1974 Topps #462 Luis Alvarado
About Luis Alvarado
Three clubs used Alvarado in 1974. After one hit in 10 games for the White Sox, he was traded to the Cardinals on April 27 for pitcher Ken Tatum and hit .139 in 17 games. On June 1 St. Louis sent him with Ed Crosby to Cleveland for Jack Heidemann, and he played 61 games for the Indians, hitting .219. Topps still listed him with the White Sox on card #462.
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 | 209 | 7 | 107 | 80 | 13 | 1 | 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: #416 Chicago White Sox
More Chicago White Sox cards:
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- #70 Dick Allen
- #96 Jerry Hairston
- #120 Wilbur Wood
- #147 Bart Johnson
- #170 Bill Melton
- #195 Carlos May
- #205 1973 Victory Leaders
- #221 White Sox Field Leaders
- #254 Stan Bahnsen
- #286 Tony Muser
- #310 Terry Forster
- #332 All-Star First Basemen
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1974 Topps #462 card?
It is card #462 of the 660-card 1974 Topps Baseball set, picturing Luis Alvarado of the Chicago White Sox.
How many cards are in the 1974 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, tracked as 678 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 660 with none skipped, issued all at once as a single series and printed in equal quantities; 17 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - fourteen San Diego / "Washington Nat'l Lea." pairs (thirteen Padres player cards and the #226 team card), the three-state #599 Rookie Pitchers, the #608 Apodaco misspelling and the #654 Jesus Alou front without a position.
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.