1973 Topps #649 Rich Folkers
About Rich Folkers
Card #649 is a high number from the fifth series, and it lists Folkers with the Cardinals. He returned to the majors in 1972, pitching nine games in relief for St. Louis with a 1-0 record and a 3.38 ERA. His first big league win came September 30 against the Cubs. In 1973 he made 34 appearances, nine of them starts, with a 3.61 ERA.
Rich Folkers was a left-handed pitcher from Waterloo, Iowa, who pitched in the majors from 1970 to 1977 for the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers. The Mets took him in the first round of the 1967 secondary draft, and he reached New York in 1970, pitching 16 games with a 6.44 ERA. He was traded to St. Louis in October 1971 and pitched in relief and occasionally as a starter for the Cardinals, going 6-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 55 games in 1974. The Padres acquired him that November, and in 1975 he went 6-11 with a 4.18 ERA and 15 starts. Milwaukee claimed him on waivers in March 1977, and he pitched his last game that June. He finished 19-23 with a 4.11 ERA and 7 saves in 195 games. Later he coached at Eckerd College and worked in the Cardinals farm system. Padres broadcaster Jerry Coleman once said of him, 'Rich Folkers is throwing up in the bullpen.'
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 168 | 1 | 53 | 92 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 3 | 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: #219 St. Louis Cardinals
More St. Louis Cardinals cards:
- #24 Al Santorini
- #47 Luis Melendez
- #64 1972 Stolen Base Leaders
- #85 Ted Simmons
- #104 Reggie Cleveland
- #128 Ted Sizemore
- #153 Al Hrabosky
- #171 Bernie Carbo
- #190 Bob Gibson
- #241 Dwain Anderson
- #269 Tim McCarver
- #292 Jose Cruz
- #320 Lou Brock
- #364 Rick Wise
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1973 Topps #649 card?
It is card #649 of the 660-card 1973 Topps Baseball set, picturing Rich Folkers of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Why is #649 harder to find?
It is a high number card from the fifth and last print series, #529-660 - the scarce end of the set.
How many cards are in the 1973 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, tracked as 679 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 660 with none skipped, in five series of 132 - #1-132, #133-264, #265-396, #397-528 and the high numbers, #529-660, printed in lower quantities; 19 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - fifteen Field Leaders cards, the #20 Stan Bahnsen, #31 Buddy Bell and #504 Earl Williams border-gap pairs and the two #280 Al Kaline printings.
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.