#153 Greg Vaughn

About the Front: There's just something awesome about a close-up photo of a batter getting ready to take his shot. Greg Vaughn is the closest-zoomed hitter we've seen thus far. I also like being able to see the "23" on Vaughn's bat knob.

About the Back: As you may have guessed, Greg's 14th inning game-winner off of Rich Monteleone was the latest home run he hit by inning in his career.

Triple Play:

1. Vaughn was the 1998 NL Comeback Player of the Year, as he hit .272/.363/.597 with 50 home runs and 119 RBI for the pennant-winning Padres. The previous year, he'd had a line of .216/.322/.393 with 18 homers and 57 ribbies.

2. His 355 career home runs are the most all-time by a player whose last name begins with a "V". The closest active player is Joey Votto, who is nearly 200 dingers behind.

3. On February 2, 1999, Greg became the first (and to date, only) player to be traded immediately after a 50-homer season when the Padres dealt him to the Reds.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: 50 home runs seemed like an exotic number in 1993. The only player who'd reached that mark in my lifetime to date was Cecil Fielder. Greg Vaughn wouldn't have been one of the first players I would've predicted to get there in the near future.

Bill James Said: "His 1993 stats are extremely similar to those of Frank Robinson in 1973 (.266, 30 homers, 97 RBI, 82 walks)." Vaughn hit .267 with 30 HR, 97 RBI, and 89 walks in '93, though as James goes on to mention, he was 27 years old at the time. Robby was 37 in 1973.

On This Date in 1993: January 31. The Buffalo Bills are the first NFL team to ever lose three straight Super Bowls, as they are routed by the Dallas Cowboys 52-17 in SB XXVII.