#481 Ryan Luzinski

About the Front: Nothing says "newbie" like a baseball player wearing a jersey number in the eighties. I like it, though; he's wearing my year of birth.

About the Back: Ryan's dad, Greg "the Bull" Luzinski, is something of a cult hero in Chicago and especially in Philadelphia, where he was a four-time All-Star and now owns "Bull's Barbecue", a food stand in Citizens Bank Park.

Triple Play:

1. Luzinski signed with the Dodgers for a $500,000 bonus after being drafted with the 32nd overall pick, which L.A. received as compensation for losing Eddie Murray as a free agent.

2. His best overall season in the minors was 1996, when he batted .311/.371/.443 in 71 total games at three different levels.

3. Ryan never made it to the major leagues, and only totaled 55 games at AAA in parts of three seasons.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I must not have paid close attention to the Orioles' minor league affiliates; I never knew that Luzinski spent the 1997 and 1998 seasons in the Baltimore organization. He spent most of that time at AA Bowie, with 46 games at AAA Rochester tossed in for good measure.

Bill James Said: Nothing. There weren't many teenage catchers on Bill's radar.

On This Date in 1993: September 13. The Rockies and Astros are snowed out in Denver, thanks to a late summer storm that drops over five inches of the white stuff; the previous day's high temperature had been 92 degrees.

#459 Derek Wallace

About the Front: Here's a very fresh-faced Derek Wallace, first-round draft pick (11th overall) of the Cubs. If you'll recall way back to the beginning of Series One, the Expos' first-round pick (third overall) was also a college pitcher with the surname of Wallace: lefty B. J. Eerie stuff.

About the Back: Derek shares his September 1 birthday with former big league outfielders Garry Maddox and Rico Carty, among others.

Triple Play:

1. He earned his first big league win on September 4, 1996, tossing two scoreless frames of relief as the Mets topped the Dodgers in 12 innings.

2. Nine days later - September 13, 1996 - Wallace earned an unusual save by striking out four Braves in the ninth inning of a 6-4 New York victory. He opened the inning by whiffing Terry Pendleton, but the veteran third baseman reached safely on a wild pitch on strike three. He then froze Chipper Jones for the first out before Fred McGriff doubled to put the tying runs in scoring position. The rookie responded by fanning Ryan Klesko and pinch hitter Mike Mordecai.

3. After an uneven debut with the Mets in late 1996 (2-3, three saves, 4.01 ERA, 1.74 WHIP), Derek didn't resurface in the majors until 1999, when he allowed four runs - three earned - in 8.1 innings for the Royals. That was his only other exposure to MLB.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I had never heard of Pepperdine University at that time, and didn't even know where it was located. Malibu, as it turns out. I'm not sure why I never did a campus visit there when I was college hunting.

Bill James Said: Zippo.

On This Date in 1993: July 27. The number of the day is five. John Kruk goes 5-for-5 with three RBI in a 10-7 Phillies win over the Cardinals. Tony Gwynn also has five hits in as many at-bats, doubling twice and driving in three runs in an 8-0 Padres rout against the Cubs.

#438 Ritchie Moody

About the Front: Moody by name, moody by reputation. Look at that pout.

About the Back: 47 earned runs allowed in 60 innings in 1991? Woof, talk about a sophomore slump.

Triple Play:

1. In 1992, he appeared in a total of 28 games at Class A Gastonia and AA Tulsa, allowing two earned runs in 32.2 innings for an ERA of 0.55. He also allowed seven unearned runs, because minor league baseball is a fascinating sort of game.

2. Moody spent six years in the Rangers organization, with his only experience above AA coming in a disastrous eight-game trial as a starter at AAA Oklahoma City in 1994 (0-5, 6.00 ERA, 32 K/31 BB in 42 IP). He was out of baseball after the 1997 season, finishing with a 6-16 record as a pro with a 3.91 ERA and 30 saves.

3. After retiring, he operated a baseball academy in Centerville, OH.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I'm not sure why Ritchie is wearing a Starter cap with the "TEXAS" wordmark instead of an actual Rangers cap. I had a cap in this style, and it was teal with "DOLPHINS" across the front in orange lettering. I was such a fashion plate in my adolescence.

