1969 Topps #545 Willie Stargell
About Willie Stargell
Stargell's only card in the 1969 set, #545 sits in the sixth series. Behind it is a dismal 1968: .237 with 24 home runs and 67 RBI in 128 games, after a winter with a personal trainer produced a physique that new manager Larry Shepard dismissed as too muscle-bound. The fix came from Roberto Clemente, who talked him into a heavier 38-ounce bat. While this card was on the shelves Stargell hit .307 with 29 home runs and 92 RBI, and the decade ahead belonged to him.
Wilver Dornel "Willie" Stargell was a left fielder and first baseman who spent his entire 21-season career (1962-1982) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he ranked among the most feared power hitters of his era. Pirates scout Bob Zuk signed him out of Alameda, California, for $1,500 in August 1958, and after four minor league seasons marked by the indignities of segregated travel he reached Pittsburgh in September 1962. He made the first of seven All-Star teams in 1964 and hit more home runs in the 1970s, 296, than any other player. Standing 6-foot-3 and windmilling his bat at the pitcher as he waited for the windup, he drove seven of the 18 balls ever hit over the right-field stands at Forbes Field. Stargell helped Pittsburgh win the World Series in 1971 and again in 1979, both times over Baltimore, and at 39 he took the 1979 National League Most Valuable Player Award, shared with Keith Hernandez, along with the NLCS and World Series MVP awards, the only player to win all three in one season. He finished at .282 with 2,232 hits, 475 home runs and 1,540 RBI. The Pirates retired his number 8 in 1982, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame elected him in 1988, his first year of eligibility.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 2,220 | 33 | 283 | 753 | 428 | 287 | 189 | 247 | 0 |
| SGC | 428 | 0 | 14 | 79 | 94 | 89 | 77 | 74 | 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.
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 Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #2 National League 1968 Batting Leaders
- #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
- #219 Freddie Patek
- #243 Ron Kline
- #263 Jerry May
- #286 Dock Ellis
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1969 Topps #545 card?
It is card #545 of the 664-card 1969 Topps Baseball set, picturing Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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.