NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1977 LUIS ALVARADO

On the blog this morning, a “not so missing” 1977 card for former infielder Luis Alvarado, who made it back to the Big Leagues in 1976 after spending all of 1975 in the Minors:

Alvarado played in 16 games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1976, his second stint with the club, hitting .286 with 12 hits over 42 at-bats with three runs batted in after spending all of 1975 in both the St. Louis and Cleveland Indians farm systems.
The bulk of his Big League playing time was with the Chicago White Sox, for whom he played between 1971 through part of the 1974 season, when he’d collect over 200 plate appearances in each campaign, topping out with 278 in 1971.
Never a starter in any of his Major League stops, he finished his career with a .214 batting average, with 248 hits in 1160 at-bats in 463 games while playing second, short and third.

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1978 LUIS ALVARADO

Here’s a “career-capping” 1978 card for nine-year Major League veteran Luis Alvarado, who finished up his career with two games with the Detroit Tigers:

Alvarado only got into three total games in 1977, the first one being with the New York Mets after playing in 16 games with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1976.
The bulk of his Big League playing time was with the Chicago White Sox, for whom he played between 1971 through part of the 1974 season, when he’d collect over 200 plate appearances in each campaign, topping out with 278 in 1971.
Never a starter in any of his Major League stops, he finished his career with a .214 batting average, with 248 hits in 1160 at-bats in 463 games while playing second, short and third.
Of course, we will also always remember perhaps the greatest card of the 1970's, which happened to be his 1973 slab. The stuff of legends!

"WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!"- PART II

Sandlot softball game? High School game? Perhaps even a Division III College game?

Nope, believe it or not this is a photo used for a Major League Baseball card by Topps!

I warned you all that the 1973 Topps set would be heavily represented in the "What Were They Thinking?" series, and here is another gem from that set: #627 Luis Alvarado.

Where on earth do we even begin with this card? The photo is atrocious. You can't even tell at a glance WHO the card is trying to represent since the angle of the shot makes it look like the player about to catch the thrown ball is actually the first baseman yet the player supposed to be shown is called out as a shortstop. Funny enough, Alvarado is listed on all rosters I can find of the '73 White Sox as the second baseman. Secondly, what the heck is it with the cars parked on the other side of the chain link fence?! What kind of (what I assume to be) Spring training park is this?

On a final note, I have scoured as many different White Sox roster lists I can find, and I cannot find out who the player (#38) with his back to the camera is. I was guessing Jorge Orta, but it's just that: a wild guess. Any help would be awesome!

Is that a red Pontiac Le Mans parked out there?!