#498 Bud Black

About the Front: That's one unflattering photo of Bud Black. In general, I think he's better-looking now than he was in his playing days. Some guys just age gracefully.

About the Back: Daughter Jamie went on to attend Oregon State University and is now an interior designer. Daughter Jessie was a collegiate gymnast at the University of Maryland, and graduated in 2014 with a degree in math and kinesiology.

Triple Play:

1. Bud had a knack for historical moments. He surrendered Reggie Jackson's 500th career home run, and Mike Piazza's first.

2. His father Harry was a minor league hockey player.

3. He spent several seasons as the Angels' pitching coach before the Padres hired him to be their manager in 2007. His San Diego clubs peaked with a 90-72 season and a second-place finish in the NL West in 2010, earning him Manager of the Year honors. He was fired in mid-2015, but in 2017 guided the Rockies to a surprise Wild Card appearance in his first season as their skipper.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I loved the book Lords of the Realm by John Helyar, which detailed the long and contentious labor history between baseball players and ownership. Still love it, actually. Anyway, there was an anecdote about the supposedly exorbitant four-year, $10 million contract given by the Giants and GM Al Rosen to mediocre veteran Bud Black prior to the 1991 season. He was considered the poster boy for runaway player salaries, and that offseason was referred to sarcastically as the "Bud Black Market". If you're curious, that translates to $16.75 million in today's economy. Still seems comparatively tame to me.

Bill James Said: "Helped put the Giants in front with an 8-1 record through the All-Star break, but went out with tendonitis (which sportswriters for some reason spell "tendinitis") in his elbow." Yeah, why DO they spell it like that?

On This Date in 1993: February 22. The United Nations Security Council votes on Resolution 808, deciding to establish a tribunal to prosecute international law violations in Yugoslavia.

#494 Kevin Young, Adell Davenport, Eduardo Perez, and Lou Lucca

It's about time to reboot this blog, now that time has marched on and we're a full quarter-century past the release of 1993 Topps. I'll try not to disappear for another two years and change this time.

About the Front: That is one stylish shirt that Adell Davenport is wearing.

About the Back: Eduardo Perez was, of course, born in Cincinnati while his father Tony Perez was in the prime of his Hall of Fame career with the Reds.

Triple Play:

1. Kevin Young spent 12 seasons with the Pirates and Royals, batting .258/.324/.438. His best performance came in 1999, when he batted .298/.387/.522 (128 OPS+) with 41 doubles, 26 HR, 106 RBI, and 22 steals in 32 tries.

2. Adell Davenport had just batted .288/.340/.510 in his first full season at AA Shreveport, with 19 homers and 88 RBI. His 14 games at AAA Phoenix in 1993 proved to be the former 18th-round pick's ceiling as a pro; he was out of baseball after a stint with the Sioux Falls Canaries of the independent Northern League in 1995.

3. Eduardo Perez had a 13-year MLB career with the Angels, Reds, Cardinals, Devil Rays, Indians, and Mariners. He batted .247/.326/.431 with 79 homers and 394 RBI. Since retiring, he's worked for ESPN as a Baseball Tonight analyst and broadcaster, and had brief coaching stays with the Marlins and Astros. He's had some success as a manager in the winter leagues, winning in Puerto Rico and Venezuela in consecutive seasons.

3a. A 32nd round draftee out of Oklahoma State University, Lou Lucca climbed steadily through the minor league ranks before stalling out at AAA. He spent six-plus seasons at that highest rung of the minors, batting .274/.318/.434 with 71 homers and 342 RBI. From 2002 through 2007, he made stops in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Italy, and a number of American independent circuits. In the winter of 1999-2000, Lou was one of the leading hitters of the Roberto Clemente League in Puerto Rico, topping all hitters with 10 homers, 37 RBI, 32 runs scored (tied with Felipe Crespo), and 15 doubles (tied with Alex Diaz).

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: For some reason, I thought Lou Lucca looked a lot like Luke Perry. In hindsight, not so much.

Bill James Said: Young: "The under-achiever of the year; he's a .280 hitter, but fell into a slump, put pressure on himself, and didn't start to hit until September." Kevin batted .236/.300/.342 in 1993, his worst performance in a full season.

