#472 Chris Gwynn

About the Front: Chris Gwynn's head looks enormous. Zoom out, guys!

About the Back: Gwynn also drove in two runs in his August 14, 1987 debut, including a sixth-inning RBI single that turned out to be the game-winner.

Triple Play:

1. On September 23, 1995, Gwynn batted for pitcher Ismael Valdes in the bottom of the ninth with the score tied, one out and one on. His two-run homer was the only walkoff blast of his career.

2. He spent the 1996 season with older brother Tony and the Padres, and went out with a bang in the final regular season game of his career - September 29, 1996. Pinch hitting for pitcher Dario Veras in the top of the 11th, Chris rapped a two-run double to lead the Padres to a division-clinching 2-0 win over the Dodgers.

3. After his playing career concluded, Gwynn worked for the Padres as a scout and moved on to be the Mariners' Director of Player Development.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: My favorite Chris Gwynn card was his 1994 Collector's Choice, which featured him trucking poor Tim Hulett on the basepaths.

Bill James Said: "He doesn't have power or speed, and hardly ever goes to bat against a lefthanded pitcher, but is a pretty good outfielder."

On This Date in 1993: August 20. Movie time! Hard Target, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, premieres in theatres. It is John Woo's American directorial debut, and it features Wilford Brimley as a Bayou-dwelling Cajun. What's not to like?

#442 Kevin McReynolds

About the Front: I can neither confirm nor deny that Kevin McReynolds was considered for the role of Dauber on the long-running sitcom Coach.

About the Back: This might shock you, but Topps botched another basic fact. Kevin's first six-RBI game was August 1, 1989. He went 4-for-6, scored four times, and hit for the cycle in an 11-0 Mets rout of St. Louis. You'd think that would be worth remembering.

Triple Play:

1. In 1988, McReynolds set a big league record by stealing 21 bases in a single season without being caught.

2. On June 25, 1991, he hit a walkoff grand slam in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, two strikes, and the Mets trailing Montreal 5-4.

3. After retiring, he built an eponymous sports complex near Sylvan Hills High School, his alma mater in Sherwood, AR.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Adolescent me didn't think about McReynolds much, but post-college me worked with a Mets fan who hated the outfielder with a fiery passion.

Bill James Said: "He's been washed up for three years, and has now become the Whipping Boy of the Kansas City fans, who don't really understand why McRae (Mgr.) put him back in the lineup in mid-summer, after he complained about his playing time."

On This Date in 1993: June 22. Carlton Fisk catches his 2,226th career game, surpassing Bob Boone as the all-time leader among backstops. He goes 0-for-2 with a sac bunt, is replaced by Mike LaValliere in the ninth inning, and doesn't play another game. The White Sox release him the following week.

#423 Ryan Klesko, Ivan Cruz, Bubba Smith, and Larry Sutton

About the Front: This is our first glimpse at the design for 1993's Top Prospects cards. In an interesting twist, Topps has selected one prospect per position from each minor league level, so you have some idea of how close the players are to the major leagues. They also chose to place these four player portraits over a background image of dirt, as a subtle way of telling you not to pin all of your hopes on unproven minor leaguers. Or maybe I'm reading too much into things.

About the Back: No minor league stats? Not even one line per player for 1992 or career numbers? That's weak sauce.

Triple Play:

1. Ryan Klesko was the only one of these four to have an appreciable big league career, batting .279/.370/.500 (128 OPS+) with 278 homers and 987 RBI in parts of 16 seasons with Atlanta, San Diego, and San Francisco. He was an All-Star with the 2001 Padres, as he bashed 34 doubles and 30 home runs, drove in a career-high 113 runs, and even stole 23 bases in 27 tries.

2. Ivan Cruz had cups of coffee with the Yankees (1997), Pirates (1999-2000), and Cardinals (2002), totaling 41 games. He was the first pro player ever interviewed by Night Owl, one of my favorite journalist/blogger types. In all, Ivan hit 281 home runs in professional baseball, which includes stints in Mexico and Japan.

3. Charles Lee "Bubba" Smith never reached MLB, but spent 16 years playing ball professionally. Some of his statistics from Mexican leagues are not available, but he clubbed at least 367 home runs, with a single-season high of 40 in 123 games for the Samsung Lions of the Korean Baseball Organization in 1999. 61 of his 117 hits that year went for extra bases.

