#123 Moises Alou

About the Front: I always got the impression that Moises Alou was giving a thumbs-up here, but only now do I see that he's actually gripping the Rookie Cup.

About the Back: Unfortunately, 1991 wasn't the last season that Alou would lose to injury. A torn ACL suffered while working out in the offseason cost him the entirety of the 1999 campaign.

Triple Play: 

1. In keeping with the recent family theme, Moises is the son of former outfielder Felipe Alou, who also managed his son in Montreal and San Francisco. His uncles, Jesus and Matty, were also big league outfielders. Moises and his cousin, pitcher Mel Rojas, teamed together with the Expos.

2. Alou's name is forever linked with that of Steve Bartman, the Cubs fan whose attempt to catch a foul pop hampered the outfielder's own bid to snatch the ball at a pivotal moment in Game Six of the 2003 NLCS. Moises' petulant reaction helped ensure Bartman's infamous legacy when Chicago proceeded to blow a three-run lead en route to losing the game, and (the following day) the series.

3. Moises famously eschewed batting gloves throughout his career, and caused a stir when he disclosed in a 2004 interview that he urinated on his hands to toughen them.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Sure, one man managing both his son and his nephew on the same major league team is impressive...but it doesn't beat Cal Ripken, Sr. managing two of his sons on one team. (I had Baltimore provincialism instilled in me at an early age.)

Bill James Said: "He's a Gary Matthews-type player - a little power, a little speed, can hit .280 to .300, can help a team win if they get enough guys around him having good years." If you're curious, Alou batted .303/.369/.516 in parts of 17 seasons with a 128 OPS+. Matthews batted .281/.364/.439 in parts of 16 years with a 118 OPS+. So even accounting for era, ballparks, etc., Moises was a bit better.

On This Date in 1993: December 9. Randy Johnson, fresh off a 19-8 season with a 3.24 ERA and a league-leading 308 strikeouts, re-ups with the Mariners for three years and $20.25 million.