1969 Topps #558 Tom Burgmeier
About Tom Burgmeier
Tom Burgmeier's 1969 Topps card, #558, comes from the set's sixth print series, and it is a recognized rookie card for him. It shows him with the expansion Kansas City Royals, who selected him from the California Angels in the October 1968 expansion draft that stocked the new franchise. He pitched in the Royals' inaugural game on April 6, 1969, picking Tony Oliva off first base against the Twins, and went on to post a 3-1 record with a 4.17 ERA over 31 relief appearances in that first Royals season.
Tom Burgmeier was a left-handed relief pitcher born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and raised in St. Cloud, where he threw three no-hitters as a senior at Cathedral High School before signing with the Houston Colt .45s for a $10,000 bonus in 1961. Released by Houston in 1964, he was picked up by the Los Angeles Angels on the recommendation of a minor-league manager who had scouted him, and he reached the majors with the Angels in 1968. Selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 1968 expansion draft, he pitched five seasons there, forming a top American League bullpen duo with submariner Ted Abernathy in 1971. Traded to the Minnesota Twins in 1973, he paired with Bill Campbell in a bullpen tandem nicknamed the Bicentennial Bullpen. He signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent in 1978 and made the 1980 All-Star team after setting a club saves record for a left-hander. He closed his career with the Oakland Athletics, retiring in 1984 with 79 wins and 102 saves over 17 seasons, then worked for years as a minor-league pitching coach.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 219 | 4 | 48 | 118 | 32 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 6 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 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.
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Related cards
More Kansas City Royals cards:
- #29 Dave Morehead
- #49 Royals 1969 Rookie Stars
- #71 Steve Whitaker
- #93 Joe Foy
- #116 Chuck Harrison
- #137 Wally Bunker
- #159 Jerry Adair
- #211 Galen Cisco
- #239 Bob Taylor
- #258 Jackie Hernandez
- #279 Roger Nelson
- #298 Dave Nicholson
- #352 Paul Schaal
- #376 Royals 1969 Rookie Stars
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1969 Topps #558 card?
It is card #558 of the 664-card 1969 Topps Baseball set, picturing Tom Burgmeier of the Kansas City Royals.
Is 1969 Topps #558 a rookie card?
Yes - #558 is the 1969 Topps rookie card of Tom Burgmeier.
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.