Perez: "Should hit .250 or better with double-figure homers, still learning at third but could be OK." He pretty much pegged the homer total. Eduardo had four seasons of double-digit homers despite never being a full-timer, and spent the biggest chunk of his time in the field at first base.

On This Date in 1993: February 8. General Motors sues NBC for a misleading report that aired on Dateline NBC that claimed that GM's pickup trucks could easily catch fire in collisions. The TV network settled the lawsuit the next day.

#466 Mike Felder

About the Front: Mike Felder looks somewhat embarrassed to be running to first base. "Is it even worth running out this little dribbler?"

About the Back: Felder's bases-clearing triple on May 27, 1992 came in the top of the ninth with two outs and the Giants clinging to a 2-1 lead, so it was pretty crucial. He scored San Francisco's sixth run on a Willie McGee single, and the Giants went on to win 6-2.

Triple Play:

1. Mike was the National League Player of the Week for May 26-June 1, 1991. In seven games over that span, he batted .467 (14-for-30) with two doubles, two triples, six runs scored, five RBI, and three steals in as many chances. He had five multi-hit games out of the seven.

2. He was the recipient of the Willie Mac Award in 1992. Since 1980, the Giants have honored one player each year who best represents the spirit and leadership of Hall of Famer Willie McCovey. The Giants' players and coaches vote on the award.

3. Mike last played in the majors with the Astros in 1994, but continued his career in various independent leagues and in Mexico through the 1998 season.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I couldn't tell you much about Mike Felder, but after all these years, I still remember his nickname - "Tiny". Such are the indignities of the 5'8", 160-pound athlete.

Bill James Said: "Felder signed with Seattle as a free agent, and opened the season as their regular left fielder, in which role he was a miserable failure (surprise, surprise, isn't this like the fourth time we've learned this?)." I'd say Bill was being needlessly cruel, but Felder's .211/.262/.269 line (43 OPS+) with one homer, 20 RBI, and 15-for-24 stolen bases makes me wonder how in God's name the Mariners allowed him to collect 374 plate appearances in 1993.

On This Date in 1993: August 12. The number one song in the U.S. is UB40's cover of Can't Help Falling in Love. Man, I never liked those guys.

#435 Willie McGee

About the Front: That's a pretty unusual stance for catching a fly ball. It almost looks like Willie McGee is slightly crouched, as if he were preparing to jump. He's clearly playing at Wrigley Field, so I guess a gust of wind could have carried the ball off-course.

About the Back: As you can see, Willie won an unconventional National League batting title in 1990. He was traded to Oakland at the end of August, but had already accumulated enough appearances in St. Louis to qualify for the N.L. crown. So despite the fact that his .274 average in the American League lowered his overall mark to .324, lower than Eddie Murray's .330 average with the Dodgers, McGee was still the top hitter in the senior circuit. Clear as mud?

Triple Play:

1. He won three Gold Gloves as the Cardinals' center fielder (1983, 1985, and 1986), captured a Silver Slugger award in 1985, and was also the 1985 N.L. MVP.

2. McGee finished his career back in St. Louis, spanning the 1996 through 1999 seasons. In a notable moment on April 8, 1997, he hit a walkoff pinch homer against Montreal's Ugueth Urbina in the bottom of the ninth inning of the Cards' home opener. Not only was it the first game-ending home run of his career, it gave St. Louis their first win after a season-opening six-game losing skid.

3. Willie has been a special assistant to Cardinals' GM John Mozeliak since 2013. Last year, he was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: It's kind of inspiring that somebody so strange-looking could be such a successful athlete. Still, it seems mean-spirited for folks to say that he looks like E.T.

Bill James Said: "Hit 3.5 times as many ground balls as fly balls, the highest ratio in the major leagues by far (253-73)."

On This Date in 1993: June 9. Lefty Terry Mulholland shuts out the Astros as the Phillies win 8-0. It's the third straight complete game for the veteran, who allows six hits and no walks and strikes out nine. Philly batters club four home runs, and Jim Eisenreich finishes a single shy of hitting for the cycle.

