1969 Topps #612 Jack Aker
About Jack Aker
Made available in the 1968 expansion draft after further friction with Charles Finley, Aker was selected 24th overall by the expansion Seattle Pilots, the team later chronicled in Jim Bouton's Ball Four. He earned the save in the franchise's first-ever game on April 8, 1969, before being traded to the New York Yankees that May. His 1969 Topps card, #612, is a high number from the set's seventh series and shows him with the Pilots.
Jackie Delane Aker was a side-arming sinkerballer who spent eleven seasons in the majors as a relief pitcher, breaking in with the Kansas City Athletics in 1964. A standout at the College of Sequoias before signing with the A's organization in 1959, Aker worked his way up through the minors as a starter before the club converted him into a full-time reliever. He is of Potawatomi ancestry and carried the nickname "Chief" through his playing career. Aker also pitched for the Seattle Pilots, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, and New York Mets. As the Athletics' player representative during the 1967 labor dispute with owner Charles Finley, he became a central figure in one of the era's most public front-office conflicts. After retiring, he managed in the minor leagues for a decade, then went on to teach baseball skills to children for two decades, including at-risk Native American youth on southwestern reservations, work that earned him a Giant Steps Award from President Bill Clinton in 1997.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 328 | 3 | 100 | 168 | 36 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| SGC | 14 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1969 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
More Seattle Pilots cards:
- #17 Mike Marshall
- #42 Tommy Harper
- #62 Chico Salmon
- #83 Mike Ferraro
- #111 Johnny Morris
- #135 Tommy Davis
- #178 Ray Oyler
- #209 Larry Haney
- #233 Steve Barber
- #254 Joe Schultz
- #285 Don Mincher
- #301 Darrell Brandon
- #322 Jose Vidal
- #346 Wayne Comer
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1969 Topps #612 card?
It is card #612 of the 664-card 1969 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jack Aker of the Seattle Pilots.
Why is #612 harder to find?
It is a high number card from the seventh and last print series, #589-664 - the scarce end of the set.
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.