1954 Topps #98 Joe Black
About Joe Black
A right-handed pitcher out of Plainfield, New Jersey, Joe Black starred at Morgan State and began his professional career with the Negro Leagues' Baltimore Elite Giants in 1943, a three-time Negro League All-Star who helped Baltimore win the 1949 pennant before the Brooklyn Dodgers signed him. Reaching the majors at age 28 in 1952, he authored one of the great rookie seasons in history—going 15-4 with 15 saves and a 2.15 ERA out of the bullpen to win the 1952 National League Rookie of the Year Award. That October he became the first Black pitcher to win a World Series game, taking Game 1 over Allie Reynolds and the Yankees, 4-2. Overworked and pushed to add new pitches, he never recaptured that form, finishing a six-season career (Dodgers, Cincinnati Redlegs, Washington Senators) with a 30-12 record and a 3.72 ERA—half his wins coming as a rookie. He later worked in community relations and civil-rights advocacy in baseball and died in 2002. This is a base card in the third series; it is not his rookie card and carries no name or error notation.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 766 | 0 | 5 | 84 | 162 | 197 | 149 | 168 | 1 |
| SGC | 146 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 26 | 21 | 37 | 55 | 3 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-26. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8); totals are summed across each grader's listed variations.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1954 Topps Joe Black card?
It is card #98 of 250 in the 1954 Topps set, issued at the peak of the Topps-Bowman 'Card Wars'. It pictures the Brooklyn Dodgers player.
Is the 1954 Topps Joe Black valuable?
Value depends on grade and (where it applies) the back variation. 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.