1953 Topps #34 George Shuba
1953 Topps #34 George Shuba
About George Shuba
George "Shotgun" Shuba was a left-handed outfielder and pinch-hitter signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in February 1944 out of Youngstown, Ohio. After climbing the farm system, he reached the majors in 1948 and spent seven seasons with Brooklyn (1948-1950 and 1952-1955), batting .259 with 211 hits, 24 home runs, and 125 RBI across 355 games. A Mobile sportswriter dubbed him "Shotgun" because he sprayed line drives to all fields; Roger Kahn immortalized that compact swing—and Shuba's nightly regimen of hundreds of weighted-bat cuts—in his 1972 classic The Boys of Summer. In Game 1 of the 1953 World Series, Shuba pinch-hit a home run off Allie Reynolds, becoming the first National Leaguer to homer as a pinch-hitter in Series history. He appeared in three World Series and won a championship with Brooklyn's lone title in 1955. His enduring legacy, however, is the 1946 photograph of him at home plate shaking teammate Jackie Robinson's hand after a Montreal Royals home run—"A Handshake for the Century," an early image of racial tolerance in baseball, later memorialized by a statue in his hometown. He died in 2014 at age 89.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 496 | 0 | 10 | 69 | 91 | 124 | 106 | 94 | 2 |
| SGC | 64 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 7 | 19 | 19 | 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 George Shuba card?
It is card #34 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 Brooklyn Dodgers player.
Is the 1953 Topps George Shuba 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.