#451 Ramon Caraballo, Jon Shave, Brent Gates, and Quinton McCracken

About the Front: Woah, Brent Gates was only in A-ball in 1992? The A's pushed him hard in 1993, as he spent most of the year in the big leagues.

About the Back: Let me try to fill in the blanks on these prospects, and at least give you their 1992 minor league stats. Caraballo batted .287/.338/.382 with 29 steals (in 51 tries, yuck) while splitting time between AA Greenville and AAA Richmond. Shave hit .287/.343/.373 at AA Tulsa. Gates had a line of .321/.414/.465 with 39 doubles and 88 RBI at high-A Modesto. And McCracken batted .280/.347/.353 in 67 games at low-A Bend, with 18 steals in 24 attempts.

Triple Play:

1. Aside from a six-game stint as a pinch runner and defensive replacement with the Braves in 1993, Ramon Caraballo's lone big league experience came in 1995, when he batted .202/.269/.323 in 34 games with the Cardinals. In recent years, he's coached for the Orioles' Dominican Summer League club.

2. Jon Shave had an interesting stat line for his 17-game introduction with the Rangers in 1993. He batted .319, but drew no walks and had a pair of sac flies and three bunts, giving him an on-base percentage of just .306. He didn't re-emerge in the majors until 1998, when he played 19 games in Minnesota. He returned to Texas in 1999, batting .288 in 43 games while playing all over the infield. He spent the following two years at AAA (Oklahoma City in 2000, Pawtucket in 2001) before retiring.

3. Gates is the star of this group, relatively speaking. He jumped to the bigs in 1993 after a dozen games each at AA and AAA. Though he played seven seasons in MLB, he peaked as a rookie, hitting .290/.357/.391 with 29 doubles, seven homers, and 69 RBI. He had an OPS+ of 107, but didn't top 89 in any other season with Oakland, Seattle, and Minnesota. He managed the West Michigan Whitecaps, a low-level affiliate of the Tigers, in 2001. After leaving baseball, he began working in insurance in Grand Rapids, MI.

3a. Quinton McCracken actually played in parts of 12 major league seasons, spanning from 1995 through 2006 with the Rockies, Devil Rays, Twins, Diamondbacks, Mariners, and Reds. He was just a Marlins stint short of representing every 1990s expansion team. 2002 was his standout year, as he batted .309/.367/.458 (107 OPS+) in 400 plate appearances with Arizona. He also collected four hits in 11 at-bats (.364) in the Diamondbacks' NLDS loss to the Cardinals that fall. Quinton worked in player development for Arizona in 2011-2012, and has been the Astros' Director of Player Development since 2013.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Of all of the prospects on these four-player cards, I'm glad that somebody named "Quinton McCracken" was on the fringes of the major leagues for more than a decade.

Bill James Said: Caraballo - "Mark Lemke is not exactly Roberto Alomar, but Caraballo's batting average wouldn't be a lot better than Lemke's, he has no power, and his poor strikeout/walk ratio and stolen base percentages are significant liabilities."

Shave - "An unspectacular talent, 26 years old with no power and limited speed, but a good fielder with good work habits, and should hit around .275."

Gates - "An argument can be made that a good second baseman who hits .290 with collateral contributions has had a better rookie season than an outfielder who hits 30 homers." It certainly sounds like Bill would've considered voting for Gates (who finished sixth in Rookie of the Year balloting) over Tim Salmon.

On This Date in 1993: July 13. MLB Players Association chief Donald Fehr warns of a possible player strike in September if negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement between ownership and players don't start gaining momentum. The 1993 season remained intact, but we wouldn't be so lucky in 1994.

#402 Ryne Sandberg and Carlos Baerga

About the Front: If Carlos Baerga had just hit the ball that Ryne Sandberg is tracking, I think Ryno would be heading the wrong way.

About the Back: Other than Baerga's significant edge in batting average, these two All-Star second basemen matched up pretty well in the first half of 1992.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: 1993 was Sandberg's last All-Star season. He abruptly retired before the '94 game, and didn't get the nod during his two-year comeback tour of 1996-1997. I wouldn't have seen that coming.

