George Kell - 1958 Topps #40
1958 Topps #40 George Kell
About George Kell
George Kell (1922-2009) signed his first professional contract in 1940 and debuted with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1943. A steady-hitting, sure-handed third baseman, he starred for the Detroit Tigers (1946-52) and also played for the Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles. In 1949 Kell won the AL batting title by the narrowest of margins, .3429 to Ted Williams' .3427, denying Williams the Triple Crown. A 10-time All-Star, he batted .306 for his career with 2,054 hits and led AL third basemen in fielding percentage seven times, while rarely striking out. Kell never played in a World Series. His playing career ended in 1957 with Baltimore, and by 1958 he had begun a long second career as a broadcaster, spending decades as the voice of the Detroit Tigers. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1983.
Sources: Baseball-Reference · Wikipedia · SABR BioProject
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 566 | 0 | 12 | 127 | 178 | 105 | 64 | 80 | 0 |
| SGC | 76 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 12 | 24 | 16 | 2 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-07-09. 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 1958 Topps George Kell card?
It is card #40 of the 1958 Topps Baseball set - Topps' sixth flagship issue: 494 cards numbered 1-495 (#145 was never issued), with die-cut player photos on solid-color backgrounds and the first team logos on Topps fronts. It pictures George Kell, Baltimore Orioles.
How many graded copies of the 1958 Topps George Kell #40 are there?
PSA has graded 566 copies and SGC 76 as of the 2026-07-09 snapshot. Population is a scarcity guide, not a price - high-grade 1958s are notoriously tough because of the set's chronic centering and print-quality issues.
How many cards are in the 1958 Topps set?
494 issued cards, numbered 1-495 - #145 (Ed Bouchee) was pulled before release and never issued, leaving a permanent gap. The PSA master census counts 534 items: the 494 base cards plus 33 yellow-letter variations, 4 numerical checklist-back team cards, the 'Herrer' #433 error, and 2 unnumbered ad cards.
Sources: PSA CardFacts, Beckett, BaseballCardPedia, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and hobby press-sheet research (Topps Archives, 2026). Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-10.