1953 Topps #230 Johnny Lindell
1953 Topps #230 Johnny Lindell
About Johnny Lindell
Signed by Yankees scout Bill Essick off the USC campus in 1936, John Harlan Lindell (1916-1985) began as a minor-league pitcher, going 23-4 with a 2.05 ERA at Newark in 1941 to earn The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year. In the majors he reinvented himself: manager Joe McCarthy converted the 6-foot-4 right-hander to the outfield in 1943, and he responded by making the American League All-Star team and leading the league in triples. Lindell won three World Series titles with the Yankees (1943, 1947, 1949)—he went 9-for-18 with a team-high seven RBIs in the 1947 Series, and in Game 3 of 1943 famously barreled into third baseman Whitey Kurowski to spark a decisive rally. His best year was 1944, leading the AL in total bases and triples. Over 12 seasons (Yankees, Cardinals, Pirates, Phillies) he batted .273 with 762 hits, 72 home runs and 404 RBIs. Known as the Yankees' clubhouse "rogue," he later mastered a knuckleball, won the 1952 Pacific Coast League MVP at 24-9 for Hollywood, and returned to the majors as a pitcher—the role in which this 1953 Pirates high-number card catches him.
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 | 458 | 0 | 4 | 36 | 80 | 135 | 90 | 111 | 2 |
| SGC | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 26 | 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 Johnny Lindell card?
It is card #230 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 Pittsburgh Pirates 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 Johnny Lindell 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.