On This Date in 1993: April 8. Carlos Baerga (hey, how 'bout that?!) becomes the first player to ever hit home runs from both sides of the plate in the same inning, performing the feat in the bottom of the seventh inning against Yankees lefty Steve Howe and righty Steve Farr. Cleveland romps, 15-5, as Baerga goes 4-for-5 with a double, the pair of homers, and three RBI.

#383 Jerry Browne

About the Front: The gold cross pendant around Jerry Browne's neck is downright subdued compared to those ugly chunky magnetic necklaces that some players wear now.

About the Back: The "VI" in Jerry's birthplace is the Virgin Islands, which has produced a total of 11 big leaguers. The most notable were Horace Clarke, Al McBean, Elrod Hendricks, and Jose Morales.

Triple Play:

1. When he played with the A's, Browne was known as "The Governor". At that time, Jerry Brown was the governor of California.

2. On July 25, 1991, he pinch-hit against Dennis Eckersley in the bottom of the eighth with two outs, one man on base, and the Indians trailing Oakland 7-6. He homered to right field to deliver the winning runs.

3. Jerry has coached in the minors for the Blue Jays, Giants, and Nationals.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: This card lists him at 170 pounds, while Baseball Reference bills him at 140. At 5'10", he'd be practically invisible at that lower weight.

Bill James Said: "He didn't play well last year, after missing the first half the year with an injury, and his nomadic career may move on to another stop." Jerry signed with the Marlins in 1994, where his MLB career would end the following year.

On This Date in 1993: February 27. The Orioles sign 32-year-old Fernando Valenzuela. The 1981 Cy Young Award winner and Rookie of the Year had pitched in Mexico in 1992 and had not won a big league game since 1990. He'll start 31 games for Baltimore in 1993, showing flashes of brilliance in an uneven year and finishing 8-10 with a 4.94 ERA (91 ERA+).

#371 Mariano Duncan

About the Front: Mariano Duncan is at least the third player in this set to be photographed wearing a shin guard. If I were as thorough as Night Owl, I'd go through the binder and come up with a definitive count. Maybe I will, at that...

About the Back: Fine, I'll fill in the blanks for Topps. In the 1985 NLCS, Mariano started five of the six games at shortstop and batted .222/.263/.444 in 19 plate appearances. In 1990, he started all ten of Cincinnati's postseason games at second base, batting .235/.278/.324 in 36 plate appearances. His three-run homer off of Zane Smith broke a 2-2 tie in Game Three of the 1990 NLCS.

Triple Play:

1. Duncan was a surprise All-Star starter with the Phillies in 1994. He batted .268/.306/.406 (86 OPS+), with eight homers and 48 RBI. I'd say that Phils fans voted early and often, riding the high from 1993's National League pennant.

2. He was a valuable contributor for the World Series Champion Yankees in 1996, with a .340 batting average, .500 slugging percentage, and 34 doubles in 109 games.

3. Mariano is currently a minor league coach for the Cubs. Prior to that, he spent five years (2006-2010) as the Dodgers' first base and infield coach.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: When I think of Duncan (which isn't often, actually), I think of his 1986 Topps rookie card. It's been in my collection even longer than I've been actively collecting.

Bill James Said: "His hitting has improved dramatically since he stopped switch hitting a few years ago."

On This Date in 1993: February 5. The White Sox re-sign 45-year-old catcher Carlton Fisk for one more go-round. Of course, this one wouldn't have a happy ending.

#368 Delino DeShields

About the Front: I'll give Delino DeShields the benefit of the doubt because he appears to be on deck, but I don't think he'll have much success at bat if he stays on one knee. I also approve of the high socks, although the shadows make it look like they're mismatched.

About the Back: Delino was slated to attend Villanova University to play point guard on the college's basketball team, but chose pro baseball after the Expos drafted him.

Triple Play:

1. In a 13-year career, he batted .268/.352/.377 with 463 stolen bases.

2. DeShields has been a minor league manager in the Reds organization since 2010. In 2015, he'll take the helm of the AAA Louisville Bats.

3. His son, Delino Jr., was drafted eighth overall by the Astros in 2010. So far, he's batted .267/.362/.396 in five minor league seasons, topping out at AA and playing outfield and second base.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I liked playing as the Montreal Expos on Ken Griffey, Jr. Presents Major League Baseball for the Super Nintendo. Nine times out of ten, I would have Delino bunt, knowing that it was a sure hit if the ball deadened.

