#492 Tom Lampkin

About the Front: Using the scouting tools scale of 20-80, Tom Lampkin's curly mullet is a solid 95.

About the Back: The scout who signed Lampkin for the Indians was Dave Roberts, another Oregon product who was a third baseman, second baseman, and catcher for the Padres and three other teams (1972-1982).

Triple Play:

1. While splitting time with the three-headed catching monster of Rick Wilkins, Kirt Manwaring, and Steve Decker for the 1996 Giants, Tom threw out 17 of 33 would-be base stealers, a league-best 52% rate.

2. With two outs in the bottom of the 15th inning on June 19, 1996, he hit a walk-off three-run homer against Marlins reliever Terry Mathews.

3. Lampkin had a career-high 327 plate appearances in 2002...when he was 38 years old and playing his final season back in San Diego. It may not surprise you to learn that this Padres club lost 96 games.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I remember owning Tom's 1990 Topps card way back when, but I didn't realize at the time that he had played only in AAA in 1989. It was an odd choice to include him in that set.

Bill James Said: "Like Joe Kmak, he runs well for a catcher, and thus fits in with Phil Garner's plan to see how many bases he can steal with a last-place team (the answer, as it turned out, was 138)." Shots fired at the Milwaukee Brewers, who acquired Lampkin from the Padres in the spring of 1993.

On This Date in 1993: October 13. The White Sox release George Bell, effectively ending the career of the three-time All-Star and 1987 American League MVP.