1953 Topps #264 Gene Woodling
1953 Topps #264 Gene Woodling
About Gene Woodling
Signed by the Cleveland Indians organization in 1940, Gene Woodling was a left-handed-hitting outfielder who tore through the minors (.398 at Mansfield, .394 at Flint) before debuting with Cleveland in 1943. After Navy service in World War II and stops with the Indians and Pirates, he found his home with the New York Yankees (1949–1954), where he became a cornerstone of Casey Stengel's dynasty and helped anchor five consecutive World Series champions from 1949 through 1953. A line-drive specialist and superb left fielder, Woodling batted a scorching .318 across those Series and in 1952 became the first player to pinch-hit a triple in World Series play. He later starred for the Baltimore Orioles and returned to Cleveland, earning his lone All-Star selection in 1959. Over a 17-season career (1943–1962) that also included the Senators and expansion Mets, he hit .284 with 1,585 hits, 147 home runs and 830 RBI in 1,796 games. Born in Akron, Ohio in 1922 (d. 2001), Woodling later coached the 1966 World Series champion Orioles. This is a scarcer high-number, double-print card from the fourth series of the 1953 Topps set.
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 | 713 | 0 | 4 | 46 | 104 | 168 | 194 | 197 | 0 |
| SGC | 144 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 43 | 64 | 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 Gene Woodling card?
It is card #264 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 New York Yankees 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 Gene Woodling 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.