1961 Topps #142 Luis Arroyo
About Luis Arroyo
Card 142 lands in the second series of the 1961 Topps set, a mid-run number; he had been in the majors since 1955. The card pairs him with the New York Yankees on the strength of half a season in the Bronx: New York bought his contract from Jersey City on July 20, 1960, and the 33-year-old screwballer went 5-1 with a 2.88 ERA and seven saves in 29 games down the stretch. He also worked two-thirds of an inning in Game Five of the 1960 World Series against Pittsburgh. The breakout was still ahead of him.
Luis Enrique Arroyo was a stocky left-handed screwball specialist from Penuelas, Puerto Rico, who pitched in the majors from 1955 to 1963 for the Cardinals, Pirates, Reds and Yankees. He and Vic Power became the first Puerto Ricans selected to an MLB All-Star Game, in 1955, when Arroyo was primarily a starter for St. Louis. Traded to Pittsburgh the following May for Max Surkont, he moved to the bullpen and bounced between organizations until the Yankees purchased his contract from Jersey City on July 20, 1960, making him the first Puerto Rican to play for the Yankees in the majors. American League hitters had little success against his screwball, and in 1961 he anchored the New York bullpen, leading the league in games pitched and saves as the Yankees won the World Series. He was named Sporting News American League Fireman of the Year and finished sixth in the MVP voting. An arm injury the following spring ended his effectiveness, and the Yankees announced his retirement on September 27, 1963; he finished 40-32 with a 3.93 ERA. Arroyo won 110 games over 19 seasons in the Puerto Rican Winter League, where he was the 1960-61 most valuable player, and he was inducted into the Puerto Rican Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 373 | 0 | 26 | 146 | 130 | 42 | 17 | 12 | 0 |
| SGC | 31 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-09-04. PSA counts are straight grades only; PSA half grades (PSA 1.5 among them) and qualified slabs are not included. SGC half grades fold down (8.5→8). Slabs of the two cards printed #463 are joined by description, never by number alone.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1961 Topps #142 card?
It is card #142 of the 587-card 1961 Topps Baseball set, picturing Luis Arroyo of the New York Yankees.
How many cards are in the 1961 Topps Baseball set?
587 cards, tracked as 596 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 589, but #426, #587 and #588 were never issued and two different cards were printed #463 - Jack Fisher and the Milwaukee Braves Team card, catalogued 463b - and eight cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, The Topps Archives, 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 2026-10-05.