1961 Topps #544 George Thomas
About George Thomas
Card #544 sits in the 1961 set's seventh series, the high numbers that make this the toughest card of his run, and it is his recognized rookie card. The Detroit cap dates it precisely: Thomas broke camp with the Tigers but got into only 17 games, ten of those as a pinch runner, and was hitless in six at-bats when Detroit sold his contract to the expansion Los Angeles Angels on June 26. Bill Rigney put him to work almost daily at third base and in the outfield, and he answered with 79 hits, 13 home runs, 59 runs batted in and a .280 average in 79 games.
George Edward Thomas Jr., born November 29, 1937 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a right-handed utility man who played 13 major league seasons for the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins between 1957 and 1971. Signed out of the University of Minnesota in August 1957 for a $25,000 bonus, he was tied to the Tigers by the bonus rule of the day and struck out as a pinch hitter in his lone appearance that September. Three seasons in the farm system followed before an expansion club finally gave him steady work, and he shuttled between Los Angeles and Detroit through the early 1960s, filling in at third base, first base, all three outfield spots and even four games behind the plate. Boston then kept him around for six seasons as a bench man and pinch hitter, and he reached a World Series in that role. He played every position except pitcher and finished at .255 with 46 home runs and 202 runs batted in over 685 games. He later coached seven years as a University of Minnesota assistant and three as head coach, resigning in 1981.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 453 | 2 | 46 | 197 | 104 | 64 | 24 | 16 | 0 |
| SGC | 38 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 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 #544 card?
It is card #544 of the 587-card 1961 Topps Baseball set, picturing George Thomas of the Detroit Tigers.
Is 1961 Topps #544 a rookie card?
Yes - #544 is the 1961 Topps rookie card of George Thomas.
Why is #544 harder to find?
It is a high number card (cards 523-589) from the seventh and last print series - the scarce end of the set, including the 22 Sporting News All-Stars.
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.