#395 Jim McNamara (Gold)

About the Front: I wonder how much that eye black helps when you're looking straight up into the sun, without even the brim of a cap to deflect the rays.

About the Back: Prior to his scouting career, Jim Fairey was an outfielder for the Dodgers and the Expos (1968-1973), batting .235/.279/.317.

Triple Play:

1. On April 17, 1992, McNamara went 3-for-3 with a walk, a home run, and four RBI in just his third career game. It was his only three-hit game and his only round-tripper in the major leagues.

2. He collected one hit in four career at-bats against Greg Maddux. That's more than Felix Jose, Greg Colbrunn, Matt Franco, and Bob Melvin can say, and they each faced Maddux at least ten times.

3. Jim is now a player agent, having founded the McNamara Baseball Group.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Like Bernardo Brito before him, Jim's only Topps card is a parallel insert. I probably would've thought that was as cool when I was a kid as I do today.

Bill James Said: "McNamara, who wouldn't be considered a good-hitting pitcher if he was a pitcher, is a backup catcher at Phoenix who somehow got into a few major league games." Indeed, Jim had a .591 OPS in nine minor league seasons, and his four-game cup of coffee with the Giants in 1993 (1-for-7 at the bat) was the coda on his MLB experience.

On This Date in 1993: March 24. The comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 is discovered. In July 1994, it will break apart and collide with Jupiter.

#384 Mike Benjamin

About the Front: Mike Benjamin's mirrored shades give us a nifty fish-eye view of the home team's ballpark.

About the Back: In later years, the Benjamins would add son Michael to their family. The elder Mike coached his son's Little League team to the World Series in Williamsport, PA in 2003, and went on to coach him at Arizona State University as well.

Triple Play:

1. Mike must have seen the ball well against Jaime Navarro. In 22 career meetings, he collected ten hits, including three of his 24 career homers, for a .455 average and .864 slugging mark.

2. In a 13-inning win over the Cubs on June 14, 1995, he went 6-for-7 with a double and a pair of RBI. It was part of a torrid three-game streak that saw the normally weak-hitting infielder set a record for the most hits in three straight games, spanning from June 11-14. His totals: 14-for-18 with a hit-by-pitch, five runs scored, a double, a homer, and four RBI (.778/.769/1.000).

3. Benjamin pitched a scoreless inning for Boston on June 21, 1997, needing only nine pitches to retire three Detroit batters in order.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I used to pronounce his last name as "been jammin' " to amuse myself. It never did take much.

Bill James Said: "Excellent defensive shortstop, gets most of his playing time spelling Robbie Thompson, but isn't in line to get the second base job if Thompson is unable to continue."

On This Date in 1993: March 2. The Expos sign corner infielder Jose Fernandez, an 18-year-old amateur free agent from the Dominican Republic. He will go on to hit 374 home runs in a 20-year career in pro baseball that includes stops in Mexico, Korea, and Japan, but none of those homers will be hit at the big-league level. He bats only 52 times in brief stints in Montreal (1999) and Anaheim (2001).

#364 Trevor Wilson

About the Front: Trevor Wilson's five o'clock shadow says, "My name may be Trevor, but don't be fooled. I am a very dangerous man.".

About the Back: That June 7, 1992 two-hitter was the last shutout of Wilson's career. In the ninth inning, he struck out Jeff Bagwell, Eric Anthony, and Rafael Ramirez on three pitches each, making him the 27th pitcher in MLB history to record an "immaculate inning".

Triple Play:

1. On June 13, 1990, he took a no-hitter into the ninth inning but had it spoiled by a Mike Pagliarulo leadoff single. Wilson retired the next three Padres batters to seal the shutout.

2. Injuries cost Trevor three full seasons (1994, 1996, and 1997) before he closed out his career with a 15-game stint out of the Angels bullpen in 1998.

3. Wilson has been a minor league coach for the Giants and Angels for more than a decade.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I might have assumed that he was related to a fellow lefty of his era, ex-Dodgers pitcher Steve Wilson.

Bill James Said: "Went on the DL three times with tendonitis and inflammation in his throwing shoulder, and pitched only 20 innings after the All-Star break."

