1970 Topps #562 Ted Abernathy
About Ted Abernathy
Abernathy changed clubs twice in 1970. The Cubs sent him to St. Louis for Phil Gagliano in late May, and a little over a month later the Cardinals sent him to Kansas City for Chris Zachary. Across the three clubs he went 10-3 with a 2.60 ERA and 14 saves, all in relief. His #562, from series 6, still shows him with the Cubs.
Ted Abernathy was a submarine-style relief pitcher who spent 14 major league seasons, from 1955 to 1972, with seven clubs. Born in Stanley, North Carolina, he broke into the big leagues with the Washington Senators, but a serious arm injury in 1956 left him with arm pain for the next three seasons. After elbow surgery in 1959, he adopted an underhand submarine motion copied from Senators teammate Dick Hyde, and returned as a full-time relief specialist. Pitching for the Indians, Cubs, Braves, Reds, Cardinals and Royals, Abernathy twice led the National League in saves, in 1965 and 1967, and won The Sporting News NL Fireman of the Year award both years. He set a then-record for games pitched in a season with 84 appearances in 1965. He finished with a 63-69 record, 148 saves and a 3.46 ERA.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 224 | 3 | 52 | 135 | 25 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 11 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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: #593 Chicago Cubs
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1970 Topps #562 card?
It is card #562 of the 720-card 1970 Topps Baseball set, picturing Ted Abernathy of the Chicago Cubs.
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.