1952 Topps #213 Nippy Jones
About Nippy Jones
Vernal Leroy "Nippy" Jones was a right-handed first baseman signed at age 17 by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1943 out of Fremont High School in Los Angeles, after which he hit .304 for the Sacramento Solons. He debuted for the Cardinals in 1946 and played parts of eight big-league seasons with St. Louis (1946-1951), the Philadelphia Phillies (1952 — the club shown on this 1952 Topps card), and the Milwaukee Braves (1957), batting .267 with 25 home runs and 209 RBI over 412 games. A herniated disc in 1949 that briefly left him partly paralyzed derailed his prime and sent him to the minors for years. Jones nonetheless earned two World Series rings, with the 1946 Cardinals and the 1957 Braves. He is best remembered for the "shoe polish" play in Game 4 of the 1957 Series: pinch-hitting for Warren Spahn, he showed umpire Augie Donatelli a polish smudge on a low pitch to prove it had hit his foot, was awarded first base, and sparked the game-tying, series-turning rally capped by Eddie Mathews' walk-off homer. His nickname traces to his father, "Nip," who liked "a nip of the bottle," making young Vernal the "Little Nipper."
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 592 | 0 | 4 | 56 | 98 | 155 | 129 | 145 | 5 |
| SGC | 96 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 7 | 22 | 47 | 3 |
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 Nippy Jones card?
It is card #213 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the Philadelphia Phillies player.
Is the 1952 Topps Nippy Jones 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.