1954 Topps #244 Leroy Wheat
About Leroy Wheat
A hard-throwing right-hander listed at 6-foot-4, Leroy William "Lee" Wheat was born September 15, 1929, in Edwardsville, Illinois, and attended Truman State University and the University of Missouri. Signed by the Cleveland Indians before the 1948 season, he flashed early promise in the minors, going 17-9 with a 2.77 ERA for the Dayton Indians in 1949 before losing time to military service during the Korean War. Cleveland traded him to the Philadelphia Athletics on February 19, 1954 (in the deal that sent Dave Philley to the Indians), and Wheat made his big-league debut on April 21, 1954. This 1954 Topps issue (#244) is his only major-league card, produced as his rookie card. He spent much of that year with the Triple-A Ottawa A's, going 0-2 in eight games for the Athletics, then made three appearances for the relocated 1955 Kansas City A's. Over parts of two seasons and 11 games (one a start), he finished 0-2 with a 6.82 ERA, 8 strikeouts, and 30.1 innings. He died July 29, 2008, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 480 | 0 | 12 | 121 | 120 | 115 | 64 | 48 | 0 |
| SGC | 49 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-26. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. Totals are summed across each grader's listed variations.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1954 Topps Leroy Wheat card?
It is card #244 of 250 in the 1954 Topps set, issued at the peak of the Topps-Bowman 'Card Wars'. It pictures the Philadelphia Athletics player, and is his rookie card.
Is the 1954 Topps Leroy Wheat 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 2026-10-05.