3a. Larry Sutton's big league career spanned from 1997-2004, but 111 of his 252 total games played came in 1998 with the Royals. Overall he batted .236/.302/.346 (67 OPS+) with 12 home runs and 78 RBI. Like Smith, he had a successful stint in Korea, leading the KBO with 35 dingers in 119 for the Hyundai Unicorns (!) in 2005.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I absolutely didn't think that Ivan Cruz was within three years of the age of the other three men on this card. Maybe it was the mustache.

Bill James Said: Klesko - "A young, white Fred McGriff - a lefthanded power-hitting first baseman, capable of hitting 25-30 home runs in a season."

On This Date in 1993: May 11. Miguel Sano is born in San Pedro de Macoris, D. R. Despite missing all of 2014 with Tommy John surgery, the third base prospect for the Twins would still be listed as Baseball America's #13 overall minor league player entering the 2015 season.

#397 George Brett

About the Front: This is a pretty good way to kick off Series Two. A Hall of Famer in a dynamic action photo. The iconic "BRETT 5" is fully visible on his back as he completes his swing, the crowd is visible behind him in the first-base-side stands of...Cleveland Stadium?, and the glove arm and left knee of the catcher (probably Junior Ortiz) are poking out from the right side of the card. As you can see from George Brett's batting helmet, he maintained his fondness for pine tar into the waning days of his career.

About the Back: As you can see, George is the only player in MLB history to win batting titles in three different decades, taking the crown in 1976, 1980, and 1990.

Triple Play:

1. His older brother Ken pitched for ten major league teams (1967, 1969-1981), including a stint as George's teammate in 1980-1981. Ken was an All-Star with the Pirates in 1974 (13-9, 3.30 ERA), and batted .262 with 10 homers in 373 career trips to the plate. The brothers faced one another 20 times, with little brother collecting six hits and doubling twice for a batting line of .300/.300/.400.

2. Brett is the only player to homer three times off the same pitcher in a postseason game, performing the feat against Yankee starter Catfish Hunter in Game Three of the 1978 ALCS. Alas, all three were solo shots, and the Royals lost 6-5.

3. He was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1999. He's remained active with the Royals as a vice president and special instructor, and served as an interim hitting coach for two months in 2013. He and his brother Bobby are partial owners of several minor league teams.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I wonder how my adolescent self would have reacted to this story about George Brett's momentary incontinence. With laughter, I bet.

Bill James Said: "It was time for him to go, which is not to say that I won't miss him." Brett batted .266/.312/.434 with 19 homers and 75 RBI in his farewell season in '93.

On This Date in 1993: April 1. The Vatican orders a group of Carmelite nuns who had established a convent in 1984 near the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp to move.

#396 Rich Sauveur (Gold)

About the Front: The piping down the sides of Rich Sauveur's pants is juuuuust a bit thinner than his stirrups, which is probably driving the type-A personalities among you crazy.

About the Back: If Topps' most recent career highlight for you is a seven-year-old minor league shutout, that strikes me as the definition of "damning with faint praise".

Triple Play:

1. He debuted with the Pirates on July 1, 1986, pitching into the seventh inning against the Phillies and allowing two runs on seven hits and three walks. Philly prevailed 5-4 in 12 innings.

2. Rich had a bizarre major league career. He pitched in six different seasons for six different teams, often years apart: Pirates (1986), Expos (1988), Mets (1991), Royals (1992), White Sox (1996), and Athletics (2000). He totaled 46 innings in 34 games with a 6.07 ERA, and had a record of 0-1. Of all of the winless pitchers in MLB history, the lefty holds the record for having pitched for the most teams.

3. He's been a minor league pitching coach since 2003, working for the Oakland and Boston organizations.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I never saw this card as a middle schooler, but I would've wondered why somebody who had debuted in 1986 couldn't get a rookie card until 1993.

Bill James Said: El Zilcho. Sauveur only pitched five games in 1993, all for Cincinnati's AAA Indianapolis club.

On This Date in 1993: March 25. The "Spring Break Quake", a 5.7 earthquake, hits the state of Oregon. The epicenter is just outside of Scotts Mills along the Mount Angel fault line.

Note: I'll return with the first post of Series Two on Tuesday, March 31. See you then!

#375 Wally Joyner

About the Front: We have a very artful view of the light standards at Kaufman Stadium at dusk behind Wally Joyner. I couldn't begin to tell you what Wally is looking at.