Bill James Said: Bill pleads the fifth, on the grounds that Moody was not yet close to reaching the majors.

On This Date in 1993: June 12. The first presidential elections are held in Nigeria since a 1983 military coup. Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola of the Social Democratic Party defeats Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention. However, military ruler Ibrahim Babangida later declares the election null, and it will be another five years before Nigeria has a civilian government.

#419 Mark Thompson

About the Front: I'm sure the expression that Mark Thompson was going for was "deep concentration", but all I can see is "utterly terrified".

About the Back: As you can see, Thompson wasn't the first-ever Rockies draft pick. In the first round (27th overall), they took another college righthander named John Burke. Burke pitched 28 games for Colorado in 1996-1997, going 4-6 with a 6.75 ERA. Yikes.

Triple Play:

1. Mark earned the save in Colorado's only win of the 1995 NLDS, pitching a perfect tenth inning in Game Three in Atlanta. He was the seventh pitcher used by the Rockies that day.

2. The bulk of his big league experience came in 1996, when he pitched in 34 games (28 starts) for the Rockies and went 9-11 with a 5.30 ERA...and a 98 ERA+, because pitching in Denver in '96 was a monstrous task. His home ERA was 6.41, compared to 4.32 on the road.

3. He coached for the Rookie-level Casper Rockies in 2006.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I'm pretty sure that I mixed him up with John Thomson, another righty who pitched for the Rockies (1997-1999, 2001-2002), on more than one occasion.

Bill James Said: "Thompson, the Rockies' second-round draft pick in 1992, has progressed rapidly, and will probably be thrown to the wolves (pardon, called up) by mid-season, if he continues to pitch well." Whaddaya know? He debuted on July 26, 1994.

On This Date in 1993: May 5. Three eight-year-old boys are reported missing in West Memphis, AR. Their bodies would be found the next day, and three teenaged boys (dubbed the "West Memphis Three") were convicted of their murders the following year. The West Memphis Three were released from prison in 2011 following the introduction of new DNA evidence.

#334 Jason Kendall

About the Front: Why so sullen, Jason Kendall? The Pirates were still perennial contenders when they drafted you.

About the Back: Fred Kendall's big league career spanned from 1969 through 1980, primarily with the Padres, and he hit .234/.285/.312. He peaked with San Diego in 1973, with a line of .282/.320/.396, 10 homers, and 59 RBI. You may also recognize the name of Jack Zduriencik, who is now the GM of the Seattle Mariners.

Triple Play:

1. Jason was a three-time All-Star with the Pirates, all within his first five seasons (1996, 1998, 2000). In 1998, he batted .327/.411/.473 with 12 home runs and a career-best 75 RBI. He also stole 26 bases in 31 tries and led the National League with 31 times hit-by-pitch.

2. He broke his ankle in a nasty mishap while running to first base in July 1999 and missed the rest of the season. He returned to play another 11 seasons in the big leagues, but his offensive game soon declined. From 2001-2010 he batted .277/.350/.345 with 30 homers in 1,432 games, compared to .314/.402/.456 with 45 homers in 653 games in the first five years of his career. Ankle injury aside, Kendall had the heaviest workload among modern catchers, topping 140 games eight times. That almost certainly took a toll on his hitting.

3. While with the Royals in 2010, Jason and teammate Willie Bloomquist struck upon a dream of becoming a two-man bobsled team in future Winter Olympics contests. Earlier this year, Bloomquist claimed that they're still hopeful of competing in South Korea in 2018, despite the fact that neither man has begun training in the other sport.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: For whatever reason, it didn't occur to me that a lot of these draft pick photos depicted the young subject in a slapped-together uniform. With a more critical eye, I can now see that Kendall's mesh Pirates jersey with its yellow lettering on white fabric is a bit less than authentic.

Bill James Said: Jason batted .276 with a single home run and 40 RBI at Class A Augusta in 1993, which wasn't enough to put the 19-year-old in Bill's crosshairs for this book.

On This Date in 1993: December 4. A truce between the Angolan government and UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) rebels comes to an end. Civil war in the western African nation had begun in 1975, and will continue until 2002.

#307 Dan Serafini

About the Front: That right there is one of the sweatiest draft picks I have ever seen. His arms and upper chest quite shiny.

