1972 Topps #531 Freddie Patek
About Freddie Patek
Patek made his first All-Star team in 1972 as the Royals' shortstop, batting .212 with 32 RBI and 33 steals. Two walk-off hits came within a week: his August 5 single beat California 2-1, and another hit three days later gave Kansas City a 4-3 win over Oakland. His Royals card was #531 in the fifth series.
Freddie Patek played shortstop for the Pirates, Royals and Angels over 14 major-league seasons. Listed at 5 feet 5 inches, he played baseball in the Air Force before Pittsburgh drafted him in the 22nd round in 1965. His father's illness brought a hardship discharge, and the Pirates let him attend to family business before beginning his professional career the following spring. Pittsburgh announcer Bob Prince called him the Cricket, a nickname fans echoed with metal noisemakers when he batted. Patek finished with 1,340 hits, 385 stolen bases and a .242 average. With California on June 20, 1980, he hit 3 home runs against Boston at Fenway Park. After retiring, he worked on Texas Rangers television broadcasts in 1985.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 264 | 9 | 89 | 135 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 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: #617 Kansas City Royals
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #531 card?
It is card #531 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Freddie Patek of the Kansas City Royals.
How many cards are in the 1972 Topps Baseball set?
787 cards, tracked as 794 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 787 with none skipped, in six print series (#1-132, #133-263, #264-394, #395-525, #526-656 and #657-787, the high numbers); 7 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - four Chicago Cubs cards with yellow or green under the "C" and "S" of the team name, the #251 and #478 checklists with smaller or larger print on the front, and the #604 checklist with its copyright line aligned right or left.
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.