1953 Topps #248 Gene Stephens
1953 Topps #248 Gene Stephens
About Gene Stephens
A lanky left-handed-hitting, right-handed-throwing outfielder from Gravette, Arkansas, Gene Stephens turned down a Yankees offer and signed with the Boston Red Sox in 1951, batting .337 with 22 home runs as an 18-year-old at Class D High Point-Thomasville before reaching the majors in 1952. This is his rookie card, and it was in that 1953 season that he authored his signature feat: on June 18, 1953, during Boston's record 17-run seventh inning in a 23-3 rout of Detroit, Stephens became the first modern-era (post-1900) major leaguer to collect three hits in a single inning—a double and two singles off three different Detroit pitchers—a record matched only by Johnny Damon (2003). Over 12 seasons (1952-64) he played for the Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Athletics, and Chicago White Sox, hitting .240 with 460 hits, 37 home runs, and 207 RBI in 964 games. Serving mainly as Ted Williams' left-field replacement in Boston, he was tagged "Caddy for Ted Williams" by writer Shirley Povich in a 1958 Baseball Digest piece—a nickname Stephens disliked. He never reached a World Series and died in 2019 at age 86.
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.
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 | 545 | 0 | 2 | 68 | 93 | 125 | 117 | 140 | 0 |
| SGC | 81 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 26 | 30 | 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 Gene Stephens card?
It is card #248 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 Boston Red Sox 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.
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 Gene Stephens 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.