Manufacturer: Leaf (Chicago Leaf Gum Company)
Set: 1948 Leaf Baseball ➡️
Player Name: Alvin Ralph Dark
Position/Team: Shortstop for Braves
Card #: 51
Card Size: 2-3/8” x 2-7/8”
Card Value Snapshot: Raw/Ungraded: $150 | Grade 7: $2,000
⬇️ See More Pricing Data Below
Alvin Dark—nicknamed “Blackie”—was a brilliant, fiercely competitive leader who spent over four decades shaping Major League Baseball as an All-Star shortstop, a World Series champion, and a highly successful, albeit outspoken, manager.
An elite multi-sport athlete in college, Dark possessed a high baseball IQ that made him a natural team leader. As a player, he anchored the infielder positions for the legendary mid-century Boston Braves and New York Giants. As a manager, he became one of the rare minds to guide both an American League and a National League team to the World Series.
Before embarking on his professional baseball career, Dark was a phenomenal athlete at LSU and Southwestern Louisiana, letter-winning in football, basketball, track, and baseball. He was even drafted by the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles before ultimately choosing the diamond.
The 1948 Rookie of the Year: Dark debuted with the Boston Braves in 1948, immediately proving his pedigree by batting .258 with 149 hits to help lead the Braves to the National League pennant. His stellar play earned him the 1948 MLB Rookie of the Year award from The Sporting News (the BBWAA’s award went to Gene Bearden).
The Captain of the New York Giants: Traded to the Giants in 1950, manager Leo Durocher instantly recognized Dark’s sharp analytical mind and named him team captain. Dark was the starting shortstop and catalyst for the legendary 1951 “Miracle at Coogan’s Bluff” Giants, who overtook the Dodgers to win the NL pennant.
The 1954 Championship: In 1954, Dark hit .290 with 20 home runs as the Giants swept the heavily favored Cleveland Indians to capture the World Series title. He batted a blistering .412 (7-for-17) in the Fall Classic.
He finished his baseball career as a manager and a long list of titles.
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Pricing Data For This Rookie Card
Tracking the current market value for the 1948 Leaf Alvin Dark Card #51. Below, find updated pricing data for ungraded (raw) copies, as well as verified PSA graded sales trends collected from secondary marketplaces.
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Raw/Ungraded: $150
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Grade 1: $165
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Grade 2: $200
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Grade 3: $480
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Grade 4: $850
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Grade 5: $865
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Grade 6: -
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Grade 7: $2,000
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Grade 8: -
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Grade 9: -
Data Updated: July 2026
➡️ See All 1948 Leaf Rookie Card Prices
Pricing data includes raw card price & some graded card value estimates.
These values are collated from a variety of resources including recently sold listings, sales averages and a variety of other sports card pricing data sources. Please see full disclaimer on “Terms Page” for more information. (Rookiecardprices.com only shows values for regular base set cards. No prices are shown for errors, parallels, subsets, misprints or other cards unless noted.)
DISCLAIMER: This data is not intended as financial advice and should not be used as such. Please do your own research before making any investment or selling/buying decisions.
Did You Know? Immediately after retiring as a player, Dark transitioned to the dugout. He quickly proved to be an innovative, tactically aggressive, and highly demanding skipper.
The 1962 San Francisco Giants: In just his second year managing, Dark led a star-studded San Francisco squad featuring Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Orlando Cepeda to 103 wins and the National League pennant, falling just short to the Yankees in a dramatic 7-game World Series.
The 1974 Oakland Athletics: Known for his strict, old-school discipline, Dark took over the chaotic, colorful, and rebellious “Mustache Gang” Oakland A’s. He successfully navigated the clubhouse’s famous personality clashes to guide the franchise to the 1974 World Series Championship over the Dodgers, cementing his legacy in both leagues.
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