1953 Topps #155 Dutch Leonard
1953 Topps #155 Dutch Leonard
About Dutch Leonard
Emil John "Dutch" Leonard was a right-handed knuckleball pitcher whose 20-year major-league career stretched from 1933 to 1953. Born in 1909 in Auburn, Illinois, he pitched semipro and industrial ball in Illinois before turning pro in 1930 and being purchased by the Brooklyn Dodgers in August 1933. After stints with Brooklyn (1933-36), he starred for the Washington Senators (1938-46), then pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies (1947-48) and finished with the Chicago Cubs (1949-53) — the team shown on this card. He inherited the nickname "Dutch" from the earlier deadball-era pitcher of the same name, and rode his signature knuckleball to a 191-181 record, a 3.25 ERA, and 1,170 strikeouts over 3,218 innings, earning multiple All-Star selections (1940 and 1943, plus a 1951 nod with the Cubs). His best years came in Washington: he went 20-8 in 1939 as the Senators' first 20-game winner since 1933, and in 1945 posted a 17-7 mark with a league-leading 2.13 ERA as part of the Senators' famous all-knuckleball four-man rotation. In 1944 he refused a reported $20,000 bribe to throw a game against Detroit, reported it, then two-hit shut out the Tigers. After retiring he served as the Cubs' pitching coach (1954-56). Jackie Robinson said of his knuckler, "It comes up, makes a face at you, then runs away." Card #155 shows the standard series-2 back with a minor cataloged printing variation (white- vs. black-text biography) but no headline error.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Designations, variations & errors
White-text biography
A minor printing variation: on some copies the back biography is printed in white text, on others in black text. Catalogued by TCDB (and noted by price guides for the series-2 range) but considered a minor variation, not a headline.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 464 | 0 | 6 | 74 | 102 | 112 | 97 | 70 | 3 |
| SGC | 49 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 13 | 21 | 1 |
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 Dutch Leonard card?
It is card #155 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 Chicago Cubs player.
Is the 1953 Topps Dutch Leonard 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.