About the Back: Joyner's strong 1987 campaign created unrealistic expectations of his potential as a power hitter. He slugged only .440 for his career.

Triple Play:

1. He was nicknamed "Wally World", a nod to the fictitious amusement park from the film National Lampoon's Vacation.

2. Joyner's best season other than 1987 came a full decade later, when he hit .327/.390/486 and drove in 83 runs for the Padres.

3. Wally has served as hitting coach for the Padres and assistant hitting and first base coach for the Phillies. Currently, he is the Tigers' hitting coach.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Wally Joyner strikes me as a name I knew before taking a strong interest in baseball. Then again, it's a pretty distinct name.

Bill James Said: "He's as good a defensive first baseman as you'll see, and he's a surprising hitter, often looks overmatched for two or three pitches in a row, and then will turn on the pitch and hit it hard somewhere."

On This Date in 1993: February 11. The Angels sign free agent pitcher Scott Sanderson.

#349 Hipolito Pichardo

About the Front: Hipolito Pichardo looks like he could blow right off the mound on a windy day.

About the Back: Pichardo lasted in the majors for ten seasons, but never surpassed his 9-6 record as a rookie. Only twice more would he make more than one start in a season.

Triple Play:

1. On July 21, 1992, he one-hit the Red Sox, with only a sixth-inning double by Luis Rivera stopping him from tossing a perfect game.

2. After missing the entire 1999 season due to elbow surgery, he found a place in Boston's bullpen the following year, posting a 3.46 ERA in 38 appearances.

3. His last pro season of record was 2003, when he saved 13 games with a 1.05 ERA in 24 contests with the Mexican League's Saltillo Saraperos.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I liked the fact that he was a pitcher who nearly had the word "pitch" in his name. Sometimes it's that simple.

Bill James Said: "Pichardo is not a bad pitcher; he throws strikes and he throws ground balls, so he can get a lot of people out quickly when he is in a groove."

On This Date in 1993: January 5. Westley Allan Dodd, also known as the Vancouver Child Killer, is executed by hanging at his own request in Walla Walla, WA. The 31-year-old Dodd had been convicted of three first-degree murders of local children, all committed in 1989.

#321 Rusty Meacham

About the Front: I've been staring at photos of pitching grips for 10 minutes, and I can't tell whether Rusty Meacham is throwing a two-seam fastball or a curveball. I feel like Jim Palmer's famous quote about Earl Weaver applies to me - the only thing I know about pitching is that I couldn't hit it.

About the Back: Rusty vultured 10 wins out of the Kansas City bullpen in 1992; starter Kevin Appier (15-8) was the only other double-digit winner on a 90-loss Royals team.

Triple Play:

1. He had a 27-inning streak from April 21 through June 8, 1992 in which he did not allow an earned run, spanning 19 appearances.

2. According to his Baseball-Reference Bullpen wiki page, which appears to have been written by one of Meacham's fans, he used to turn the bullpen hose on appreciative fans on hot summer days, a la Dan Quisenberry.

3. Rusty coached at Class A Vermont in the Nationals organization in 2007 and 2008. He contributed to the instructional book The Physics of Pitching, which was published in 2011.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: The name "Rusty" will always make me think of the National Lampoon's Vacation movies.

Bill James Said: "After a wonderful 1992 season he developed a tender elbow, and was never able to pitch effectively."

On This Date in 1993: November 14. Sanzo Nosaka, one of the founders of the Japanese Communist Party, dies in his home at the tender age of 101.

#294 Brent Mayne

About the Front: It's always endearing when a player has his name hand-written on his glove. It gives the business of pro baseball a decidedly unprofessional touch.

About the Back: Brent Mayne was the 13th overall pick in the 1989 draft, and the third catcher chosen. The Braves took Tyler Houston with the second pick, and the Expos went with Charles Johnson in the ten-spot.

Triple Play:

1. His career-best season came in 1999 with the Giants, when Mayne hit .301/.389/.419 in 117 games.

2. On August 22, 2000, he was the winning pitcher in a 12-inning, 7-6 Rockies victory over Atlanta. He did not start at catcher that day because of a sore shoulder, but agreed to pitch the 12th inning when manager Buddy Bell ran out of able arms. Brent topped out at 83 mph but worked around a single, a wild pitch, and a walk to post a scoreless frame. The only other catcher to earn a win since 1900 was John Baker, who did so for the Cubs this past season.

