#321 Rusty Meacham

About the Front: I've been staring at photos of pitching grips for 10 minutes, and I can't tell whether Rusty Meacham is throwing a two-seam fastball or a curveball. I feel like Jim Palmer's famous quote about Earl Weaver applies to me - the only thing I know about pitching is that I couldn't hit it.

About the Back: Rusty vultured 10 wins out of the Kansas City bullpen in 1992; starter Kevin Appier (15-8) was the only other double-digit winner on a 90-loss Royals team.

Triple Play:

1. He had a 27-inning streak from April 21 through June 8, 1992 in which he did not allow an earned run, spanning 19 appearances.

2. According to his Baseball-Reference Bullpen wiki page, which appears to have been written by one of Meacham's fans, he used to turn the bullpen hose on appreciative fans on hot summer days, a la Dan Quisenberry.

3. Rusty coached at Class A Vermont in the Nationals organization in 2007 and 2008. He contributed to the instructional book The Physics of Pitching, which was published in 2011.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: The name "Rusty" will always make me think of the National Lampoon's Vacation movies.

Bill James Said: "After a wonderful 1992 season he developed a tender elbow, and was never able to pitch effectively."

On This Date in 1993: November 14. Sanzo Nosaka, one of the founders of the Japanese Communist Party, dies in his home at the tender age of 101.