1957 Topps #53 Clem Labine
About Clem Labine
Signed by Branch Rickey's Dodgers in 1944 at age 17, Clem Labine interrupted his career to serve as an Army paratrooper before debuting in Brooklyn on April 18, 1950. The sinkerballing right-hander became the National League's premier fireman: he blanked the Giants 10-0 on six hits in Game 2 of the 1951 pennant playoff, led the majors with 60 appearances while going 13-5 for Brooklyn's 1955 champions, and was retroactively credited with NL saves titles in 1956 (19) and 1957 (17), making the All-Star team both years. His masterpiece came the day after Don Larsen's perfect game — a 10-inning, 1-0 shutout of the Yankees in Game 6 of the 1956 World Series, won on Jackie Robinson's walk-off single. Venezuelan winter-league fans nicknamed him "La Vaina" (roughly "the nuisance") because it sounded like Labine and he kept beating them. He finished 77-56 with 96 saves and three rings (1955, 1959, 1960 Pirates), and this card sits squarely between his back-to-back All-Star summers.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 853 | 1 | 34 | 267 | 248 | 168 | 78 | 57 | 0 |
| SGC | 80 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 23 | 11 | 17 | 13 | 1 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-07-05. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8). PSA counts are straight-graded (the +/Q qualifier rows are excluded).
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1957 Topps Clem Labine card?
It is card #53 of the 1957 Topps Baseball set - the 407-card, 2-1/2 by 3-1/2 inch set that was Topps' first at the modern standard card size, with full-color photography and complete career stats on the back. It pictures Clem Labine, Brooklyn Dodgers.
How many cards are in the 1957 Topps set?
407 numbered cards. Collectors usually count 408 because #176 Gene Baker exists in an error ('Bakep') and a corrected back. The PSA master set adds the 8 checklists, 4 contest cards and the Lucky Penny for 421 items.
Sources: PSA CardFacts, Beckett, BaseballCardPedia, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and hobby press-sheet research (Net54 / Topps Archives). Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-10.