1953 Topps #239 Jim Delsing
1953 Topps #239 Jim Delsing
About Jim Delsing
Signed at 16 in 1942 out of semi-pro ball in Wisconsin by scout Eddie Kotal, outfielder Jim Delsing reached the majors with the Chicago White Sox in 1948 and played parts of 10 seasons (1948-1960) with the White Sox, New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns, Detroit Tigers, and Kansas City Athletics. A center and left fielder, he had his finest year in 1953 with Detroit, batting .288 with 11 home runs and 62 RBI in 138 games; for his career he hit .255 with 627 hits, 40 homers, and 286 RBI over 822 games. Delsing is best remembered for two brushes with history as a Brown and a Tiger. On August 19, 1951, Browns owner Bill Veeck sent up 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel to pinch-hit; after Gaedel walked, Delsing was inserted to run for him, prompting his famous line, "A lot of people say Maris hit 61, but I'm the only one who ran for a midget." Then on June 25, 1953, Delsing was the Detroit center fielder replaced by 18-year-old Al Kaline in the Hall of Famer's major-league debut. He died of cancer in 2006.
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.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 508 | 0 | 4 | 55 | 88 | 123 | 119 | 118 | 1 |
| SGC | 76 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 31 | 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 Jim Delsing card?
It is card #239 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 Detroit Tigers 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.
Is the 1953 Topps Jim Delsing 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.