About the Back: Water polo! Oh, and if Serra (San Mateo) High School sounds familiar, it's something of a training ground for pro athletes. Its most notable alumni are Tom Brady, Lynn Swann, and Barry Bonds.

Triple Play:

1. His first career win was also the only complete game he pitched in his career. He held the Athletics to two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks, September 8, 1997.

2. Dan was a consummate journeyman, playing for the following professional organizations: Twins, Cubs, Padres, Pirates, Giants, Mets, Brewers, Angels, Cardinals, Sultanes de Monterrey (Mexico), Reds, Chiba Lotte Marines (Japan), Orix Buffaloes (Japan), Rockies, Bridgeport Bluefish, Rieleros de Aguascalientes (Mexico), aaaaand Tigres de Quintana Roo (Mexico). His major league record: 15-16 with a 6.04 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, and one save in parts of seven seasons.

3. In 2006, a Chicago Cubs fan posed as Serafini for a radio interview with a Minnesota radio station. His amusing account can be read on his blog.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: This one is a message to my younger self from present-day Kevin, actually. Just because a guy repeatedly fails to retire major league hitters, that doesn't mean that he can't play pro baseball for two decades. Have arm, will travel.

Bill James Said:

On This Date in 1993: October 24. The Crash Test Dummies release their second album, God Shuffled His Feet. Now you have "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" stuck in your head. Sorry/not sorry.

#269 Todd Steverson

About the Front: Back-to-back Blue Jays! That's a rare occurrence for this set.

About the Back: In case you were wondering, Fenway Park's Green Monster is 37 feet, two inches high, and approximately 310-315 feet away from home plate.

Triple Play:

1. His cousin is former stolen base king Ron LeFlore.

2. Todd debuted with the Tigers in 1995, after being chosen in the Rule V draft. He appeared in 30 games, batting 50 times, with a line of .262/.340/.405, two home runs, and six RBI. He was traded to San Diego the following offseason, and struck out as a pinch hitter in his lone plate appearance with the Padres in 1996. He never made it back to the majors, retiring after the 1998 season.

3. Steverson was a minor league coach in the Cardinals and Athletics organizations. He also managed in the Athletics organization from 2005 through 2008, finishing with an 83-61 mark at AAA Sacramento. He spent two years as Oakland's big league first base coach, and is currently the White Sox batting coach.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: "Steverson" is a name that seems tricky. You always want to read it as "Stevenson". At least I do.

Bill James Said: Zippo. Young Todd didn't make the cut.

On This Date in 1993: August 26. Relief pitcher Richie Lewis singles in Rick Renteria with the winning run in the bottom of the 13th inning, giving the Marlins a 5-4 walkoff win over the Astros. Lewis, who threw one and two-thirds of the Florida bullpen's eight and one-third scoreless innings, earns the win. Doug Jones is the loser.

#233 Rick Greene

About the Front: Rick Greene's athletic footwear of choice is Converse. Sadly, they're not Chuck Taylor All-Stars.

About the Back: At 6'5" and 200 pounds, I'd say that Rick might have needed to fill out a bit.

Triple Play:

1. Greene pitched for Team USA in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, posting a 3.18 ERA despite allowing 11 hits and five walks in five and two-thirds innings.

2. He spent a decade in pro ball, tossing 547 innings in 455 minor league games with a 4.23 ERA. In his lone major league appearance, on June 19, 1999, he tossed 5.2 innings of relief for the Reds after starter Ron Villone retired only one of the seven Milwaukee batters he faced. Rick allowed a three-run homer to his first batter, Jose Valentin, and three more runs in the ensuing innings (two of those earned).

3. In 2012, Rick established the 2 Seam Dream Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to cancer research and patient recovery.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I thought it was pretty cool that the Tigers drafted him from the Tigers.

Bill James Said: He didn't say.

On This Date in 1993: June 13. Comings and goings. Eddie Guardado makes his big league debut for the Twins, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks and striking out three in a three and one-third-inning start. Oakland beats Minnesota in a 7-6 seesaw of a game. "Everyday Eddie" will hang around for 17 years and make two All-Star teams as a closer. Meanwhile, 1983 ALCS MVP Mike Boddicker makes his last big league appearance, getting knocked out in the third inning of a Milwaukee loss to the Yankees and giving up five runs.

