1964 Topps #99 Al Stanek
About Al Stanek
1964 Topps #99, from the set's first print series, is Al Stanek's rookie card and shows him with the San Francisco Giants. It reflects the 1963 season it commemorates, when the left-hander made all eleven of his major-league appearances in relief as a teenage bonus-rule signee the Giants kept on the big-league roster the entire year rather than option to the minors. That season proved to be his only time in the majors, making this rookie card also his lone Topps issue built on genuine major-league service.
Al Stanek was a left-handed pitcher from Springfield, Massachusetts, signed by the San Francisco Giants in 1962 after graduating from Chicopee High School, reportedly for a bonus of at least $40,000. He began his pro career that year with the Class A Springfield Giants. Under the bonus rule then in effect, a signee at his bonus level had to stay on the major-league roster or be exposed to another team's claim, so the Giants kept the 19-year-old Stanek in San Francisco for the entire 1963 season rather than option him to the minors. He appeared in 11 games, all in relief, that year, which turned out to be his only major-league season. Stanek continued pitching in the Giants' farm system through 1967, compiling a 29-37 record over five minor-league seasons. He was later inducted into his high school's athletic hall of fame and the Western Massachusetts Baseball Hall of Fame. Stanek died in 2018.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 194 | 1 | 14 | 84 | 65 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-09-04. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
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Related cards
Team card: #257 San Francisco Giants
More San Francisco Giants cards:
- #3 1963 National League Pitching Leaders
- #9 1963 National League Home Run Leaders
- #18 Billy O'Dell
- #41 Friendly Foes
- #47 Giants 1964 Rookie Stars
- #82 Jim Davenport
- #123 Jose Pagan
- #150 Willie Mays
- #169 Del Crandall
- #189 Bob Hendley
- #204 Matty Alou
- #222 Bill Pierce
- #242 Harvey Kuenn
- #280 Juan Marichal
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1964 Topps #99 card?
It is card #99 of the 587-card 1964 Topps Baseball set, picturing Al Stanek of the San Francisco Giants.
Is 1964 Topps #99 a rookie card?
Yes - #99 is the 1964 Topps rookie card of Al Stanek.
How many cards are in the 1964 Topps Baseball set?
587 cards, tracked as 589 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 587 with no gaps, and no number carries two different cards; two cards - #4, the A.L. Pitching Leaders, and #517, the seventh-series checklist - carry a catalogued back variation that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, The Topps Archives, Baseball Almanac, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-11.