On This Date in 1993: January 27. Legendary pro wrestler and actor Andre the Giant (born Andre Roussimoff) dies of congestive heart failure at age 46.

#337 Kirt Manwaring

About the Front: This is a pretty good shot of Kirt Manwaring jumping up from his crouch to field a bunt, but the choice to crop only half of the Expos batter is lame. Either zoom in and give us a solo photo of the catcher, or zoom out and let us see the entire scene.

About the Back: The inclusion of that caught-stealing stat from AA is baffling for two reasons: first, Manwaring played for Shreveport in 1987, not 1989; second, a 33% rate is not noteworthy in and of itself.

Triple Play:

1. In 1993, he threw out 45.9% percent of would-be base stealers and had a .998 fielding percentage and a defensive WAR of 2.4. These were the best marks across the board for a National League catcher, and resulted in Kirt's only career Gold Glove.

2. The penultimate of Manwaring's 21 career home runs was hit on July 15, 1999 - his 34th birthday.

3. He is currently the minor league catching coordinator for the Giants.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: "Kirt", as in "dirt", is a weird way to spell that name.

Bill James Said: "I still don't believe he is any kind of a hitter, but the Giants had a great year with him catching, so it will take him years to play himself out of a job."

On This Date in 1993: December 9. Alternative rockers The Verve Pipe release their album Pop Smear, which I mention only because of its disturbingly punny title.

#310 Dave Righetti

About the Front: Just another sellout crowd at Candlestick Park. Where is everybody?

About the Back: Dave Righetti gave up one home run in 105.1 innings in the strike-shortened 1981 season, making him quite a deserving Rookie of the Year. His no-hitter on July 4, 1983 was the first by a Yankee since Don Larsen's World Series perfect game in 1956.

Triple Play:

1. While pitching for the AA Tulsa Drillers, he set a Texas League record by striking out 21 Midland Cubs in nine innings on July 16, 1978.

2. Dave was an All-Star in both 1986 and 1987. In the former season, he became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter and lead the league in saves during his major league career. (Dennis Eckersley and Derek Lowe later joined him on that short list.)

3. He is currently the longest-tenured pitching coach in baseball, having served the Giants under Dusty Baker, Felipe Alou, and Bruce Bochy since 2000.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: It's a crime that his nickname was "Rags". His last name rhymes with spaghetti. Do I have to do all the legwork here?

Bill James Said: "I wonder if he's the only major league player who ever had triplets?" Melvin Mora and his quintuplets laugh.

On This Date in 1993: October 29.The Nightmare Before Christmas, a stop-motion animated film from Tim Burton, premieres. If you haven't seen it, you absolutely should.

#283 Mike Jackson

About the Front: Unlike Michael Bolton, the character in Office Space, Michael Jackson chose to go by "Mike" to avoid irritating quips about the pop singer. Okay, maybe that's not the actual reason for his nickname, but it couldn't hurt.

About the Back: I wonder if Mike ever combined his hobbies. Synchronized swimming, anyone?

Triple Play:

1. Jackson and Paul Assenmacher tied for the most pitching appearances in the 1990s with 644. The former's total of 1,005 career games pitched currently ranks 14th in MLB history.

2. He spent two seasons as Cleveland's primary closer, saving 40 games in 1998 and 39 in 1999. In each season, he ranked fourth in the American League in saves.

3. Mike faced Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire a total of 49 times, and neither slugger ever collected an extra-base hit off of him. McGwire had three singles and seven walks in 29 tries, and Sosa went 2-for-17 with a pair of walks.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I'm sure I was blown away by the fact that Jackson pitched in 81 games in 1993. That's a full half of the Giants' schedule, after all! Imagine my surprise when I learned that Mike Marshall appeared in 106 games with the 1974 Dodgers.

Bill James Said: "Led the major leagues in game appearances, with 81, and holds, with 34."

On This Date in 1993: September 18. Frasier debuts on NBC. The Cheers spinoff, starring Kelsey Grammer, will air for 11 seasons and earn 37 Emmy awards.

#254 Cory Snyder

About the Front: This is Cory Snyder's running face. It is not a flattering face.

