Hoyt Wilhelm
1953 Red Man Tobacco
James Hoyt Wilhelm (July 26, 1922 - August 23, 2002) is considered one of the great knuckleball pitchers in the history of baseball and holds the record for most wins (124) by a relief pitcher. Primarily used in relief, Wilhelm helped redefine and expand the role of the reliever as managers looked to utilize the bullpen more when starters struggled in late innings. Wilhelm began his career with the New York Giants in 1952, debuting at the age of 28, and played for eight other teams for the next two decades, retiring in 1972. The knuckleball is credited for his longevity in the mound minimizing arm strain and allowing Wilhelm to be one of the oldest pitchers to ever pitch in the Major League, 16 days shy of his 50th birthday. Wilhelm led the league twice in ERA and games, and finished a league-high 39 times in 1953. In an unlikely scenario and rare start, Hoyt Wilhelm no-hit the would-be world champion New York Yankees in 1958. Hoyt Wilhelm retired with a record of 143-122 including 1,610 strikeouts and 31 saves in 1,070 games. Hoyt Wilhelm was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.
Condition Census
| Pos | Grade | Thumbnail | Pedigree and History |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MINT 9 | ||
| 2 | NM-MT+ 8.5 | ||
| 3 | NM-MT 8 (9) |
Prices By Grade
1953 RED MAN TOBACCO 21 HOYT WILHELM
| Grade | Most Recent Price | Average Price | PSA Price | Population | POP Higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEM - MT 10 | – | – | – | – | – |
| MINT 9 | $1,920.00 | – | $1,920.00 | 1 | – |
| NM - MT 8 | $372.00 | – | $350.00 | 9 | 2 |
| NM 7 | $118.80 | – | $140.00 | 17 | 11 |
| EX - MT 6 | $87.32 | $87.32 | $70.00 | 18 | 30 |
| EX 5 | $30.29 | – | $40.00 | 18 | 49 |
| VG - EX 4 | $51.00 | – | $25.00 | 16 | 68 |
| VG 3 | – | – | $15.00 | 4 | 84 |
| GOOD 2 | – | – | $10.00 | 4 | 90 |
| FR 1.5 | – | – | – | – | 94 |
| PR 1 | – | – | $5.00 | 1 | 94 |
| Auth | – | – | – | – | 95 |
Auction Prices Realized
| Date | Price | Grade | Lot # | Auction House | Auction/Seller | Type | Cert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/04/2024 | $87 | 6 | 326138819669 | eBay | gregmorrisgraded | Auction | 31359286 |
| 07/11/2023 | $51 | 4 | 256130277771 | eBay | gotbaseballcards | Auction | 73079234 |
| 05/06/2023 | $799 | 8.5 | 866 | Memory Lane, Inc. | Spring '23 Rarities Auction | Auction | 41977317 |
| 01/07/2023 | $100 | 6 | 115656069477 | eBay | theurbanprospector | Auction | 12473618 |
| 02/04/2022 | $119 | 7 | 243 | Clean Sweep Auctions | February 3, 2022 | Auction | 56025565 |
| 09/16/2020 | $52 | 6 | 143720713741 | eBay | pwcc_auctions | Auction | 16530073 |
| 08/28/2020 | $372 | 8 | 55842 | Heritage Auctions | Summer Sports Card Catalog Auction - Dallas | Auction | 30223785 |
| 05/26/2020 | $30 | 5 | 383547980024 | eBay | probstein123 | Auction | 16697367 |
| 12/09/2019 | $1,920 | 9 | 1343 | Robert Edward Auctions | 2019 Fall | Auction | 16181673 |
| 03/26/2019 | $48 | 6.5 | 143175048311 | eBay | triplesssinc | Auction | 42348484 |
| 03/11/2019 | $357 | 8 | 202612411303 | eBay | triplesssinc | Auction | 41977315 |
| 02/26/2018 | $15 | 5 | 382385953460 | eBay | probstein123 | Auction | 16697367 |
| 05/23/2017 | $199 | 8 | 352055564633 | eBay | www.stevenovella.com | Auction | 03768115 |
| 05/11/2017 | $32 | 6 | 371939518258 | eBay | probstein123 | Auction | 22653130 |
| 05/02/2017 | $26 | 4 | 382058221723 | eBay | probstein123 | Auction | 26836433 |
| 01/29/2017 | $73 | 7 | 201791593823 | eBay | yogib48 | Auction | 18386503 |
| 05/06/2011 | $1,365 | 9 | 250 | Memory Lane, Inc. | Spring Fever Classic 2011 | Auction | 16181673 |
| 08/11/2006 | $447 | 8 | 974 | Memory Lane, Inc. | Premier Collectibles Auction II | Auction | 07125955 |