1969 Topps #219 Freddie Patek
About Freddie Patek
Patek's 1969 Topps card, #219 in the third print series, shows him with the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was his first Topps card, issued after his June 1968 debut, and is recognized as his rookie card. He entered 1969 as Pittsburgh's regular shortstop after injury limited two-time All-Star Gene Alley to a utility role, but manager Larry Shepard used Patek unevenly, often lifting him for a pinch-hitter, and he finished the year batting .239 with 5 home runs, 32 RBI and 48 runs over 147 games.
Freddie Patek was a shortstop who played fourteen major league seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals and California Angels. At 5-foot-5, he was the shortest player of his era, earning the nicknames the Flea and the Cricket. Drafted by Pittsburgh in the 22nd round in 1965, he debuted in 1968 and spent his early years there before a December 1970 trade sent him to Kansas City. With the Royals he became a three-time All-Star, leading the American League in triples in 1971 and in stolen bases in 1977, and he helped anchor Kansas City's defense through three American League West titles from 1976 to 1978. He retired after the 1981 season with a .242 career average, 41 home runs, 490 RBI and 385 stolen bases. Known more for his speed and glove than his bat, he was called by manager Whitey Herzog the best artificial-turf shortstop he ever managed, ranking him above Ozzie Smith, and he remains a member of the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 285 | 2 | 40 | 146 | 54 | 27 | 10 | 6 | 0 |
| SGC | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 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
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- #8 National League 1968 ERA Leaders
- #36 Luke Walker
- #50 Bob Clemente
- #82 Pirates 1969 Rookie Stars
- #104 Steve Blass
- #131 Chris Cannizzaro
- #152 Tommie Sisk
- #175 Jim Bunning
- #192 Jose Pagan
- #243 Ron Kline
- #263 Jerry May
- #286 Dock Ellis
- #307 Gary Kolb
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1969 Topps #219 card?
It is card #219 of the 664-card 1969 Topps Baseball set, picturing Freddie Patek of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Is 1969 Topps #219 a rookie card?
Yes - #219 is the 1969 Topps rookie card of Freddie Patek.
How many cards are in the 1969 Topps Baseball set?
664 cards, tracked as 696 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 664 with none skipped and no printed number shared by two cards; 32 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately, 23 of them the yellow- and white-letter name pairs of #440-511.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, 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 2026-10-12.