3. Mayne self-published a book entitled The Art of Catching in 2008. He has also scouted for the Padres.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I always thought that Mayne bore a strong resemblance to his former teammate, pitcher Mike Boddicker.

Bill James Said: "He guards the basepaths like a Doberman; he'll decide he can't make a play at the plate, rush out and get the throw, then throw behind the runner."

On This Date in 1993: Toronto takes a 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series, as Dave Stewart, Al Leiter, and Duane Ward combine to keep the White Sox off the scoreboard after a run-scoring wild pitch by Stewart in the first inning. The Jays win 3-1, scoring a pair of unearned runs on errors by Dan Pasqua and Joey Cora.

#267 Keith Miller

About the Front: If this were a work of art, it would be titled, "Utility Player At Dusk". Note Keith Miller's number 16, written on the underbill of his cap. The palm tree in the background tells me we're not in Kansas City.

About the Back: Keith batted leadoff for the Royals in that June 8, 1992 game, and his home run came off Kevin Tapani on the Twins starter's fourth pitch of the game. The second baseman also booted a Chili Davis grounder to contribute to a five-run fifth inning for Minnesota, but Topps was looking on the bright side.

Triple Play:

1. He debuted on June 16, 1987, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base, a run scored, and a dislocated right index finger incurred on a headfirst slide into third base.

2. His tenth-inning home run off of Rob Dibble on August 31, 1991 delivered an 8-7 win for the Mets in Cincinnati.

3. Keith is now a player agent with ACES, the agency that represented him in his playing days. One of his clients is star third baseman David Wright.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I remember being a bit confused when I came across two Keith Millers in the 1989 Topps set. Keith Alan Miller is our guy for this blog post. Neal Keith Miller had a short 55-game career with the Phillies in 1988-1989, playing all over the diamond and pinch hitting.

Bill James Said: "Miller was scheduled to be the Royals' regular third baseman, but started the season with a groin pull, later had a serious thumb injury and missed most of the year."

On This Date in 1993: August 22. Let's check in with Calvin and Hobbes.

#239 Mike Boddicker

About the Front: There's something really odd about seeing Mike Boddicker with a mustache.

About the Back: To date, Mike is still the last pitcher to post a 20-win season for the Orioles.

Triple Play:

1. Boddicker's 14-strikeout, five-hit shutout of the White Sox in Game Two of the 1983 ALCS earned him MVP honors for the series. In Game Two of the World Series, he permitted only three Phillies hits, but an Eddie Murray error saddled him with an unearned run.

2. The Orioles made out pretty well when they traded Mike to the Red Sox in mid-1988, getting Brady Anderson and Curt Schilling in return.

3. Today he owns five hunting farms in Iowa and Kansas totaling over 700 acres and featuring plenty of deer and wild turkeys.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Mike's 1985 Topps base and All-Star subset cards were two of the few cards from that set that I owned in childhood. The base card wound up being the first card I ever got signed through the mail...in 2008.

Bill James Said: "The league hit .338 against him, which will strain your relationship with your agent, among other things."

On This Date in 1993: June 24. The Padres trade Gary Sheffield and Rich Rodriguez to the Marlins for Trevor Hoffman, Andres Berumen, and Jose Martinez.

#212 Rick Reed

About the Front: Rick Reed is giving the batter his best "disapproving parent" face. At least that's what it looks like to me.

About the Back: As you can see, Rick appeared in the majors with the Pirates every year from 1988 through 1991, totaling 31 games, yet Topps didn't get around to him until 1993. Kind of odd, especially since Donruss, Fleer, Leaf, and Score all featured him in their 1990 base sets.

Triple Play:

1. Reed was in camp with the Reds as a replacement player in the spring of 1995 during the MLBPA strike, and would have been the team's Opening Day starter if the work stoppage had not been settled.

2. He finally broke through with the Mets in 1997, going 13-9 with a 2.89 ERA. He made the National League All-Star Team in 1998 (16-11, 3.48) and again in 2001 (12-12, 4.05).

3. After retiring, he settled in Huntington, WV with his wife Dee to raise their daughter Madison and son Mason.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I just found out in a couple mouse clicks that Reed is the sixth-winningest pitcher born in West Virginia. Younger me would have killed to have a resource like Baseball Reference.

