1970 Topps #53 John Kennedy
About John Kennedy
Kennedy played 61 games for the 1969 Pilots, 33 at shortstop and 23 at third base. He had 30 hits, 14 RBI and 4 stolen bases, with Ray Oyler starting ahead of him at shortstop. The franchise became the Milwaukee Brewers in spring training 1970, but his card, #53 in the first series of that year, still lists him with the Seattle Pilots.
John Edward Kennedy played twelve major league seasons (1962-1974) as a third baseman, shortstop and second baseman for the Washington Senators, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox. Born in Chicago on May 29, 1941, he shared his name and birthdate with President John F. Kennedy, a coincidence that drew headlines. He homered in his first big league at bat, on September 5, 1962, off Dick Stigman of the Minnesota Twins. His only season as a full-time regular came in 1964 with Washington under manager Gil Hodges, when he hit .230 with seven home runs in 148 games. Traded to the Dodgers after that season, he later replaced Jim Gilliam at third base in the eighth inning of Sandy Koufax's perfect game on September 9, 1965, and appeared in the 1965 and 1966 World Series. He finished his career as a utility infielder with the Red Sox, retiring in 1974 with 856 games played. He later scouted, managed and coached in the minor leagues, earning Can-Am League Manager of the Year in 2006.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 166 | 8 | 34 | 86 | 22 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. 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
Team card: #713 Seattle Pilots
More Seattle Pilots cards:
- #2 Diego Segui
- #31 Marty Pattin
- #88 Pilots 1970 Rookie Stars
- #111 Mike Hegan
- #134 Danny Walton
- #158 Jerry McNertney
- #185 Don Mincher
- #224 Steve Barber
- #249 Bob Locker
- #271 Greg Goossen
- #289 Gene Brabender
- #323 Wayne Comer
- #359 Phil Roof
- #370 Tommy Harper
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1970 Topps #53 card?
It is card #53 of the 720-card 1970 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Kennedy of the Seattle Pilots.
Why does this card say Seattle Pilots?
Because the card prints the Seattle Pilots, and it is correct as printed: the franchise played the 1970 season as the Milwaukee Brewers, but thirty 1970 Topps cards print the Pilots - the #713 team card, #556 Dave Bristol's manager card, the #88 Pilots Rookie Stars and twenty-seven player cards. 1970 Topps is the second and last Topps flagship set with Seattle Pilots cards.
How many cards are in the 1970 Topps Baseball set?
720 cards, tracked as 726 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 720 with none skipped, issued in seven series - #1-132, #133-263, #264-372, #373-459, #460-546, #547-633 and the high numbers, #634-720; 6 cards, all of them checklists, carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, BaseballCardPedia, 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 2026-10-25.