1979 Topps #501 Junior Kennedy
About Junior Kennedy
Cincinnati used Kennedy in 89 games in 1978, including 71 at second base. He batted .255 with 11 RBI that season. His 1979 Topps rookie card, #501, listed the Reds. Kennedy raised his average to .273 in 1979 and hit his first major-league home run.
Junior Kennedy was a second baseman for the Reds and Cubs who played 7 major-league seasons. Baltimore drafted him 10th overall in 1968, and he won the California League's Most Valuable Player award with Stockton in 1969. The Orioles traded him to Cincinnati in December 1973 in a deal that brought Ross Grimsley to Baltimore. Kennedy hit .261 in 104 games for the 1980 Reds, appearing at second base in 103. Chicago purchased his contract in October 1981. He finished with a .248 average and 258 hits in 447 major-league games, then managed the Cubs' Lodi affiliate. He entered the Bob Elias Hall of Fame in 1986.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · MiLB.com · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 106 | 2 | 24 | 45 | 12 | 5 | 12 | 6 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 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: #259 Cincinnati Reds / Sparky Anderson
More Cincinnati Reds cards:
- #2 1978 Home Run Leaders
- #3 1978 RBI Leaders
- #20 Joe Morgan
- #47 Fred Norman
- #73 Ken Henderson
- #100 Tom Seaver
- #126 Doug Bair
- #149 Manny Sarmiento
- #174 Rick Auerbach
- #200 Johnny Bench
- #204 Pete Rose
- #220 Cesar Geronimo
- #281 Vic Correll
- #301 Tom Hume
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #501 card?
It is card #501 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Junior Kennedy of the Cincinnati Reds.
Is 1979 Topps #501 a rookie card?
Yes - #501 is the 1979 Topps rookie card of Junior Kennedy.
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.