#228 Tom Goodwin

About the Front: I've heard of "dancing off first base", but I don't know that I've ever seen it so literally. My guess is that Tom Goodwin might be preparing to hop out of the way of a bouncing ball struck by the batter.

About the Back: Tom was actually the Dodgers' first-round pick in 1989, 22nd overall. I never realized how slipshod Topps' transactions data was in this set.

Triple Play:

1. In parts of 14 seasons, Goodwin stole 369 bases, with a high of 66 with the Royals in 1996.

2. On June 3, 2001, Tom went 5-for-5 with a double, a pair of steals, and three runs scored in the Dodgers' 9-8 win over Houston.

3. He is currently the Mets' first base coach, having replaced Mookie Wilson after the 2011 season.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I associated Tom Goodwin with Curtis Goodwin, the fleet outfielder who debuted with the Orioles in 1995 and was subsequently traded to the Reds for David Wells. No relation, though.

Bill James Said: "He's never going to be a regular, and getting those 25th-man slots is as much a matter of luck and personality as it is skill." Leave it to the Royals to prove James wrong, giving Tom 1,124 plate appearances in 1995-96 despite an OPS+ of 77.

On This Date in 1993: June 6. A wild Orioles-Mariners brawl erupts at Camden Yards after Mike Mussina plunks Seattle catcher Bill Haselman. In the ensuing melee, Mussina tweaks his shoulder. Though he doesn't miss time until mid-August, he will finish the year with an uncharacteristic 4.46 ERA. Cal Ripken, Jr. is also hurt, twisting his knee when his spikes catch in the infield grass. Ripken's consecutive-games-played streak, then at 1,790, seems to be in jeopardy, but swelling in the knee subsides in time for the next evening's game against Oakland.