Tom Alston Autographs
Tom Alston was an African-American first baseman who played professional baseball in the 1950s. Born on January 31, 1926, in Greensboro, North Carolina, Alston grew up playing baseball and eventually became a standout player at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. After serving in World War II, Alston was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as part of their minor league system in 1949.
Alston spent several years playing in the minor leagues before making his major league debut in 1954. He became the first African-American player to play for the St. Louis Cardinals, breaking the color barrier for the team. Although Alston only played in 51 games during his rookie season, he made a name for himself as a capable hitter and solid fielder. He showed steady improvement over time, and ultimately played four seasons with the Cardinals before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1958.
Alston's baseball career was tragically cut short due to health issues. He was diagnosed with spine tuberculosis in 1957, resulting in surgery that kept him off the field for the majority of the 1958 season. Although he came back to play for a short time in 1959, Alston was forced to retire from baseball that year after being advised by doctors that his health was too compromised to continue playing. Despite his short career, Alston will be remembered for his contributions to baseball and his role in breaking the color barrier for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Read more about Tom Alston on Wikipedia
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Traded items with a signature of Tom Alston
The most expensive item with a signature of Tom Alston (Tom Alston Signed National League Autographed Baseball - JSA Certified) was sold in November 2025 for $1,499.99 while the cheapest item (Tom Alston Cardinals Signed 8x10 B&W Photo) found a new owner for $0.99 in October 2010. The month with the most items sold (6) was September 2016 with an average selling price of $3.49 for an autographed item of Tom Alston. Sold items reached their highest average selling price in June 2025 with $1,499.99 and the month that saw the lowest prices with $0.99 was October 2010. In average, an autographed item from Tom Alston is worth $19.99.
Most recently, these items with a signature of Tom Alston were sold on eBay - click here for more items.
| Picture | Item Title | Price | Store |
 | Autograph Tom Alston Postcard St Louis Cardinals Signed Auto 1957 | $60.00 |  |
| 1955 St Louis Cardinals Signed Giles ball JSA Musial Arroyo, rare Tom Alston | $289.99 | |
| Autographed 8x10 Photo of Cardinals Tom Alston | $16.50 | |
| Tom Alston (1st Black on Cardinals) signed postcard- INPERSON w/ COA (d.1993) | $95.00 | |
| Tom Alston (1st Black on Cardinals) signed postcard- INPERSON w/ COA (d.1993) | $95.00 | |
| Tom Alston (D.'93) signed 3x5 index card obained INPERSON | $75.00 | |
| Tom Alston (D.'93) signed 8x10 photo w/ San Diego Padres (PCL) INPERSON | $49.99 | |
| Tom Alston Autograph Signed Vintage 1950s 3x5 Index Card d93 | $19.50 | |
| Tom Alston Autographed 8 x 10 Photo Authentic ,St Louis Cardinals | $7.77 | |
| Tom Alston Autographed Postcard St. Louis Cardinals | $65.00 | |
| Tom Alston Cardinals 1st Black Player Signed ONL Baseball AUTO PSA COA | $222.50 | |
| Tom Alston San Diego Padres Signed 8x10Photo W/Our COA RH1 | $50.00 | |
| Tom Alston Signed National League Autographed Baseball - JSA Certified | $1,499.99 | |
| Tom Alston Signed National League Autographed Baseball - JSA Certified | $1,499.99 | |
| Tom Alston Signed/Inscribed 8x10 Photo STL. Cardinals (First Black Player) JSA | $9.99 | |
