1979 Topps #218 Dennis Leonard
About Dennis Leonard
In 1979 Leonard went 14-12 with a 4.08 ERA over 236 innings for Kansas City. He struck out 126 and threw 12 complete games and 5 shutouts. The previous October he had gone 0-2 with 11 strikeouts in 12 innings against the Yankees in the ALCS. His card that year is #218.
Dennis Leonard was a right-handed starter who spent his entire 1974-1986 career with the Kansas City Royals. A Brooklyn native raised on Long Island, he pitched at Iona College, where he struck out 19 in a no-hitter, and the Royals drafted him in the second round in 1972. From 1975 through 1981 he won 120 games and was the only major leaguer to top 200 innings in each of those seven seasons. He won 20 games three times, the only Royals pitcher to do so, and started nine postseason games between 1976 and 1981, going 1-1 against the Phillies in the 1980 World Series. A torn patellar tendon in May 1983 led to four operations before he pitched the entire 1986 season, an 8-13 comeback year that earned the Hutch Award. He retired with a 144-106 record and a 3.70 ERA. His 103 complete games and 23 shutouts were Royals career records. He entered the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame in 1989.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 68 | 6 | 37 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 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: #451 Kansas City Royals / Whitey Herzog
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- #99 John Wathan
- #129 Marty Pattin
- #157 U.L. Washington
- #183 Paul Splittorff
- #248 Pete LaCock
- #273 Jerry Terrell
- #298 Rich Gale
- #330 George Brett
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- #389 Joe Zdeb
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #218 card?
It is card #218 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Dennis Leonard of the Kansas City Royals.
How many cards are in the 1979 Topps Baseball set?
726 cards, numbered 1 through 726 with none skipped and issued as a single series, tracked as 727 collectible states: #369 Bump Wills comes with a Rangers or a Blue Jays team banner, and the master set counts both.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA, 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.