andy Pafko
- Wayne Terwilliger
- Billy Loes
- Gil Hodges
- Duke Snider
- Jim Russell
- Chris Van Cuyk
- Preacher Roe
- Johnny Schmitz
- Clarence Podbielan
- Phil Haugstad
- Clyde King
- Billy Cox
- Rocky Bridges
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1952 Topps John Rutherford card?
It is card #320 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the Brooklyn Dodgers player, and is his rookie card.
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 John Rutherford 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.