1953 Topps #237 Bud Podbielan
1953 Topps #237 Bud Podbielan
About Bud Podbielan
Clarence Anthony "Bud" Podbielan was a right-handed pitcher born in Curlew, Washington, in 1924 (d. 1982 in Syracuse, New York). He reached the majors with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949 and pitched nine big-league seasons through 1959, splitting his career among the Dodgers (1949-1952), the Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs (1952-1955 and 1957) — the team shown on this 1953 Topps card — and the Cleveland Indians (1959). A back-of-the-rotation and swing man who never made an All-Star team, he finished 25-42 with a 4.49 ERA and 242 strikeouts over 172 games. His most memorable outing was a dubious one: on May 18, 1953, pitching for Cincinnati against his old Brooklyn club, Podbielan walked a franchise-record 13 batters in a 10-inning game. As a high-number card (#237) in the scarcer fourth series, his 1953 Topps issue is a tougher pull than the set's low numbers.
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 | 469 | 0 | 3 | 49 | 78 | 129 | 108 | 100 | 2 |
| SGC | 62 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 18 | 20 | 5 |
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 Bud Podbielan card?
It is card #237 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 Cincinnati Reds 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 Bud Podbielan 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.