Bill James Said: "Swung at only 35% of the pitches he saw in '93, the lowest percentage of any major league player except Rickey Henderson." That helps explain the high walk and strikeout totals.

On This Date in 1993: February 2. The Brewers sign Dickie Thon. The 35-year-old shortstop will play in 85 games for Milwaukee in his final big league season, batting .269/.324/.331 with a home run and 33 RBI.

#367 Steve Sax

About the Front: Steve Sax looks like he's been hitting the Thighmaster. (Now there's a '90s reference for you.)

About the Back: "Verdict"?! That smacks of trying too hard. What's wrong with a 14-10 win, victory, or triumph?

Triple Play:

1. His older brother Dave was a catcher/outfielder who briefly played alongside Steve with the Dodgers in 1982-1983, and later had a few cups of coffee in Boston.

2. Sax was a five-time All-Star, and was the 1982 NL Rookie of the Year with the Dodgers. That year, he led his team in hits, runs scored, and steals.

3. His later pursuits include baseball analysis on TV broadcasts, financial consultancy, partial ownership of a nightclub/restaurant and a martial arts studio, and a one-year stint as first base coach of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Another member of Mr. Burns' ringer softball team at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. For the past 20 years, I can't think "Steve Sax" without thinking "and his run-in with the law".

Bill James Said: "He's 34, and after two straight off seasons it would be optimistic to expect him to bounce back." He played only seven games for Oakland in 1994, going 6-for-24 with a triple in the final season of his career.

On This Date in 1993: January 30. It's a Friday, so let's go back to the Calvin and Hobbes well.

#366 Craig Wilson

About the Front: Craig Wilson wore #12 for his entire Cardinals tenure. One of the more prominent Redbirds to wear that number was Bill White, a five-time All-Star who played first base in St. Louis from 1959 through 1965. By the time Wilson arrived with the Cards, White was the National League President.

About the Back: Another Maryland-born player!

Triple Play:

1. Since Wilson debuted in 1989, there have been three Craig Wilsons in the major leagues. In addition to our guy (1989-1993), there was a utility infielder for the White Sox (1998-2000), and an outfielder/first baseman who played most of his career for the Pirates (2001-2007). It's weird that none of their big league careers overlapped.

2. Craig hit his only MLB home run in his sixth-to-last game, a two-run shot off of Joe Magrane on September 24, 1993.

3. He spent all of 1994-1995 in the minors before hanging up his spikes. He briefly resurfaced in the Mexican League in 2003, playing 14 games for the Oaxaca Guerreros.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Sure, the year I start collecting, Topps doesn't use a photo of Wilson juggling baseballs. (See his 1991 and 1992 cards.)

Bill James Said: "Traded to the Royals as part of the Jefferies/Felix Jose trade, Wilson made the Royals out of spring training, but went on the disabled list just as the season began with undisclosed personal problems." I couldn't find any more details about these mysterious problems, but Craig was arrested on drug charges three years later.

On This Date in 1993: January 29. Matinee, a comedy set in Key West, FL and starring John Goodman, premieres in theatres.

#348 Andy Stankiewicz

About the Front: Free advertising for both Franklin and Easton, plus we get to see Andy Stankiewicz's number 17 written on his bat knob.

About the Back: A 5' 9", 27-year-old rookie? I predict big things for this kid.

Triple Play:

1. Andy had a career-high four hits in five tries while batting leadoff against the Royals on June 24, 1992.

2. He extended his career as a utility player in the National League with Houston (1994-1995), Montreal (1996-1997), and Arizona (1998).

3. He's worked in baseball as a coach and scout since 2002, spending time in the Yankees and Mariners organizations and also at Arizona State University. He was hired as the head coach at Grand Canyon University in 2012.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: "Stankiewicz" has never not been funny to me. It's not a name that says "top-flight athlete".

Bill James Said: "The Yankees tried to deal Gallego last spring, but had no takers, then Gallego got hot, which left them with an extra infielder." Thus, Andy went from 116 games in New York in '92 to 16 contests (with a humbling 0-for-9 at the plate) in '93.

