1952 Topps #27 Sam Jethroe Black Back PSA VG 3

1952 Topps #27 Sam Jethroe Black Back PSA 3 - The Jet Takes Off in Boston

Speed was the calling card of Sam Jethroe, and few players of his era could change a game on the bases quite like “The Jet.” The 1952 Topps #27 Sam Jethroe features the Boston Braves outfielder just two years after his historic arrival in the National League, when he became the first Black player in Braves franchise history and immediately made an impact.

This example carries the Black Back variation and is graded PSA VG 3. Jethroe entered the 1952 season having already led the National League in stolen bases in each of his first two full Major League campaigns, swiping 35 bases in 1950 and another 35 in 1951. His combination of speed and power made him one of the more dynamic players pictured in the early portion of the set.

Before reaching Boston, Jethroe had already built an impressive résumé in the Negro Leagues, most notably with the Cleveland Buckeyes. At age 33, he finally received his Major League opportunity and responded by winning the 1950 National League Rookie of the Year Award. The 1952 Topps Sam Jethroe Black Back PSA 3 preserves an important player from baseball’s integration era—a trailblazer appropriately remembered by one of the best nicknames in the game: “The Jet.”