1952 Topps #306 Lou Sleater
1952 Topps #306 Lou Sleater
About Lou Sleater
A left-handed pitcher who grew up in Baltimore's Forest Park neighborhood, Lou Sleater starred as a three-sport athlete at Mount Saint Joseph High School and was signed by the Boston Braves right after his 1944 graduation, then served in the Navy before grinding through a long list of minor-league clubs. He reached the majors on April 25, 1950, with the St. Louis Browns and pitched parts of seven seasons (1950-1952, 1955-1958) for six clubs: the Browns, Washington Senators, Kansas City Athletics, Milwaukee Braves, Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles. Primarily a reliever who tinkered with a knuckleball, he finished 12-18 with a 4.70 ERA and 152 strikeouts over 131 games. With the 1952 Senators, the team pictured on this card, he went 4-2 and famously stopped Walt Dropo's record streak of 12 consecutive hits. On May 30, 1957, he won a game for the Tigers by hitting a walk-off home run, a rare feat for a pitcher. This is Sleater's rookie card, sitting in the fifth series just below the scarce 1952 Topps high-number run (#311-407) that begins with the legendary Mickey Mantle at #311. Born in St. Louis in 1926, he died in 2013.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 505 | 1 | 9 | 52 | 86 | 124 | 101 | 129 | 3 |
| SGC | 83 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 43 | 2 |
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 Lou Sleater card?
It is card #306 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the Washington Senators player, and is his rookie card.
Is the 1952 Topps Lou Sleater 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.