1952 Topps #173 Roy Smalley
1952 Topps #173 Roy Smalley
About Roy Smalley
Roy Frederick Smalley — born June 9, 1926, in Springfield, Missouri (d. 2011) — was a right-handed shortstop signed by the Chicago Cubs in 1944 and brought to the majors in 1948 after seasoning in the minor leagues. He spent 11 seasons in the National League, playing for the Cubs (1948–1953), Milwaukee Braves (1954), and Philadelphia Phillies (1955–1958), and finished with a .227 career average, 61 home runs, and 305 RBI. His signature year came in 1950, when he belted 21 home runs, drove in 85 runs, hit for the cycle on June 28, and led the league's shortstops in assists and double plays. That same season also captured his mixed reputation: he led the NL with 51 errors — the last big-league player to reach 50 in a season — and his wild throws inspired Cubs fans to chant "Miksis to Smalley to Addison Street," a bitter parody of the famed "Tinker to Evers to Chance" combination, with Addison being the street beyond Wrigley Field where his errant pegs seemed headed. He was the brother-in-law of longtime manager Gene Mauch and the father of Roy Smalley III, a 1979 All-Star shortstop for the Minnesota Twins and Yankees. On the 1952 Topps checklist his card #173 is a Series 3 issue found with both white and gray back stock, and it sits well below the scarce high-number series (#311–407) that begins with the celebrated Mickey Mantle at #311.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Variations & how to tell them apart
White Back / Gray Back Series 3 (cards 131-190)
The third series exists on two different card stocks. The standard issue is on white/cream stock; a much scarcer parallel was printed on gray cardboard. The gray stock was used at the END of the series-3 run — leftover stock run through the same press, not a separate or foreign printing. Gray backs have a duller, gloss-less front and are never found with gum stains.
- White Back: Standard issue. White/cream card stock, normal red-ink back. Sharper, glossier front.
- Gray Back — scarcer: Scarce parallel on gray card stock. Duller, gloss-less front; never gum-stained. #189 Pete Reiser is the rarest of the run; #146 Frank House appears with a pale/yellow Tiger logo. NOTE: long mislabeled 'Canadian' (borrowed from the genuinely-Canadian 1954 Topps issue) — there is no evidence the 1952 grays were a Canadian release. TCDB catalogs these as 'Grey Back' against the normal 'Red Back'.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 529 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 70 | 142 | 130 | 162 | 4 |
| SGC | 89 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 23 | 51 | 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 Roy Smalley card?
It is card #173 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the Chicago Cubs player.
Does the 1952 Topps Roy Smalley have back variations?
Yes. The third series exists on two different card stocks. The standard issue is on white/cream stock; a much scarcer parallel was printed on gray cardboard. The gray stock was used at the END of the series-3 run — leftover stock run through the same press, not a separate or foreign printing. Gray backs have a duller, gloss-less front and are never found with gum stains.
Is the 1952 Topps Roy Smalley 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.