1979 Topps #525 Freddie Patek
About Freddie Patek
Patek started at shortstop for the American League in the 1978 All-Star Game. He batted .248 with 38 steals and 46 RBI for Kansas City that season. In the ALCS against the Yankees he homered and drove in 2 runs. His 1979 Topps card was Royals #525.
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 | 77 | 16 | 42 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 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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- #45 Al Hrabosky
- #72 Steve Mingori
- #99 John Wathan
- #129 Marty Pattin
- #157 U.L. Washington
- #183 Paul Splittorff
- #218 Dennis Leonard
- #248 Pete LaCock
- #273 Jerry Terrell
- #298 Rich Gale
- #330 George Brett
- #360 Amos Otis
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #525 card?
It is card #525 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Freddie Patek of the Kansas City Royals.
Why does #525 Freddie Patek have no All-Star banner?
Patek started the 1978 All-Star Game at shortstop for the American League, yet his card was printed without the All-Star banner that the set's 17 All-Star cards carry.
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.