Bill James Said: "A 29-year-old minor league veteran, has a distinguished minor league record (67-37, 2.94 ERA), but has had difficulty getting major league opportunities because he doesn't throw hard."

On This Date in 1993: May 9. Mark Grace becomes the 14th player in Cubs' history to hit for the cycle, going 4-for-5 with three RBI in a 5-4 Chicago loss to the Padres.

#186 Mike Magnante

About the Front: Mike Magnante has a bit of Dizzy Gillespie face going on here.

About the Back: "Was graduated"? That's taking passive voice to a gruesome extreme.

Triple Play:

1. He pitched in the majors for 12 seasons, and his career year came with the Astros in 1997. That year, he posted a 2.27 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 40 appearances. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was a personal-best 3.9-to-1.

2. Mike pops up in Moneyball; after A's GM Billy Beane acquires lefty reliever Ricardo Rincon from Cleveland, he has the unpleasant task of giving Magnante his release ten days before the latter's full pension benefits are set to vest.

3. Magnante is currently a math teacher at Agoura High School, a public school in southern California.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: For me, one of the fun things about collecting has always been letting the unusual names roll around in my mind. Mike's last name is an anagram for "A magenta 'N'", which applies to a few characters on the front of the card.

Bill James Said: "Grade D prospect; when you see him pitch it is hard to understand why he is even in the majors, but I have occasionally seen pitchers like him who could keep batters constantly off stride."

On This Date in 1993: April 3. A couple of interesting transactions. The Detroit Tigers sign pitcher David Wells, who had been released by Toronto a few days earlier. The Phillies release two-time NL MVP Dale Murphy, who promptly signs with the Colorado Rockies.

#158 Kevin Koslofski

About the Front: This is a strange photo. Kevin Koslofski is staring in the direction of the pitcher (I think), he's holding his batting gloves while he runs, and he's awfully close to the infield grass. I would guess that he's already been put out and he's just jogging back to the Royals' dugout.

About the Back: Eight-plus years of riding buses just to get a peek at the big time. Those 55 games represented the majority of Kevin's MLB career; he totaled 42 games with K.C. and Milwaukee over the next four seasons.

Triple Play:

1. Koslofski hit his first career home run on August 27, 1992. It was a solo shot off of future Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.

2. Kevin signed with the Royals out of high school and continued his education at Millikin University in Decatur, IL in the offseason, eventually completing his degree 11 years later.

3. In a 2007 interview, Kevin recalled the thrill of seeing himself on a Topps card. He said that he walked into a local hobby shop and the owner let him open packs from a box of 1993 Topps until he found his card.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I always got a kick out of some of the more offbeat minor league names. "Baseball City" was the Royals and Cardinals Spring Training complex and a baseball theme park near Orlando, I'm now learning.

Bill James Said: "As a Royals fan, I couldn't understand why he wasn't in the majors last year, since he provides a combination of things that the Royals need - speed, a lefthanded bat on the bench, and a defensive outfielder."

On This Date in 1993: February 7. 33 years after they first appeared on TV, Pebbles Flinstone and Bamm-Bamm Rubble get married. My invitation must have been lost in the mail.

#130 Jeff Montgomery

About the Front: Magenta lettering on the Royals' cards? Whose bright idea was that?

About the Back: I wonder if Jeff Montgomery took any ribbing over his comp-sci degree in the clubhouse. Baseball has not traditionally been peopled with enlightened minds.

Triple Play:

1. The Reds traded Montgomery to the Royals for outfielder Van Snider, who batted .200/.194/.314 in 19 career games. Cue the "game over" horn from The Price Is Right.

2. On April 29, 1990, he dispatched the Texas Rangers on nine straight strikes in the eighth inning after also turning in a perfect seventh. He became the ninth American Leaguer and 23rd pitcher overall in MLB history to strike out the side on nine pitches, and earned a win to boot.

3. Had a 3.20 ERA as a Kansas City Royal, third-lowest in franchise history behind Dan Quisenberry (2.55) and Steve Farr (3.05 in 338.1 fewer innings than Montgomery). Had the best hits-per-nine-innings-pitched ratio for any K.C. player at 8.05, and his 304 saves are also a club record.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: At the time I first laid eyes on this card, I couldn't have told you where Marshall University was located. Thanks to a passing familiarity with college sports, I now know that it's in West Virginia, and is more renowned for the football players it's produced (Chad Pennington, Randy Moss, etc.).

