1960 Topps #163 Hector Lopez
About Hector Lopez
Hector Headley López Swainson was born July 8, 1929, in Colón, Panama, where he watched his father pitch for local teams before signing his first pro contract with the Class-C St. Hyacinthe Saints. He reached the majors on May 12, 1955, with the Kansas City Athletics, becoming the first Panamanian-born player in American League history, debuting just 22 days after countryman Humberto Robinson broke in with the National League. A regular third baseman known as much for shaky defense as for clutch hitting, López was traded to the Yankees in May 1959 and became an invaluable utility man, manning every infield and outfield spot. Sportswriter George Vecsey nicknamed him "Hector the Hit Collector," and he lived up to it in the 1961 World Series, homering and tripling for five RBIs in the Game 5 clincher over Cincinnati. This 1960 Topps #163 catches him a year into his Yankee career, en route to five straight pennants and two championship rings. He retired with a .269 average, 1,251 hits, and 136 home runs, then broke ground managing Buffalo's Triple-A club as the first Black skipper at that level.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 410 | 0 | 9 | 94 | 143 | 90 | 48 | 26 | 0 |
| SGC | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-20. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8), and PSA's qualified grades are counted separately from the straight-grade rows shown here. The Venezuelan issue, the 1960 Topps Tattoos and Bazooka are separate products and are not counted here.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1960 Topps #163 card?
It is card #163 of the 572-card 1960 Topps Baseball set, picturing Hector Lopez.
What is the 1960 Topps Venezuelan version?
Topps licensed a parallel printing for the Venezuelan market covering roughly the first 196 cards. It is a separate issue on thinner stock with Spanish text on the back, collected on its own and not part of finishing this 572-card set.
How many cards are in the 1960 Topps Baseball set?
572 cards, numbered 1-572, issued in seven series - the last Topps flagship printed entirely horizontally. Cards #375-440 exist on two back stocks, white and gray, which collectors chasing every printed variety count as 638 pieces of cardboard in all.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Cardboard Connection, the PSA price guide, 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 2026-08-20.