1953 Topps #139 Sammy White
1953 Topps #139 Sammy White
About Sammy White
A College basketball All-American at the University of Washington, Sammy Charles White (1927-1991) left school in 1949 to sign with the Pacific Coast League's Seattle Rainiers before the Boston Red Sox purchased his contract. The right-handed catcher debuted in September 1951 and became Boston's regular backstop for most of the decade, playing 11 major-league seasons (1951-59 Red Sox, 1961 Milwaukee Braves, 1962 Philadelphia Phillies) and finishing at .262 with 66 home runs and 421 RBI over 1,043 games. Prized for his glovework and pitch-framing, White earned an All-Star selection in 1953 - the very year of this card - though Casey Stengel left Yogi Berra behind the plate the whole game. He owns one indelible feat: on June 18, 1953, in Boston's 17-run inning against Detroit, he scored three runs in a single frame, a 20th-century first. In June 1952 he clubbed a walk-off grand slam off Satchel Paige (the set's #220), then dropped down and crawled to home plate to kiss it. Nicknamed "The Oneida Kid" after mistakenly reporting to Oneida, New York instead of his assigned Oneonta club, White later ran a Fenway-area bowling alley and turned pro golfer in Hawaii.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Designations, variations & errors
White-text biography
A minor printing variation: on some copies the back biography is printed in white text, on others in black text. Catalogued by TCDB (and noted by price guides for the series-2 range) but considered a minor variation, not a headline.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 476 | 0 | 4 | 71 | 77 | 131 | 93 | 100 | 0 |
| SGC | 58 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 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 Sammy White card?
It is card #139 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 Boston Red Sox player.
Is the 1953 Topps Sammy White 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.