#96 Russ Swan

About the Front: For a guy named Swan, he sure doesn't look very graceful. Please hold your tomatoes until the end of the show.

About the Back: Russ took the loss in said big league debut, allowing five runs (three earned) in a five-inning start. Topps was kind enough to spare you the details.

Triple Play:

1. On June 9, 1990, he debuted as a Mariner with seven no-hit innings against Detroit. He allowed back-to-back singles to Cecil Fielder and Tracy Jones to start the eighth, but kept the Tigers off the board and picked up the win.

2. After his pitching career ended, Swan coached at Washington State University and in the Rockies' organization.

3. Sadly, he died under suspicious circumstances in 2006, when he was just 42 years old. Russ was found unconscious at the bottom of a stairwell in his home in Arizona, the victim of an apparent robbery. He died nine days later in the hospital as a result of his injuries.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: His name spelled backwards is "Naws Ssur". I didn't notice that as an adolescent, but if I ever travel back in time and meet my younger self, I'll be sure to tell him that.

Bill James Said: "A 30-year-old lefthander, pitched well for the Mariners in 1991, not so well in 1992, poorly in '93." Says it all, really.

On This Date in 1993: October 28. The California wildfires blaze on for a second day. They will eventually destroy 700 homes and over 16,000 acres of land.