1961 Topps #502 Clarence Coleman
About Clarence Coleman
Coleman's first Topps card shows him with the Philadelphia Phillies, who had taken him out of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization with the first pick of the November 1960 Rule 5 draft. He debuted on April 16, 1961, at Candlestick Park, pinch-hitting and getting hit by a pitch in his first major-league plate appearance. Backing up Clay Dalrymple, he batted .128 in 47 at-bats across 34 games for a club that lost 107 games and finished last, and he was sent to Triple-A Spokane in late June before a September recall. Card #502 sits in the sixth print series, and it is his recognized rookie card.
Clarence Coleman, the catcher everyone called Choo-Choo, signed in 1955 with his hometown Orlando club, a Class D Washington Senators affiliate, spent part of 1956 barnstorming with the Indianapolis Clowns, then climbed the Los Angeles Dodgers chain from Class D Orlando to Class A Macon to Triple-A Montreal by 1960. A left-handed hitter who threw right and drew praise for his arm, he was taken by the Philadelphia Phillies with the first pick of the November 1960 Rule 5 draft and debuted on April 16, 1961, hit by a pitch in his first plate appearance. The expansion New York Mets took him in the October 1961 draft, and he caught in parts of three Mets seasons - 1962, 1963 and 1966 - becoming one of the best-loved figures of the franchise's early years. Over four big-league seasons he batted .197 with 9 home runs and 30 RBIs in 201 games. Afterward he cooked and helped run a Chinese restaurant owned by his wife's family in Newport News, Virginia, then retired to South Carolina, where he died in 2016.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 356 | 1 | 22 | 154 | 114 | 41 | 12 | 12 | 0 |
| SGC | 20 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-09-04. PSA counts are straight grades only; PSA half grades (PSA 1.5 among them) and qualified slabs are not included. SGC half grades fold down (8.5→8). Slabs of the two cards printed #463 are joined by description, never by number alone.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1961 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #491 Philadelphia Phillies Team
More Philadelphia Phillies cards:
- #3 John Buzhardt
- #20 Robin Roberts
- #59 Jim Woods
- #78 Lee Walls
- #93 Tony Gonzalez
- #103 Ruben Amaro
- #111 Jack Meyer
- #144 Jim Coker
- #154 Bobby Del Greco
- #179 Joe Koppe
- #202 Al Neiger
- #219 Gene Mauch
- #234 Ted Lepcio
- #262 Tony Curry
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1961 Topps #502 card?
It is card #502 of the 587-card 1961 Topps Baseball set, picturing Clarence Coleman of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Is 1961 Topps #502 a rookie card?
Yes - #502 is the 1961 Topps rookie card of Clarence Coleman.
Why is #502 harder to find?
It is from the sixth print series (cards 447-522) - noticeably tougher than the first five, easier than the true highs.
How many cards are in the 1961 Topps Baseball set?
587 cards, tracked as 596 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 589, but #426, #587 and #588 were never issued and two different cards were printed #463 - Jack Fisher and the Milwaukee Braves Team card, catalogued 463b - and eight cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, The Topps Archives, 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 2026-10-05.