1961 Topps #339 Gene Baker
About Gene Baker
Card #339 sits in Topps' fourth series. It catches Baker at the end: a reserve infielder for Pittsburgh fresh off the 1960 World Series title, a year he spent in 33 games before going hitless in three pinch-hit trips in the Series. The Pirates kept him over younger Dick Gray out of 1961 spring training, general manager Joe L. Brown shrugging off the age gap by saying the club made its plans entirely on a one-year basis. Baker got into three games at third base, played his final major league game on June 10, and was released ten days later to clear a roster spot for outfielder Walt Moryn -- the same day Pittsburgh named him player-manager at Class D Batavia.
Eugene Walter Baker was born June 15, 1925, in Davenport, Iowa, where he made all-state first team in high school basketball before serving in the Navy and playing shortstop for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League in 1948 and 1949. He joined the Chicago Cubs organization in 1950, and Chicago bought his contract from Triple-A Los Angeles on September 1, 1953. A week later the Cubs bought Ernie Banks, and Baker shifted to second base so Banks could play short, giving the majors their first Black keystone combination; the two roomed together. Baker debuted on September 20, 1953, hit .275 as a 1954 rookie, and made the 1955 National League All-Star team. Traded to Pittsburgh in May 1957, he moved to third base until a ruptured knee ligament in July 1958 nearly ended his career. He returned as a utility infielder on the Pirates' 1960 World Series champions, then in June 1961 became the first Black manager in Organized Baseball with Class D Batavia and, in 1962, its first Black coach at Triple-A Columbus. On September 21, 1963, he became the first African American to manage a major league game. He spent 23 years as the Pirates' chief Midwest scout and died December 1, 1999.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 409 | 0 | 30 | 171 | 135 | 47 | 16 | 8 | 2 |
| SGC | 20 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1961 Topps #339 card?
It is card #339 of the 587-card 1961 Topps Baseball set, picturing Gene Baker of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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.