1975 Topps #457 Mario Mendoza
About Mario Mendoza
Mario Mendoza Aizpuru broke into pro ball with the Mexico City Diablos Rojos, whose glovework caught Pittsburgh's eye and led the Pirates to buy his contract. He debuted on April 26, 1974, scoring the tying run as a pinch-runner for Willie Stargell, and reached the postseason that fall, starting at shortstop in Game Three of the NLCS. Topps caught him with the Pirates for his recognized rookie card, #457 in the 1975 set. Mendoza held down shortstop through 1978, then moved to the Seattle Mariners (1979-80) and Texas Rangers (1981-82), finishing a nine-year career with a .215 average and 101 RBI. His five seasons hitting below .200 gave rise to "the Mendoza Line," the lasting shorthand for offensive futility popularized by George Brett and ESPN's Chris Berman. After a season in Triple-A Hawaii, Mendoza returned to the Mexican League, hitting .291 over seven seasons and earning the nickname "Manos de Seda" (Silk Hands) for his fielding. He was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 336 | 11 | 104 | 181 | 24 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 16 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-19. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8), and PSA's qualified grades are counted separately from the straight-grade rows shown here. The graders do not split the 1975 Topps Mini or O-Pee-Chee issues into this set.
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Related cards
Team card: #304 Pittsburgh Pirates
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #29 Dave Parker
- #53 Dave Giusti
- #77 Richie Zisk
- #100 Willie Stargell
- #124 Jerry Reuss
- #148 Jim Rooker
- #171 Ed Kirkpatrick
- #224 Ramon Hernandez
- #250 Ken Brett
- #277 Frank Taveras
- #336 Rennie Stennett
- #359 Paul Popovich
- #385 Dock Ellis
- #409 Bob Robertson
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1975 Topps #457 card?
It is card #457 of the 660-card 1975 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mario Mendoza.
Is 1975 Topps #457 a rookie card?
Yes - #457 is the 1975 Topps rookie card of Mario Mendoza, one of 64 rookie cards in the set.
How many cards are in the 1975 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, numbered 1-660, with no variations and no short prints - PSA reports the cards were printed in equal quantities. The 1975 Topps Mini and the 1975 O-Pee-Chee issues are separate products with their own checklists.
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.