1971 Topps #489 Luis Alvarado
About Luis Alvarado
Alvarado reported to White Sox camp at Sarasota and became the regular shortstop for Chuck Tanner, who was beginning his first full year as manager. He hit .216 in 99 games, 71 of them at short. His first RBI did not come until June 16, in his 36th game, and he finished with eight. Lee Richard and Rich Morales also took turns at shortstop. Topps issued his card that year as #489, in its fourth series.
Luis Alvarado was a Puerto Rican infielder who spent nine seasons in the majors between 1968 and 1977, mostly at shortstop and second base, with the Red Sox, White Sox, Cardinals, Indians, Mets and Tigers. He was called Pimba from early childhood, when he called avocados by that name and his mother adopted it. His reputation rested on his glove and a quick release; one press guide said the ball seemed to bounce from his glove to his throwing hand as if on a string. Scout Pedro Vasquez signed him as a teenager for a $1,000 bonus. At Triple-A Louisville in 1969 he led the International League in runs with 89 and hits with 166 and was named both its Rookie of the Year and its MVP. His big-league debut came on September 13, 1968, at Fenway Park against Minnesota, when his first at-bat produced an RBI single. On December 1, 1970, Boston sent him and Mike Andrews to the White Sox for Luis Aparicio. He finished with a .214 average, five home runs and 84 RBIs in 463 games, then played in the Mexican League. He died in Lajas in 2001.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 304 | 0 | 16 | 170 | 100 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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: #289 Chicago White Sox
More Chicago White Sox cards:
- #13 White Sox 1971 Rookie Stars
- #37 Rich McKinney
- #56 Duane Josephson
- #80 Bill Melton
- #113 Jerry Crider
- #156 Bart Johnson
- #169 Ed Herrmann
- #186 Bob Spence
- #227 Floyd Weaver
- #243 Carlos May
- #267 Rich Morales
- #292 Jay Johnstone
- #311 Lee Stange
- #345 Joe Horlen
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #489 card?
It is card #489 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Luis Alvarado of the Chicago White Sox.
How many cards are in the 1971 Topps Baseball set?
752 cards, tracked as 761 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 752 with none skipped, issued in six print series (132/131/130/130/120/109 cards), the sixth (#644-752) the high numbers; seven cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - the #42, #265 and #306 photo pairs and the #123, #206, #369 and #619 checklists, #369 and #619 in three printings each.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA (its price guide, master set registry and set article), 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.