#191 Sean Lowe

About the Front: I think Sean's saying, "You stuck me in a pullover jersey and elastic-waistband pants? Are you friggin' kidding me?".

About the Back: "Mesquite" is an interesting town name. Makes me hungry.

Triple Play:

1. Sean earned his first major league win with three innings of one-run, one-hit relief against the Royals on April 17, 1999. It was a sloppy game, as the White Sox and Kansas City combined for five errors.

2. Lowe pitched parts of seven seasons in the majors, primarily with the White Sox. His best season was 2001, when he had a 9-4 record with a 3.61 ERA and three saves as a swingman for the Pale Hose.

3. Sean's claim to fame: On June 16, 2001, he was the opposing pitcher when Cardinals rookie Albert Pujols dropped down his first - and to date, only - sacrifice bunt. The pitcher fielded the bunt and threw to second baseman Ray Durham (covering first base) for the first out of the inning. The runners moved to second and third base. That Tony LaRussa always was crafty.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I found Sean Lowe's body language to be pretty funny back in 1993. Nothing has changed.

Bill James Said: Nothing. Sean was in A-ball in '93.

On This Date in 1993: April 10. Jimmy Key and John Habyan of the Yankees combined to shut out the White Sox, as New York won a laugher 12-0. Bernie Williams, Kevin Maas, and Spike Owen each had three hits for the Yanks, and Bernie also drove in a team-high three runs.

#161 Chad McConnell

About the Front: As you can see, Chad McConnell's Creighton University Bluejays (yep, all one word) have borrowed the "Wishbone C" logo that is most closely associated with the Cincinnati Reds. The Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs have also had this eblem on their caps in past years.

About the Back: Chad was the 13th overall selection in the 1992 draft, and it was a rough class for the Phillies. Five of their 50 picks made it to the majors, and that total includes Casey Blake, who did not sign out of high school. Excluding Blake, the rest of Philly's '92 draftees combined for a whopping 2.9 bWAR.

Triple Play:

1. He competed for Team USA at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, patrolling right field for the fourth-place finishers.

2. McConnell never made it to the big leagues, topping out at AA Reading and bowing out of pro ball after the 1996 season. In four minor league campaigns, he batted a cumulative .254/.346/.399 with 39 homers and 199 RBI in 417 games.

3. His signing bonus was a reported $500,000. Hopefully he invested it wisely.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: These draft pick cards drove me nuts. I never liked having to flip a card over to figure out which team drafted the guy.

Bill James Said: Zilch. Chad was too new.

On This Date in 1993: February 12. The beloved romantic comedy Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, debuts in theatres. "I'll give you a winter prediction: It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life."

#132 Preston Wilson

About the Front: Hey, another pick who panned out! Preston Wilson is swinging that sweet Easton aluminum bat for Bamberg Ehrhardt High School in Bamberg, SC.

About the Back: No games played, steals, walks, or strikeouts? That's some shoddy records-keeping...and gathering.

Triple Play:

1. Preston is the nephew and stepson of former Mets outfielder Mookie Wilson. Clear as mud?

2. Wilson debuted with the Mets in 1998, but appeared in just eight games before heading to the Marlins in the blockbuster trade that brought Mike Piazza to New York.

3. In 2003, he led the National League in RBI, driving in 141 in his only full season in Colorado while also achieving career highs of 43 doubles, 36 homers, a .282 average, and a .537 slugging percentage.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I also used Easton bats around this time, while playing corner outfield for the Essex Yankees for two short seasons. Those bats had a grand total of six hits in them for me, none of them leaving the infield.

Bill James Said: N/A. An 18-year-old Wilson with 74 games of rookie-ball experience was not yet on Bill's radar.

On This Date in 1993: December 31. On the last day of the year, MLB's collective bargaining agreement with MLBPA expires. There is no new agreement imminent. The storm clouds gather.

#98 Derek Jeter

About the Front: If you're not as familiar with this set as I am, maybe you're surprised to see Derek Jeter...although that's a bit less Jeter than usual. The teenaged version of the Yankee captain looks to be about 75 pounds soaking wet.

About the Back: "Good range at shortstop"? When's the last time you heard that said about Jeets?