About the Back: You probably won't be surprised to learn that two of Cory's three homers on May 21, 1987 were hit off of Bert Blyleven, who surrendered a league-leading 46 that year and fell just short of the record 50 he'd allowed in 1986. Tony Bernazard and Mel Hall also took Bert deep in a 6-3 Cleveland victory. All five home runs were solo shots.

Triple Play:

1. Snyder and Joe Carter were featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated's 1987 baseball preview issue, which touted the Indians as "the best team in the American League". Sophomore Snyder hit a career-high 33 homers, but his batting average plunged by 36 points and the Tribe finished dead-last at 61-101. That April 6, 1987 issue is a popular exhibit in the "SI Cover Jinx" trope.

2. He was the National League Player of the Month in June 1992, when he batted .372/.388/.649 with nine doubles, a triple, five home runs, and 24 RBI in 24 games.

3. Cory managed independent minor league teams in St. George, UT and Maui, HI from 2007-2010 before joining the Mariners organization as a minor league coach.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I hate to bash the guy's looks again, but I always thought Snyder was pretty goofy. The light blond mustache is a thing that very few men can make work.

Bill James Said: "As an overall right fielder he ranks below Sosa, Walker, Gwynn, Justice, Bonilla, Anthony, Merced and whoever else happens to be playing the position."

On This Date in 1993: July 18. With the trade deadline approaching, the Braves grab Fred McGriff from the Padres for a trio of prospects: Melvin Nieves, Donnie Elliott, and Vince Moore. That deal worked out pretty well for Atlanta.

#225 Matt Williams

About the Front:  The "Giants" wordmark across the front of the team's home jerseys as worn from 1983-1993 had a cartoonish sort of charm, with its big block letters traveling in an arc from left to right. The super-sized first and last letters were a different sort of look for the major leagues.

About the Back:  Matt Williams finished his career with 30 two-homer games and a single three-homer contest.

Triple Play:

1. Williams' grandfather, Bert Griffith, roamed the outfield for the Brooklyn Dodgers (then known as the Robins) in 1922 and 1923, batting .302/.327/.417 for a 93 OPS+. He also appeared in six games for the Senators in 1924.

2. He was the first (and to date, only) player to hit home runs for three different teams in World Series play, pulling off the feat with the 1989 Giants, 1997 Indians, and 2001 Diamondbacks.

3. Matt is currently the first-year manager of the Washington Nationals. At this writing the club is 27-28 while coping with injuries that have sidelined Ryan Zimmerman and Bryce Harper.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Williams' strike-aborted chase of 61 homers in 1994 was my first experience with the excitement of record pursuits in baseball. I had no idea that Roger Maris' mark would be obliterated in the coming decade by McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds.

Bill James Said: "Third player in history to hit 30 homers and 30 doubles with less than 30 walks. The others were Felipe Alou and Butch Hobson, so I guess we can count on Matt being a manager someday, huh?" Eerie.

On This Date in 1993: June 2. Ray Charles is presented with the Songwriters' Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award.

#201 Jose Uribe

About the Front: I think this photo was taken during a spring training game. I certainly don't remember Candlestick Park having a grassy berm in the outfield.

About the Back: Uribe was Jose's mother's maiden name. Because his name change coincided with his trade from the Cardinals to the Giants, it was often said that he was the ultimate example of a "player to be named later".

Triple Play:

1. Prior to the 1987 season, Uribe trained back home in the Dominican by having his brother Narciso pitch peanuts in the shell and corn kernels to him from a distance of 15-20 feet. That year, Jose hit a career-high .291/.343/.424 in 95 games.

2. His younger cousin is current Dodgers infielder Juan Uribe.

3. Jose was killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic on December 8, 2006. He was 47 years old at the time. It's pretty sobering to have back-to-back deceased players in this two decades-old set.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Uribe was the only major leaguer at that time whose last name began with a "U", which made him stand out to me.

Bill James Said: "He's Alfredo Griffin, but without Alfredo's baserunning stunts - a 34-year-old switch hitter who was once a good shortstop, and can take the field and fill in there for a few innings or a few days."

