1960 Topps #539 Gene Baker
About Gene Baker
Gene Baker starred at shortstop for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League in 1948-49 before the Chicago Cubs signed him out of the Pacific Coast League. He debuted with the Cubs in September 1953, and when Chicago added Ernie Banks days later, Baker shifted to second base — the pair became the first African American double-play combination in major league history. His best season came in 1955: a .268 average, a league-leading 18 sacrifices, and a selection to the NL All-Star team. Traded to Pittsburgh in May 1957, Baker moved to third base, then ruptured a knee ligament charging a swinging bunt in July 1958, costing him the rest of that season and all of 1959. He returned in 1960 as a utility infielder on the World Series champion Pirates, going hitless in three pinch-hit tries against the Yankees. This short-printed 1960 Topps high number was his last card as a player. In 1961 Baker became the first African American manager in affiliated professional baseball, and in 1963 the first to manage in a major league game.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 274 | 0 | 5 | 77 | 114 | 44 | 23 | 10 | 1 |
| SGC | 18 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-20. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8), and PSA's qualified grades are counted separately from the straight-grade rows shown here. The Venezuelan issue, the 1960 Topps Tattoos and Bazooka are separate products and are not counted here.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Find on eBay
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #484 Pittsburgh Pirates
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #2 Roman Mejias
- #20 Roy Face
- #48 Hal Smith
- #49 Curt Raydon
- #55 Bill Mazeroski
- #58 Gino Cimoli
- #91 Bennie Daniels
- #104 Dick Schofield
- #113 Bob Skinner
- #115 Fork & Knuckler
- #133 Manuel Javier
- #145 Jim Umbricht
- #157 Rocky Nelson
- #209 Ron Blackburn
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1960 Topps #539 card?
It is card #539 of the 572-card 1960 Topps Baseball set, picturing Gene Baker.
Why is #539 harder to find?
It sits in the high-number series, #507-572, printed last and distributed late in the 1960 season when fewer packs were bought. Those 66 cards are the toughest run in the set and carry the twenty Sport Magazine All-Stars.
How many cards are in the 1960 Topps Baseball set?
572 cards, numbered 1-572, issued in seven series - the last Topps flagship printed entirely horizontally. Cards #375-440 exist on two back stocks, white and gray, which collectors chasing every printed variety count as 638 pieces of cardboard in all.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Cardboard Connection, the PSA price guide, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-08-20.