1909-11 T206 Lefty Leifield (Batting)
1909–11 T206 Lefty Leifield
Pittsburgh Pirates · National League · 350-460 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Lefty Leifield (“Batting” pose) is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Lefty Leifield, a member of the historic Pittsburgh Pirates (National League), and was printed in the 350-460 series, known with 12 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 866 examples have been graded, with only 14 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Lefty Leifield
Albert Peter "Lefty" Leifield — nicknamed simply for his left-handed delivery — signed out of the independent Trolley League in Alton, Illinois in 1902 and worked up through the minors before Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss bought his contract, bringing him to Pittsburgh for a September 3, 1905 debut. A crafty left-hander who relied on control and placement rather than velocity, he anchored the Pirates rotation from 1906 through 1911, winning 15 or more games every year. He posted a sparkling 1.87 ERA with eight shutouts in 1906 — including a July 4 one-hit, 1-0 loss to Mordecai Brown and the Cubs — then won 20 games with a 2.33 ERA in 1907, and went 19-8 in 1909 to help Pittsburgh capture the pennant and the World Series over Ty Cobb's Tigers, though he was hit hard in his Game Four start. Traded to the Cubs in 1912, he later returned to the majors with the St. Louis Browns (1918-1920) and coached for the Browns, Red Sox, and Tigers. He finished 124-97 with a career 2.47 ERA — among the top 50 in history — and was the last surviving member of the 1909 world champion Pirates when he died in 1970. He is not a Hall of Famer, but as a mainstay of Pittsburgh's early pennant clubs he is a solid National League subject in the T206 set.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (12)
Chip colour marks each back's rarity tier. See the full T206 back rarity ranking →
Population (PSA · SGC)
| Grader | Total | NM 7+ | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 & Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 523 | 10 | 27 | 67 | 124 | 99 | 106 | 90 |
| SGC | 343 | 4 | 5 | 30 | 75 | 80 | 49 | 100 |
NM 7+ bundles grades 7–10; 1 & Auth bundles grade 1, 1.5 & Authentic. Totals are subject-level (summed across all backs). Population as of 2026-06.
PSA by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| Piedmont | 69 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 65 |
| Sweet Caporal | 57 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 53 |
| Polar Bear | 51 |
| Old Mill | 31 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 26 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 19 |
| Tolstoi | 18 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 12 |
| American Beauty 1910 | 10 |
| El Principe de Gales | 10 |
| American Beauty | 9 |
| Cycle 1911 | 5 |
| Uzit | 4 |
| Drum | 3 |
| American Beauty 1911 | 2 |
| Lenox | 2 |
| Unknown back | 77 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1910 | 19 |
| American Beauty 1911 | 3 |
| Cycle 1911 | 6 |
| Drum 1910 | 1 |
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 9 |
| Lenox 1909-11 | 1 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 19 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 63 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 39 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 49 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 17 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909-11 | 2 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 82 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 20 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 12 |
| Uzit 1909-11 | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Lefty Leifield card?
The Lefty Leifield (Batting) is one of 524 subjects in the T206 "White Border" tobacco set issued 1909-1911, the hobby's most iconic vintage set (nicknamed "The Monster"). It pictures the Pittsburgh Pirates player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 12 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 866 examples of the Lefty Leifield have been graded, with only 14 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Lefty Leifield come with?
The Lefty Leifield is confirmed with 12 tobacco-brand backs: American Beauty, Cycle, Drum, El Principe de Gales, Lenox, Old Mill, Piedmont, Polar Bear (Scrap), Sovereign, Sweet Caporal, Tolstoi, Uzit. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Lefty Leifield valuable?
Value depends heavily on the back brand and the card's grade: common backs in low grade trade modestly, while scarce backs and high grades command strong premiums. Check the current T206 Cards listings and eBay options above for live pricing.
Other poses of Lefty Leifield
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards
Sources: t206resource.com, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and Inside T206 by Scot Reader. Card data & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-01.