On This Date in 1993: April 24. The Tigers slug five home runs in a 17-1 mauling of the Twins. Minnesota starter Pat Mahomes is battered for 10 runs on 11 hits in 2.2 innings. The Detroit bombers are Rob Deer, Kirk Gibson, Lou Whitaker, Chad Kreuter, and Mickey Tettleton (grand slam).

#176 Darren Lewis

About the Front: This is really a pretty lousy photo. Darren Lewis is out-of-focus, oddly cropped, and lobbing a warmup toss to an unseen teammate. Couldn't Topps have done better? (Then again, couldn't I have scanned it better?)

About the Back: The Athletics were actually the third team to draft Darren. In January 1986, the Dodgers tabbed him in the sixth round, and he did not sign. The following year, Toronto used a 45th-round pick on him in the June draft, and again he declined.

Triple Play:

1. Dusty Baker, Lewis' manager in San Francisco, named his own son after Darren.

2. Despite a paltry .645 career OPS, Darren carved out a 13-year career on the strength of his center field defense and his speed.

3. When the Cubs dealt Lewis to the lowly Pirates at the midseason trading deadline in 2002, he chose to retire rather than reporting to Pittsburgh.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Through the 1993 season, Lewis had never been charged with an error in his MLB career. (His streak reached a record 392 games before a Cliff Floyd hit skipped under his glove in June 1994.) I considered that the ultimate sign that he was a defensive marvel.

Bill James Said: "In '91 he walked 36 times in 72 games, but as he has moved up in the lineup the walks have magically disappeared, dropping his OBP from .358 (good) to .302 (bad)."

On This Date in 1993: March 14. The Cincinnati Reds declare that Schottzie 02, a St. Bernard owned by currently-supsended team majority owner Marge Schott, will be barred from the Riverfront Stadium field during the coming season.

#147 Bryan Hickerson

About the Front: "Now pitching, number 41..." Other notable 41s in Giants history: Matty Alou, Darrell Evans, and Jeremy Affeldt.

About the Back: Bryan obviously went back to UM to finish his degree after being drafted. Good for him.

Triple Play:

1. He earned his first MLB win in his first start, blanking the Cardinals for seven innings on three hits on August 31, 1991.

2. Bryan's career ran aground in Colorado in 1995, probably because he was a pitcher trying to work in Denver. In 18 appearances totaling 16.2 innings, he gave up 24 runs (22 earned), 33 hits, and 13 walks. That's a tidy 11.88 ERA and 2.76 WHIP.

3. He and his wife Jo have been active in UPI: Unlimited Potential Inc., a baseball-themed Christian ministry.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: So many of these guys aren't much more than a name to me. "Bryan Hickerson" sounded too nerdy to be a pro athlete...says somebody with an oddball name of his own.

Bill James Said: "He's a lefthander, and righthanded batters hit .307 against him." But he held lefties to a .551 OPS in 121 plate appearances, making him useful in his swingman role.

On This Date in 1993: January 23. Mike Kingery, who first signed with the Royals as an undrafted free agent in 1979 and spent the first seven years of his pro career in the Kansas City organization, returns to K.C. as a free agent. He will spend the entire 1993 season at AAA Omaha and then sign with the Rockies. In Colorado, he will finish third in the 1994 National League batting average race, hitting .349.

#115 Robby Thompson

About the Front: Here's my take. Robby Thompson just hit a weak dribbler to the right side of the infield. He's attempting to use Darth Vader's Force Choke to render the opposing second baseman unable to make a play on the ball.

About the Back: Those were the only two grand slams of Robby's career, even though he played into the 1996 season. Baseball, man.

Triple Play:

1. His career year came in 1993, when he batted .312/.375/.496 with 19 home runs and 65 RBI, all career highs, and won his only Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards. He was already troubled with back problems, and appeared in only 193 games over the next three seasons before walking away from the game.

2. Thompson was born on May 10, and over the course of his career he enjoyed six consecutive multi-hit games on his birthday. In five of those games, he had an extra-base hit.

3. He has worked in various capacities for the Giants, Indians, and Mariners since hanging up his glove and bat. Most recently, Robby spent three seasons as Seattle's bench coach under manager Eric Wedge.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I could have sworn that Thompson was an Indian late in his career. Apparently Cleveland invited him to spring training in 1997, but he ultimately retired instead.

