Long time American League shortstop Joe DeMaestri died Aug. 26 at his home in San Rafael, Calif. DeMaestri's death brings the total of surviving players who appeared in the 1952 Topps baseball card set to 43. DeMaestri was card No. 286 in the set.

DeMaesti played 11 years in the American League: Chicago White Sox (1951), St. Louis Browns (1952), Philadelphia/Kansas City A's (1953-59), New York Yankees (1960-61).

He was a lifetime .236 batter. In 1957 he was selected for the AL All-Star team, but did not play. That season he led AL shortstops in putouts and fielding average. 

In December, 1959, he was traded from K.C. to N.Y. in the deal that brought Roger Maris to the Yankees.

The SABR bioproject has a fine baseball biography of DeMaestri, written by Joseph Wancho, at DeMaestri bio

Here's the current list of living players from '52 Topps.

PLAYER                     1952 TOPPS   BIRTH          TEAM

                        `           CARD NO.      DATE

Wally Westlake           38                    11/08/1920   SLC
Eddie Robinson           32                    12/15/1920   CWS

Sam Mele                    94                    01/21/1922   WSH

Gil Coan                      91                    05/18/1922   WSH

Red Schoendienst       91                    02/02/1923    SLC

Solly Hemus                196                  04/17/1923   SLC

Bob Kuzava                 85                    05/28/1923   NYY
Ed Fitz Gerald             236                  05/21/1924   PIT

Charlie Silvera             168                  10/13/1924   NYY

Irv Noren                     40                    11/29/1924   WSH

Wayne Terwilliger         7                      06/27/1925   BRO

Bobby Shantz              219                  09/26/1925   PHA

Bob Addis                    259                  11/06/1925   CHC

Ned Garver                 212                  12/25/1925   SLB

Ralph Branca              274                  01/06/1926   BRO

Bob Borkowski            328                  01/27/1926   CIN

Randy Jackson           322                  02/10/1926   CHC

Howie Judson             169                  02/16/1926   CWS

Bob Miller                    187                  06/16/1926   PHI

Bobby Morgan             355                  06/29/1926   BRO   

Johnny Groth              25                    07/23/1926   DET

Roy Sievers                 64                    11/18/1926   WSH

Carl Erskine                250                  12/13/1926   BRO

Carl Scheib                 116                  01/01/1927   PHA

Charlie Maxwell           180                  04/08/1927   BRS

Cloyd Boyer                280                  09/01/1927   SLC
Bob Kelly                     348                  10/04/1927   CHC

Tommy Brown             281                  12/06/1927   PHI

Dick Gernert                343                  09/28/1928   BRS

Joe Presko                  220                  10/07/1928   SLC

Bob Ross                    298                  11/02/1928   WSH

Curt Simmons             203                  05/19/1929   PHI

Ted Lepcio                  335                  07/28/1929   BRS

Ike Delock                   329                  11/11/1929   BRS

Del Crandall                162                  03/05/1930   BOS

Vern Law                     81                    03/12/1930   PIT

Johnny Antonelli          140                  04/12/1930   BOS

Dick Groat                   369                  11/04/1930   PIT

Bob Friend                  233                  11/24/1930   PIT

Willie Mays                  261                  05/06/1931   NYG

Tony Bartirome           332                  05/09/1932   PIT

Dick Brodowski           404                  07/26/1932  BRS

Bobby Del Greco         353                  04/07/1933   PIT