#55 Mark McLemore

About the Front: I love cards with photos taken at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. I've spent so much time there over the past 20 years, I feel like I know it by heart. The blurry background behind Mark McLemore is the bullpen area in center field.

About the Back: Who would have ever looked at these career batting stats and predicted that McLemore would play regularly in the major leagues through 2004?

Triple Play:

1. The first home run of Mark's career was a walk-off shot in the bottom of the 13th inning against Milwaukee reliever Mark Clear, giving the Angels a 9-7 win on July 2, 1987. It was the only game-ending homer in his 19-year career.

2. His best overall season was 2001, when he batted .286 with a .384 on-base percentage and stole 39 bases in 125 games for the Mariners. That year, he started games at every position aside from pitcher, catcher, and first base.

3. McLemore is currently part of the Rangers' TV broadcast team on Fox Sports Southwest and KTXA.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I remember Mark being an unexpectedly productive regular for the Orioles in 1993, with his .284 average (over .300 as late as August 26), .353 on-base percentage, and his odd stat line of four home runs and (a career-high) 72 RBI.

Bill James Said: "He started the year on the Orioles bench but got hot, while the Martinez/Obando platoon didn't do Chito, and McLemore got the right field job." We'll get to Chito Martinez and Sherman Obando later.

On This Date in 1993: August 12. Pope John Paul II presides over his eighth annual World Youth Day at Denver's Mile High Stadium. I guess the Rockies were out of town.