1953 Topps #276 Ken Raffensberger
1953 Topps #276 Ken Raffensberger
About Ken Raffensberger
Signed off the Pennsylvania sandlots by Cardinals scout Pop Kelchner, Ken Raffensberger began pro ball in 1937 at Cambridge in the Class D Eastern Shore League and reached the majors as a left-handed control pitcher, debuting with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1939. Over 15 seasons he pitched for the Cardinals, Chicago Cubs (1940-41), Philadelphia Phillies (1943-47) and Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs (1947-54), finishing 119-154 with a 3.60 ERA, 806 strikeouts and 31 shutouts. Named to the 1944 NL All-Star team while with the Phillies, he threw two scoreless innings and was the winning pitcher in the National League's 7-1 rout. A crafty finesse lefty, he twice led the NL in shutouts (1949 and 1952) and posted his best year in 1952 at 17-13 with a 2.81 ERA, tossing four one-hit shutouts in his career. Stan Musial dubbed him "crafty Raffy" and called him the toughest pitcher he ever faced; Bill James later ranked him among the game's unluckiest hurlers, noting his ERA merited far better than his losing record. This #276 is a scarce fourth-series high number. He died in his native York, PA, in 2002.
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 | 423 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 57 | 112 | 93 | 126 | 1 |
| SGC | 64 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 34 | 0 |
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 Ken Raffensberger card?
It is card #276 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 Cincinnati Reds 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 Ken Raffensberger 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.