Bill James Said: "The best second baseman the Giants have had since they came to the Bay, probably the best they have had since they traded Frankie Frisch in December, 1926."

On This Date in 1993: November 26. The Velvet Underground releases Live MCMXCIII, an album compiled from concert recordings in Paris.

#91 Craig Colbert

About the Front: Look ye upon the only Topps card of Craig Colbert's brief big league career. He played 49 games as a rookie in 1992 (in his seventh pro season), another 23 in 1993, and that was that.

About the Back: Craig was the only 20th-round draftee from 1986 to make it to the majors. That makes him something of a success story, really.

Triple Play:

1. Colbert actually played third base in his first career start on April 18, 1992. In that game he singled twice in four at-bats, drove in a run, and scored a run. He appeared in ten games at the hot corner and four games at second base in his tenure with the Giants.

2. He was a manager in the Padres' farm system from 2000-2006, including first-place finishes in 2001 with the Lake Elsinore Storm and in 2004 with the Portland Beavers. He was also San Diego's bench coach in 2007 and 2008.

3. At last check, Craig is a Phillies' scout.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I am 99.9% certain that I never saw him play, but I'm reasonably sure that his name is pronounced phonetically, and not with the silent "T" that has been popularized by late-night satirical pundit Stephen Colbert.

Bill James Said: "A 29-year-old backup catcher, the Giants like to run their second-string catchers back and forth to Phoenix so that they get some playing time, which enables two or three players to share what is essentially one job." The following catchers took turns behind starter Kirt Manwaring in 1993: Jeff Reed (66 total games), Colbert (23), Andy Allanson (13), and Jim McNamara (4).

On This Date in 1993: October 21. The day after a wild 15-14 Toronto win that included 32 total hits and 14 walks, a pitchers' duel breaks out in Game Five of the World Series. Curt Schilling shuts out the Blue Jays on five hits in a 2-0 win. Juan Guzman allows one earned run in seven innings in a losing cause. The Series will return to SkyDome with the Jays still ahead of the Phillies, three games to two.

#66 John Burkett

About the Front: I think John Burkett is using the Cubs logo on the outfield fence to camouflage the ball coming out of his hand. Pretty crafty, pal.

About the Back: Burkett got a September callup in 1987 after going 14-8 with a 3.34 ERA at AA Shreveport, but earned run averages above 5.00 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League kept him in the minors for the next two seasons.

Triple Play:

1. John rode the support of a very good Giants club to a 22-7 record in 1993, tying Tom Glavine for the league lead in wins despite a slightly above-average 3.65 ERA. He also threw a career-high 231.2 innings, walked only 40 hitters, and finished fourth in Cy Young Award voting.

2. In Game One of the 1996 AL Division Series, Burkett earned the first postseason win in Rangers' franchise history with a complete-game, two-run, 10-strikeout effort. It was also Texas' only postseason victory until their 2010 run to the World Series.

3. Wikipedia claims that he was known as "Sheets" when he pitched for the Red Sox in 2002-2003, due to his penchant for organizing NFL betting pools. Sounds legit.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I remember seeing his 1992 Pinnacle Sidelines card, which depicted the righty excelling at the sport/hobby of bowling. He's reportedly bowled four perfect scores of 300, which is four more times than I've even managed to top 200.

Bill James Said: "As often happens when a pitcher gets a hot hand, he worked harder than he's ever worked before, which may catch up with him this year." John had a 3.62 ERA (110 ERA+) in 1994, comparable to his 3.65 ERA (107 ERA+) the year prior, but wasn't nearly as lucky in wins and losses, going 6-8.

On This Date in 1993: August 27. John Burkett took a rare loss, falling to 16-8 with a 7-4 loss to Pat Rapp and the Marlins. Florida first baseman Orestes Destrade did most of the damage, touching up Burkett for a two-run single and a three-run homer and adding a solo shot against reliever Jeff Brantley.

