1969 Topps #199 Jim French
About Jim French
French's 1969 Topps card, #199, is a solo issue from the second print series showing him with the Washington Senators. By 1969 he had become the club's primary backup catcher behind Paul Casanova, playing a career-high workload to that point. He hit safely in six straight games in early August before cooling off, and he led the American League in caught-stealing percentage, throwing out half of the runners who tried to steal against him.
Jim French grew up on a dairy farm outside Warren, Ohio, where his grandfather Stub Stiles, a semi-pro catcher, hoped he would become both a big-league backstop and a lawyer. French starred at Ohio University as a dean's-list math major before signing with the Washington Senators in 1963. He reached the majors in September 1965 and made an immediate impression, going 2-for-2 with two walks in his debut against the Angels and hitting .297 in his first 13 games. He never matched that mark again, settling in as a light-hitting backup catcher known for a strong throwing arm and for calling a good game; he twice led the American League in caught-stealing percentage. Injuries and the presence of Paul Casanova limited his playing time, and French split parts of several seasons between Washington and the minors. He finished a seven-year career with Washington batting .196 with five home runs. After baseball he worked as a securities broker and options trader before earning a law degree in 2001, fulfilling his grandfather's other wish for him.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 201 | 6 | 35 | 109 | 32 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| SGC | 9 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1969 Topps #199 card?
It is card #199 of the 664-card 1969 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jim French of the Washington Senators.
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.