#348 Andy Stankiewicz

About the Front: Free advertising for both Franklin and Easton, plus we get to see Andy Stankiewicz's number 17 written on his bat knob.

About the Back: A 5' 9", 27-year-old rookie? I predict big things for this kid.

Triple Play:

1. Andy had a career-high four hits in five tries while batting leadoff against the Royals on June 24, 1992.

2. He extended his career as a utility player in the National League with Houston (1994-1995), Montreal (1996-1997), and Arizona (1998).

3. He's worked in baseball as a coach and scout since 2002, spending time in the Yankees and Mariners organizations and also at Arizona State University. He was hired as the head coach at Grand Canyon University in 2012.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: "Stankiewicz" has never not been funny to me. It's not a name that says "top-flight athlete".

Bill James Said: "The Yankees tried to deal Gallego last spring, but had no takers, then Gallego got hot, which left them with an extra infielder." Thus, Andy went from 116 games in New York in '92 to 16 contests (with a humbling 0-for-9 at the plate) in '93.

On This Date in 1993: Norman Vincent Peale, a controversial Christian minister and author best-known for his book The Power of Positive Thinking, dies at age 95 in Pawling, NY.

NOTE: This will be my last blog post until January 5. Call it a Christmas vacation. Happy holidays!