1952 Topps #42 Lou Kretlow PSA EX-MT 6

1952 Topps #42 Lou Kretlow PSA 6 - A Live Arm in the Motor City

The 1952 Topps #42 Lou Kretlow features the hard-throwing right-hander during his time with the Detroit Tigers. Kretlow’s journey to the majors included service in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, delaying a professional baseball career that would eventually carry him through parts of a decade in the American League.

Graded PSA EX-MT 6, this example represents Kretlow at a particularly strong level within this complete 1952 Topps set. His Detroit portrait has the unmistakable painted character of the issue, while the EX-MT 6 grade makes this a notably well-preserved example of a player whose career was defined by a powerful right arm.

Kretlow appeared in the majors with the Tigers, Browns, Orioles, White Sox, and Athletics, working both as a starter and out of the bullpen. His best season came in 1951, immediately before this card was issued, when he posted a 3.35 ERA across 31 appearances for Detroit and St. Louis. The 1952 Topps Lou Kretlow PSA 6 preserves him during the most productive stretch of his Major League career—a hard-throwing arm from the heart of the American League’s postwar era.