1953 Topps #219 Pete Runnels
1953 Topps #219 Pete Runnels
The famous 'wrong painting' error: the portrait is of teammate Don Johnson, not Pete Runnels.
About Pete Runnels
A left-handed-hitting infielder from Lufkin, Texas, James Edward "Pete" Runnels entered pro ball with Chickasha of the Class D Sooner League in 1949 after being cut from a St. Louis Cardinals tryout, then climbed the minors before debuting with the Washington Senators on July 1, 1951. He played 14 major-league seasons for the Senators (1951-57), Boston Red Sox (1958-62) and Houston Colt .45s (1963-64), manning shortstop, second base and first base. A patient contact hitter, Runnels won two American League batting titles with Boston, hitting .320 in 1960 and a career-high .326 in 1962, and he narrowly lost a third crown to teammate Ted Williams on the final day of 1958. An All-Star (selected in 1959, 1960 and 1962), he finished with a .291 average, 1,854 hits, 49 home runs and 630 RBI. Nicknamed "Little Pete" after his father, he later served as Red Sox interim manager for the final 16 games of 1966 and was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame (1982) and Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame (2004). Fittingly for a 1953 Topps error, the portrait on his #219 card is not Runnels at all but teammate Don Johnson, a widely catalogued mistake that appears on every copy.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Designations, variations & errors
Wrong painting (Don Johnson) error
The portrait on Pete Runnels' card is not Runnels - it depicts teammate Don Johnson. A genuine, widely catalogued error that appears on every copy (there is no corrected version), so it is an error of record rather than a two-version variation. Tagged UER by TCDB, PSA and Beckett.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 522 | 0 | 5 | 51 | 88 | 128 | 129 | 121 | 0 |
| SGC | 82 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 31 | 3 |
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 Pete Runnels card?
It is card #219 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 Washington Senators player.
What is the error on the 1953 Topps Pete Runnels?
The portrait on Pete Runnels' card is not Runnels - it depicts teammate Don Johnson. A genuine, widely catalogued error that appears on every copy (there is no corrected version), so it is an error of record rather than a two-version variation. Tagged UER by TCDB, PSA and Beckett.
Is the 1953 Topps Pete Runnels 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.