#38 Chris James

About the Front: We've already had some instances of pitcherface in this set, but this is the goofiest expression I've seen on a baserunner. Chris James looks like he's making a kissy face as he barrels toward third base.

About the Back: Craig James spent five seasons (1984-1988) with the New England Patriots, and rushed for 1,227 yards and five touchdowns in his lone Pro Bowl season in 1985. You probably know him as one of the many ex-athlete blowhards of ESPN's college football coverage. He also made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate last year as a Republican from Texas.

Triple Play:

1. On May 4, 1991, he set a team record with nine RBI in the Indians' 20-6 rout of Oakland. It was part of a 4-for-5 performance that included three-run homers off A's starter Kirk Dressendorfer in both the first and second innings.

2. Chris slugged .525 as a rookie with the 1987 Phillies. He started 90 games that year, including 77 in left field.

3. On December 6, 1989, the Padres traded James, Sandy Alomar, Jr., and Carlos Baerga to Cleveland for Joe Carter. I think the Indians came out a bit ahead in that deal.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: In 1993, I was too young and naive to know that you should never trust a man with two first names.

Bill James Said: "Spent most of the year with Houston; was traded to Texas in mid-September and had one of his famous hot streaks in late September, giving his season's stats an entirely different look." As he says, Chris batted .256/.333/.488 in 65 games with the Astros. In his eight-game run with the Rangers, he was 11-for-31 (.355) with a double, three homers, seven RBI, and five runs scored. That boosted his overall season numbers to .275/.348/.525.

On This Date in 1993: The Rangers trade young pitchers Robb Nen and Kurt Miller to the Marlins for reliever Cris Carpenter. Nen went on to record 108 saves in five years with Florida, and 314 total in his career.

#10 Will Clark

About the Front: Why am I doing this blog? One reason is that it forces me to look at these cards closer than I have in decades, and sometimes that means finding a detail that had previously escaped me. For instance, Will Clark is pointing at someone or something with his left hand as he rounds the bases. Is he acknowledging a coach or teammate during a home run trot? Is he telling the opposing catcher that he's gunning straight for him? Or is it a completely involuntary contortion of the digit? I leave it to you to draw your own conclusions.

About the Back: That pair of seven-RBI games is impressive enough, but Will also shined on a bright stage in Game One of the 1989 NLCS. He went 4-for-4 with a walk, a double, a pair of home runs, and six RBI in an 11-3 rout of the Cubs. The first baseman's fourth-inning grand slam off of Greg Maddux blew the game open.

Triple Play:

1. Though he often missed time with injuries in the second half of his career and didn't put up gaudy home run numbers, Clark was a very productive player to the end. He batted .319/.418/.546 (145 OPS+) in his swan song in 2000, with 21 home runs and 70 RBI in 130 games with the Orioles and Cardinals. After the July 31 deal that sent him to St. Louis, Will was even better: .345/426/.655 (167 OPS+) in 51 games, helping the Redbirds reach the NLCS.

2. Nicknamed "Will the Thrill", Clark homered in his first career game (actually, on his first major league swing, famously victimizing Nolan Ryan) and in his last regular-season contest.

3. The fourth Google result for Will is this unflattering memoir from sportswriter Jeff Pearlman, who was publicly browbeaten by the Thrill for daring to print the bigoted things that ex-Braves reliever John Rocker said in an interview for Sports Illustrated.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: In December of 1993, Clark was one of the first big-ticket free agents pursued by Baltimore owner Peter Angelos. I remember being disappointed when he signed with the Rangers, because he was more of a household name than Rafael Palmeiro, who ended up going from Texas to the Orioles in a separate free-agent deal. As it turned out, the O's got their money's worth from Raffy. More on that later.

I also remember being amused to no end when I learned from Will's 1991 Donruss card that his middle name was "Nuschler".

Bill James Said: "He's 30; many or most players' best years are behind them at 30, but certainly if he's healthy, he's going to drive in more than 73." Despite playing in only 110 games thanks to the 1994 players' strike, Clark drove in 80 in his first season in Texas.

On This Date in 1993: May 28. Super Mario Bros., starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as the eponymous Italian plumbing duo, is released in theatres. It is the first feature film based on a video game, and regrettably not the last.