Bill James Said: "For five straight years has pitched 63 to 73 games, 83 to 94 innings, with four of his five ERAs below 2.40."

On This Date in 1993: December 23. French actress Sylvia Bataille, who was active in film from 1930 to 1950 and had been married to writer and Western philosopher Georges Bataille, died in Paris at age 85.

A brief note: For the rest of the month, my posting schedule will be even more sporadic than usual, as I get caught up in the traditional hustle and bustle of the holidays. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and any other December holiday blessings that may apply to you!

#105 Gregg Jefferies

About the Front: The partially-visible memorial patch on Gregg Jefferies' right sleeve bears the initials "JRB" for Joseph R. Burke, who served as the Royals' general manager from 1974 to 1981 and as team president from 1981 until his death from lymphatic cancer at age 68 in 1992.

About the Back: Jefferies was chosen 20th overall in the loaded 1985 draft, coming in behind Barrys Bonds and Larkin and Will Clark, and two picks ahead of Rafael Palmeiro.

Triple Play:

1. Gregg came under heavy scrutiny in New York because of his gaudy minor league numbers (he batted .367/.423/.598 as a 19-year-old in AA) and his fast start in the majors. He addressed criticism from his senior teammates by sending an open letter to sports radio station WFAN. One excerpt: "If only we can concentrate more on the games than complaining and bickering and pointing fingers, we would all be better off." It's like he didn't even realize that he was playing for the Mets.

2. A trade sent him from Kansas City to St. Louis for Felix Jose. During Jefferies' two seasons as a Cardinal, he made the only two All-Star teams of his career while batting .335 and reaching base at a .401 clip.

3. He opened his own sports instructional facility near his current home in Pleasanton, CA.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I looked at Gregg's counting stats in 1993 and figured he was a superstar. A .342 average gets your attention as a kid.

Bill James Said: "1993 was the first of a string of outstanding seasons for Jefferies." Bill thought so too, but Gregg was done as a starter by 30 and out of baseball entirely at 32.

On This Date in 1993: November 12. The first Ultimate Fighting Championship event is held in Denver.

#76 Kevin Appier

About the Front: Is the palm of Kevin Appier's hand facing his elbow? I hope for his sake that it's an optical illusion. My wrist hurts just looking at this photo.

About the Back: Appier was the ninth overall pick in the 1987 draft, sandwiched between Dan Opperman (Dodgers) and Kevin Garner (Padres), neither of whom ever played in the major leagues. Evaluating baseball talent on the amateur level is a tricky proposition.

Triple Play:

1. It seems like an obsession with won-lost records kept awards voters from recognizing Appier's talents during his peak. In 1990, he posted a 2.76 ERA despite a so-so 12-8 record. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting behind Sandy Alomar, Jr. and Kevin Maas. In 1992, he went 15-8 with a 2.46 ERA and received two runs of support or less in 14 of 30 starts and didn't receive a SINGLE Cy Young vote. The next year, he led the league with a 2.56 ERA, had more strikeouts (186) than hits allowed (183), and had a streak of 33 consecutive scoreless innings. He was 18-8 and finished a distant third in Cy Young balloting behind Jack McDowell (22-10, 3.37 ERA) and Randy Johnson (19-8, 3.24 ERA).

2. He was hit hard in both of his starts against the Giants in the 2002 World Series, but the Angels came back to win both games and capture the championship four games to three.

3. Appier was born in Lancaster, CA, as was Monday's featured player, Steve Buechele. They are two of the three MLB players to ever come from Lancaster (early 2000's pitcher Sean Douglass was the other).

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I remember the impatience and excitement I felt on the strike-delayed Opening Day of the 1995 season. It was April 26, and the O's were visiting Kansas City. Kevin Appier no-hit the Birds for 6.2 innings, but was pulled after 98 pitches due to the truncated Spring Training schedule. Leo Gomez singled off of reliever Rusty Meacham with one out in the eighth, but the Orioles lost 5-1 and I gained some grudging respect for Appier's abilities.

Bill James Said: "Probably the best starting pitcher in the American League, if Clemens isn't 100%." Appier had just won the ERA title by a comfortable margin (2.56 to 2.95) over Wilson Alvarez, a year after his 2.46 mark fell just shy of Clemens' league-leading 2.41.

