1953 Topps #233 Al Aber
1953 Topps #233 Al Aber
About Al Aber
A hometown left-hander, Albert Julius Aber signed with the Cleveland Indians out of West Technical High School in Cleveland, later saying he had wanted to pitch for the Indians "ever since I was a little kid." After a strong minor-league run — including a 24-8, 2.71-ERA season at Spartanburg in 1949 — he debuted on September 15, 1950, throwing a five-hit complete game to beat Washington 4-2 before his hometown crowd. Military service during the Korean War cost him the 1951 and 1952 seasons. Back in 1953, he pitched briefly for Cleveland before being dealt to the Detroit Tigers that June in the eight-player trade that sent Ray Boone and Steve Gromek to Detroit. This high-number card (#233) captures him as a Cleveland Indian in that transitional year. Aber pitched six major-league seasons (1950, 1953-1957) for the Indians, Tigers, and Kansas City Athletics, working as both a spot starter and reliever and leading Detroit in saves in 1956. He finished 24-25 with a 4.18 ERA and 169 strikeouts over 168 games, and after baseball became a sales representative. He died in 1993.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Designations, variations & errors
High Number
Series 4 (#221-280). Printed in shorter supply and distributed late in the season, when retailers cut orders for the football months. The scarcest run in the set - holding #244 Willie Mays and the #258 Gilliam and #263 Podres rookies - and routinely 3-4x the price of low-number commons.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 465 | 0 | 3 | 39 | 69 | 113 | 109 | 132 | 0 |
| SGC | 65 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 23 | 25 | 2 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-26. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8). PSA counts are straight-graded.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1953 Topps Al Aber card?
It is card #233 of the 1953 Topps Baseball set - one of the most beautiful sets ever made, with hand-painted color portraits numbered to 280 (274 cards issued). It pictures the Cleveland Indians player, and is his rookie card.
Why is this card scarce?
It is in the 1953 Topps high-number series (#221-280), released late in the season in shorter supply - the scarcest run in the set, routinely 3-4 times the price of low-number commons.
Is the 1953 Topps Al Aber valuable?
Value depends on grade and eye appeal. Use the links above to check current T206 Cards inventory and live eBay listings.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and Baseball-Almanac. Card data & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-01.