1979 Topps #99 John Wathan
About John Wathan
Wathan played 47 games at first base and 21 at catcher in 1978, batting .300 for the Royals. Kansas City remained his team on 1979 Topps #99. His workload grew to 90 games in 1979, including 49 at first base.
John Wathan spent ten major league seasons with Kansas City, playing catcher, first base and the outfield. He hit .262 in 860 games and stole 105 bases. In 1982 he stole 36 bases while appearing in 120 games behind the plate. The Royals selected him fourth overall in the January 1971 draft from the University of San Diego. His impressions of John Wayne earned him the nickname "Duke." After playing on Kansas City's 1985 World Series champions, he coached for the club in 1986 and managed Triple-A Omaha in 1987. He managed the Royals from August 1987 into 1991, winning 92 games in 1989. As California's acting manager in 1992, he filled in while Buck Rodgers recovered from injuries suffered in a bus accident.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 68 | 4 | 24 | 25 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #99 card?
It is card #99 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Wathan 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.