1953 Topps #266 Bob Cain
1953 Topps #266 Bob Cain
About Bob Cain
Robert Max "Sugar" Cain, a left-handed pitcher born October 16, 1924, in Longford, Kansas, signed with the New York Giants at 18 in 1943 after eight of the 16 major-league clubs pursued him; he idolized fellow lefty Carl Hubbell. He climbed through the minors around Navy service in World War II and reached the majors with the Chicago White Sox on September 18, 1949, striking out Ted Williams in his debut. Over parts of six seasons (1949-54) he pitched for the White Sox, Detroit Tigers, and the St. Louis Browns (1952-53), the team shown on this card, finishing 37-44 with a 4.50 ERA and 249 strikeouts in 140 games. Cain is best remembered for two 1951-52 moments: on August 19, 1951, pitching for Detroit, he walked 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel on four high pitches in Bill Veeck's famous Browns stunt, and on April 23, 1952, he beat Bob Feller 1-0 in a dual one-hitter. Nicknamed "Sugar," a tag sportswriters gave players named Cain, he was the only baseball figure to attend Gaedel's 1961 funeral and died April 8, 1997, in Cleveland.
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 | 457 | 0 | 2 | 31 | 71 | 132 | 103 | 117 | 1 |
| SGC | 62 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 18 | 22 | 0 |
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 Bob Cain card?
It is card #266 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 St. Louis Browns 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.
Is the 1953 Topps Bob Cain 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.