Triple Play:

1. Blah, blah, blah: 1996 Rookie of the Year, five-time World Series champion, 2000 World Series MVP, 13-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glover, five-time Silver Slugger. All-time Yankee franchise leader in games (2,602), hits (3,316), and steals (348).

2. Derek's list of personal partners is well-known, and includes Mariah Carey, former Miss Universe Lara Dutta, and actresses Jordana Brewster, Jessica Biel, and Minka Kelly. Rumor has it that he sends one-night stands home with a gift basket containing autographed Jeter memorabilia.

3. Do you want to gawk at high school yearbook pictures of Derek Jeter? Of course you do.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Oh, for the days when this guy was another faceless prospect. Young Kevin had no idea how much misery Derek would visit upon the Orioles for the next two decades.

Bill James Said: Nothing. I guess he wasn't keen on forecasting the careers of low-level minor leaguers.

On This Date in 1993: October 30. The Greysteel massacre took place in Northern Ireland. Three members of the loyalist paramilitary group UDA opened fire in a crowded bar, killing eight civilians and wounding 13 people.

#56 Chad Mottola

About the Front: The "Knights" would be the University of Central Florida Knights. In 1996, Chad Mottola became the first UCF alumnus to make it to the big leagues. Five other players have followed, with the most notable being former Tigers starting pitcher Mike Maroth.

About the Back: Topps really loved Capitalizing the First Letter of Certain Words.

Triple Play:

1. As a rookie with the Reds in 1996, Chad batted .215/.271/.367 with three homers and six RBI in 35 games. He wouldn't resurface in the big leagues until 2000 with Toronto, and he totaled only 24 games with the Blue Jays, Marlins, and Orioles over the rest of his pro career, which ended after the 2007 season.

2. A veteran of exactly 1800 minor league games, Mottola had a minor-league OPS of .797 with 249 home runs and 1,034 RBI.

3. Chad has been coaching in the Toronto organization since retiring as a player. This year, he was promoted to the position of hitting coach for the major league team.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: One of my best friends growing up had a hobby shop on his street. We stopped in there a few times when I would visit over the summer, and I remember the owner raving about Chad Mottola like he was the Next Big Thing. It was an early lesson in the follies of prospecting.

Bill James Said: Nada.

On This Date in 1993: August 13. Rickey Henderson, recently acquired by the Blue Jays in a trade with Oakland, buys his preferred uniform number 24 from teammate Turner Ward for $25,000. Rickey claimed that he was having trouble hitting while wearing #14.

#33 B. J. Wallace

About the Front: So we come to the first 1992 draft pick, a subset that is scattered through Series 1 and 2 in the 1993 Topps set. These cards have a pretty dull design, with the player superimposed on a green baseball field. Most are wearing their college or high school uniforms, so that you have to flip the card over to figure out who actually drafted the guy. In the case of B. J. Wallace, he pitched for Mississippi State University and was taken third overall by the Expos.

About the Back: Rafael Palmeiro and Will Clark get name-checked in the writeup. Both of them left a much greater imprint on baseball than Mr. Wallace, sorry to say.

Triple Play:

1. Wallace is one of the five players who were famously picked ahead of Derek Jeter in the 1992 draft. Chad Mottola (fifth overall) is the only other one included in this set. For whatever reason, Topps didn't feature many of the first round picks, which is why you'll note that the cards just say "1992 Draft Pick".  Phil Nevin (first), Paul Shuey (second), and Jeffrey Hammonds (fourth) were the other top-five picks that year.

2. B. J. never made it to the big leagues, as injuries led to the end of his pro baseball career in 1997. In parts of three minor league seasons, he had a 15-15 record and a 4.21 ERA.

3. Sadly, Wallace has had serious legal problems over the past decade. In 2003, he was charged with driving under the influence after rear-ending another car at a traffic light; the other driver died as a result of his injuries. In 2011, B. J. and his wife Amber were arrested for manufacturing and possessing methamphetamine.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: It always bugged me that the draft picks weren't pictured in the uniforms of their major league clubs.

Bill James Said: N/A

On This Date in 1993: July 10. Kenyan runner Yobes Ondieki became the first man to run 10,000 meters in under 27 minutes.