1953 Topps #274 Johnny Riddle
1953 Topps #274 Johnny Riddle
About Johnny Riddle
Card #274 pictures Johnny Riddle in his role as a St. Louis Cardinals coach, capping a baseball life that began in the South Carolina textile leagues in 1923 before he entered Organized Baseball in 1927. A reserve catcher, John Ludy Riddle (born October 3, 1905, in Clinton, South Carolina) reached the majors with the Chicago White Sox in 1930 and appeared in just 98 big-league games across parts of six seasons with the White Sox, Washington Senators, Boston Bees, Cincinnati Reds, and Pittsburgh Pirates (through 1948), batting .238 with no home runs and 11 RBI. His real career was in the minors — 19 seasons, 12 of them with the Indianapolis Indians, where he hit .297. Nicknamed "Mutt" from his freshman days at the University of Georgia, he was the older brother of Reds pitcher Elmer Riddle. After serving as a minor-league player-manager (1942–44), Riddle spent a decade as a National League coach, including with the Cardinals from 1952 to 1955, and earned a World Series ring as the Milwaukee Braves' first-base coach in 1957. He died December 15, 1998.
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 | 433 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 58 | 106 | 98 | 136 | 1 |
| SGC | 59 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 33 | 2 |
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 Riddle card?
It is card #274 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 St. Louis Cardinals coach.
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 Johnny Riddle 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.