1958 Topps #319 Lou Skizas
About Lou Skizas
Skizas opened 1958 in left field and at third base for Detroit, which had acquired him from Kansas City in a big November trade. He hit .242 with one home run in 23 games before the Tigers sent him to Triple-A Charleston on June 5. Chicago's White Sox took him in the Rule 5 draft that December. His #319 card, printed in the fourth series of the 494-card 1958 Topps set, lists him with Detroit.
Lou Skizas was a Chicago-born right-handed outfielder and third baseman, the son of Greek immigrants, who signed with the Yankees at 17 and reached the majors in 1956 after two years in the Army. Traded to Kansas City that June, he hit .314 that season with 11 home runs, and Casey Stengel called him the greatest natural-looking hitter he had ever seen. His pre-swing routine was famous: he covered his bat in dirt, kissed it, and reached into his back pocket for a good-luck piece. Defense was his weakness, and his average fell to .245 in 1957. He played for four clubs in four seasons, ending with the 1959 White Sox, then played on in the minors through 1962. He was equally serious about school: he earned a bachelor's degree, a master's and a Ph.D. in biology, taught at Illinois State and the University of Illinois, and coached Illinois baseball. He died in 2023 at age 92.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 281 | 1 | 12 | 115 | 83 | 30 | 27 | 13 | 0 |
| SGC | 12 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
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 Lou Skizas card?
It is card #319 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 Lou Skizas, Detroit Tigers.
How many graded copies of the 1958 Topps Lou Skizas #319 are there?
PSA has graded 281 copies and SGC 12 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 2026-09-30.