On This Date in 1993: September 11. Another big debut, as the Braves' prized shortstop prospect takes the field as a ninth-inning defensive replacement for Jeff Blauser in a 13-1 Atlanta rout of the Padres. Chipper Jones doesn't even get a ball hit in his direction, but it's the first game of 2,499 in a great career.

#49 Brian McRae

About the Front: I've never been crazy about batting practice/spring training jerseys with a logo on the breast, rather than a team name insignia across the chest. They just look kind of empty and plain to me.

About the Back: Hal and Brian McRae were the fifth father-son manager-player combination in the majors, following Connie and Earle Mack, Yogi and Dale Berra, and Cal Ripken Sr. and Cal Jr. and Billy. They've since been joined by Felipe and Moises Alou and Bob and Aaron Boone.

Triple Play:

1. Prior to the start of the 1995 season, the Royals traded Brian to the Cubs for pitcher Derek Wallace and a minor leaguer. He proceeded to have the two best seasons of his career, batting a cumulative .282/.354/432 with 70 doubles, 29 home runs, 114 RBI, and 64 steals in 81 attempts.

2. Do you remember McRae playing out the string in 1999 with the Mets, Rockies, and Blue Jays, ultimately getting benched in favor of Vernon Wells? I sure don't. Baseball right around the turn of the century was a blind spot for me.

3. Brian spent five years working for MLB.com radio and also appeared on ESPN's Baseball Tonight.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: McRae was one of those players that I thought was a bigger star than he actually was. I guess that has something to do with the notoriety he got from playing for his dad, and from stealing bases and hitting for a bit of power back when the "back of baseball card stats" were the ones that people noticed.

Bill James Said: "A convert to switch hitting, he is still a vastly better righthanded than lefthanded hitter." That pattern held throughout Brian's career, as he hit .290/.337/.416 righty and .250/.328/.388 lefty.

On This Date in 1993: August 2. A train crashed in a tunnel at Vega de Anzo, Spain, killing 12 people.

#22 Jim Eisenreich

About the Front: Here's a delightfully unusual action photo, as Jim Eisenreich's feet-first slide has left him practically sitting on top of second base. It's as if he were looking right at the photographer, saying, "I heard that shutter click. That picture better not show up on a card next year." Well, sorry Jim.

About the Back: You'll notice the absence of any major league stats for 1985 and 1986. Eisenreich had suffered from Tourette's Syndrome since childhood, but it went undiagnosed for years. His symptoms, and anxiety resulting from them, worsened early in his career with the Twins. He went on the voluntary retirement list in 1984, and did not return to baseball until 1987. In the interim, he had finally gotten a valid diagnosis and successfully undergone treatment to better control his physical and verbal tics. Jim now has a charitable foundation that works with children with Tourette's.

Triple Play:

1. Eisenreich played in the postseason for both the 1993 Phillies and the 1997 Marlins. In Game Three of the 1997 World Series, his two-run homer in the sixth inning halved the Indians' lead from 7-3 to 7-5. Florida tied the game in the seventh and scored seven in a wild ninth inning. Cleveland's own four-run rally in the bottom of the ninth wasn't enough, as the Marlins won 14-11 en route to the franchise's first World Championship.

2. A broken foot kept Jim out for the final month of the 1996 season, which was shaping up to be a career year. The 37-year-old hit .361 with a .413 on-base percentage in 113 games that season, rapped 24 doubles, and even stole 11 bases in 12 tries.

3. Eisenreich played through the 1998 season, finishing with a career batting line of .290/.341/.404. That's quite an accomplishment for someone who didn't play a full season in the big leagues until age 30.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I remember hearing about Jim's unusual career path, but I didn't know much about Tourette's Syndrome. I think most children originally hear about it through word-of-mouth and think that it's some oddball thing that makes people scream out profanities uncontrollably. That seems hilarious when you're an immature kid.

Bill James Said: "He had the odd record - 153 games, only 362 at-bats - because he was a platoon player who would be used as a defensive substitute if the Phillies were ahead and a pinch hitter if they were behind." Jim pinch-hit 22 times in 1993 without much success - 3-for-21 with a walk - but overall he batted .318 and struck out only 36 times.

On This Date in 1993: June 17. Baseball owners voted 26-2 in favor of expanding the playoffs from four teams to eight teams starting in 1994 (or 1995, as it happened). Each league will realign from two divisions to three, with the best second-place team in each league qualifying for the postseason as a wild card.