1972 Topps #774 Luis Alvarado
About Luis Alvarado
The strike-shortened 1972 season was Alvarado's busiest, with a career-high 103 games, 29 RBIs and all four of his remaining home runs. On August 3 a two-out, two-run triple in the eighth beat the Angels 4-2. On August 16 a three-run inside-the-park homer helped Wilbur Wood to his 21st win, and Alvarado drove in 15 runs for the month. He started 63 games at short alongside Rich Morales. Topps numbered his card #774, in its sixth 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 | 407 | 15 | 111 | 217 | 39 | 19 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 15 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
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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Team card: #381 Chicago White Sox
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #774 card?
It is card #774 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Luis Alvarado of the Chicago White Sox.
Why is #774 harder to find?
It is a high number card from the sixth and last print series, #657-787 - with the fifth series, the toughest to find, per PSA.
How many cards are in the 1972 Topps Baseball set?
787 cards, tracked as 794 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 787 with none skipped, in six print series (#1-132, #133-263, #264-394, #395-525, #526-656 and #657-787, the high numbers); 7 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - four Chicago Cubs cards with yellow or green under the "C" and "S" of the team name, the #251 and #478 checklists with smaller or larger print on the front, and the #604 checklist with its copyright line aligned right or left.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, 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.