1953 Topps #123 Tommy Byrne
1953 Topps #123 Tommy Byrne
About Tommy Byrne
A hard-throwing left-hander out of Baltimore, Tommy Byrne signed with the New York Yankees in 1940 off the Wake Forest College campus, reportedly choosing New York over the Athletics to play near his boyhood idol, Babe Ruth. He debuted in 1943 and pitched 13 major-league seasons (1943, 1946-1957), mostly with the Yankees but also the St. Louis Browns, this card's Chicago White Sox, and the Washington Senators in 1953. Byrne finished 85-69 with a 4.11 ERA and 766 strikeouts; he made the 1950 All-Star team and won World Series rings in 1949 and 1956. Chronic wildness (he led the AL in walks in 1949, 1950, and 1951) earned him the nickname "Wild Man." He was also a superb hitting pitcher (.238, 14 homers, two grand slams) - and fittingly for this White Sox card, on May 16, 1953 he pinch-hit a grand slam off his old Yankee club to win the game. His 1955 comeback (16-5, 3.15 ERA, league-best .762 winning percentage) sent him to Games 2 and 7 of that Series. He later served as mayor of Wake Forest, North Carolina (1973-1987) and died in 2007. Byrne is not in the Hall of Fame. This #123 is a double print and exists with the back biography printed in either black or white text, a minor catalogued printing variation rather than a true error.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Designations, variations & errors
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.
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 | 572 | 0 | 11 | 91 | 110 | 170 | 107 | 83 | 0 |
| SGC | 66 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 19 | 21 | 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 Tommy Byrne card?
It is card #123 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 Chicago White Sox player.
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 Tommy Byrne 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.