1953 Topps #234 Ray Murray
1953 Topps #234 Ray Murray
About Ray Murray
Raymond Lee "Deacon" Murray was a big (6-foot-3) right-handed catcher who broke into pro ball in 1940 with the Pocomoke City Chicks of the Class D Eastern Shore League and starred in the Texas League with Oklahoma City, hitting .319 in 1949. After serving in the Army Air Forces during World War II, the Spring Hope, North Carolina, native debuted with the Cleveland Indians in 1948 and spent six major-league seasons (1948–1954) with Cleveland, the Philadelphia Athletics, and the Baltimore Orioles. He got the bulk of his playing time in Philadelphia, where he was the A's regular catcher in 1953, setting career highs with a .284 average, 84 games, and six home runs — the season pictured on this high-number, double-printed card. For his career he batted .252 with 184 hits, 8 home runs, and 80 RBI over 250 games. Nicknamed "Deacon" after memorizing revival-meeting sermons as a boy, Murray was famous for preaching to umpires — most notoriously dropping to his knees at home plate as if to pray over a disputed call, earning an ejection and a $100 fine. He later managed in the minors and served 16 years as a Tarrant County, Texas, deputy sheriff before his death in 2003.
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 | 489 | 0 | 4 | 53 | 83 | 138 | 116 | 95 | 0 |
| SGC | 69 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 22 | 23 | 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 Ray Murray card?
It is card #234 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 Philadelphia Athletics 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 Ray Murray 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.