1972 Topps #519 Ted Abernathy
About Ted Abernathy
Ted Abernathy saved 23 games for Kansas City in 1971, his third-best total, with a 2.56 ERA over 63 appearances. The #519 card, from the fourth series, carries the Royals. His 1972 season, his last in the majors, produced a 1.70 ERA in 45 games, and he was the oldest player in the American League and the only submarine pitcher in either league.
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 | 168 | 3 | 31 | 95 | 21 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #519 card?
It is card #519 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Ted Abernathy 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.