1953 Topps #241 Al Sima
1953 Topps #241 Al Sima
About Al Sima
Albert "Al" Sima was a left-handed pitcher born October 7, 1921, in Mahwah, New Jersey, whose road to the majors ran long: his professional career was interrupted by U.S. Navy service during World War II, and he did not debut in the big leagues until 1950, at age 28, with the Washington Senators. He pitched parts of four major-league seasons (1950-1951 and 1953 with Washington, and split 1954 between the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Athletics), appearing in exactly 100 games with 30 starts. His career line was a modest 11-21 with a 4.61 ERA, 111 strikeouts, four complete games and four saves over 308-2/3 innings. Sima owns a small but memorable footnote in baseball history: on September 19, 1954, he was the last pitcher to take the mound for the Philadelphia Athletics in their final home game before the franchise moved to Kansas City, hurling a scoreless ninth at Connie Mack Stadium. He pitched in the minors, including several seasons with the Chattanooga Lookouts, before retiring later in the decade. This #241 card sits in the scarce high-number fourth series of the 1953 Topps set and is a double print. Sima died August 17, 1993, in Suffern, New York, at age 71.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
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.
Double Print
Marked DP. Roughly 50% more of these cards were printed than their neighbors (the hobby calls it 'double-printed'), so they are the most plentiful cards in the set. TCDB flags 103 of them, concentrated in the low series. Five cards normally in the low run - #94, #107, #131, #145 and #156 - were also printed on the more-plentiful #166-220 sheet. A print-quantity designation, not an error or a separate card.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 668 | 0 | 5 | 76 | 121 | 202 | 138 | 124 | 2 |
| SGC | 91 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 35 | 4 |
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 Sima card?
It is card #241 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 Washington Senators player.
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.
What does 'double print' mean for this card?
Roughly 50% more of these cards were printed than their neighbors, so double prints (DP) are the most plentiful cards in the set. It is a print-quantity note, not an error or a separate card.
Is the 1953 Topps Al Sima 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.