1952 Topps #352 Karl Drews
1952 Topps #352 Karl Drews
About Karl Drews
Karl August Drews was a lanky 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher discovered as a Staten Island teenager and signed by the New York Yankees out of a 1938 tryout camp. After breaking a finger on his throwing hand, he developed a sinker that Yogi Berra still remembered decades later, and he climbed through the minors with a standout 19-9, 2.70 season at Newark in 1945. Drews reached the majors with the Yankees in 1946 and pitched eight big-league seasons for the Yankees, St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Phillies, and Cincinnati Redlegs, finishing 44-53 with a 4.76 ERA and 322 strikeouts. He was a member of the Yankees' 1947 World Series champions, working two scoreless relief appearances against the Brooklyn Dodgers. His finest year came with the 1952 Phillies, when he went 14-15 with a 2.72 ERA and finished among the National League leaders in shutouts (five), complete games, and ERA. A 1950 skull fracture and the silver plate that followed, he said, calmed his approach and sharpened his control. Card #352 falls in the scarce 1952 Topps high-number series (#311-407), printed in far smaller quantities and famously dumped, making it rare today. Drews died tragically in 1963 at age 43, struck by a drunk driver while flagging down help after his car stalled in Dania, Florida; his grandson Matt Drews was a Yankees first-round draft pick in 1993.
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 | 505 | 0 | 11 | 40 | 46 | 94 | 103 | 208 | 3 |
| SGC | 97 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 20 | 51 | 6 |
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 Karl Drews card?
It is card #352 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the Philadelphia Phillies 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 Karl Drews 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.