On This Date in 1993: Norman Vincent Peale, a controversial Christian minister and author best-known for his book The Power of Positive Thinking, dies at age 95 in Pawling, NY.

NOTE: This will be my last blog post until January 5. Call it a Christmas vacation. Happy holidays!

#347 Luis Sojo

About the Front: Either this photo is cropped to exclude Luis Sojo's presumably-dropped bat, or he's pushing an invisible wheelbarrow.

About the Back: R. Howard Webster was a very rich Canadian man who co-founded the Expos and was one of the driving forces behind the group that founded the Blue Jays.

Triple Play:

1. He was a member of five World Series winners with the Blue Jays (1993) and Yankees (1996, 1998-2000).

2. Luis won five Venezuelan Winter League batting titles in the decade spanning 1989-1990 to 1999-2000.

3. He has remained with the Yankees organization since retiring in 2002, which includes a stint as the big league third base coach (2004-2005) and eight years as a manager in the low minors. He spent 2014 on the coaching staff for the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I never could describe Sojo's unique physical appearance until my college roommate Mikey (a Yankee fan) mentioned that the second baseman looked like a weathered old pirate. Yarrrr!

Bill James Said: "He's basically a second baseman which, since Alomar rarely misses a game, wasn't much use to the Blue Jays, who needed a backup shortstop and somebody to play third if they pinch hit for Sprague." Sojo played only 19 games in Toronto after they re-acquired him from the Angels, but moved on to Seattle in 1994 and saw more playing time.

On This Date in 1993: December 23. The Athletics sign Dave Righetti as a free agent. It's a doomed pairing, as he allows 13 runs in seven innings and earns his release on April 27.

#327 Tim Hulett

About the Front: Some day I will tell my children that I watched baseball before there were advertisements all over the dugouts.

About the Back: How many guys can say that they were managed in college by a Hall of Famer?

Triple Play:

1. Fun with small sample sizes! In 39 plate appearances with runners in scoring position during the 1992 season, Tim batted .417/.462/.639.

2. His son Tim Jr., also known as "Tug", played for the Mariners in 2008 and the Royals in 2009, totaling 45 games and batting .194/.270/.254.

3. Hulett has coached the Rangers' low-A level Spokane Indians club for the past eight seasons. He also coaches at Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, LA, and has led the Evangel Eagles to five high school state titles.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: On July 22, 1992, Hulett's four sons were walking back to their Cockeysville, MD home from a playground when six-year-old Sam darted into the path of a car and was struck. He died from his injuries the next day. It was a sad and prominent news story in this area.

Bill James Said: "He got a chance to play at third base when Gomez was hurt (and not playing well), and hit .300 (with a secondary average of .173)." In other words, Tim hit singles and very little else.

On This Date in 1993: November 24. Mrs. Doubtfire, the gender-bending Robin Williams comedy, debuts in theatres.

#324 Willie Randolph

About the Front: This is the final Topps card of Willie Randolph's long career, as he hung up his spikes after spending his age-37 season with the Mets. He had grown up rooting for the Mets, and took #12 as a nod to Ken Boswell, the team's former second baseman.

About the Back: Topps didn't include on-base percentage on its card backs in 1993, so you can't see that Willie reached base at a .373 clip for his career.

Triple Play:

1. He was a six-time All-Star and was widely regarded as a strong defensive second baseman. However, Lou Whitaker and Frank White monopolized the American League's Gold Glove at the keystone during Randolph's prime.

2. Willie's younger brother Terry played defensive back for the Green Bay Packers in 1977.

3. He spent a decade coaching for the Yankees before returning to the Mets as manager. Though he led the team to a .554 winning percentage in three-plus seasons, including a trip to the NLCS in 2006, he was fired 69 games into the 2008 season. Randolph then coached for the Brewers and Orioles through 2011.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I never would have guessed back then that I would some day complete the 1975 Topps set, which features Willie's rookie card.

Bill James Said: No he didn't, since as I mentioned, Randolph retired after the 1992 season.

On This Date in 1993: November 19. Joey Gallo is born. The Rangers will draft him with a first-round compensation pick in June 2012, and he will go on to hit 104 home runs in his first 296 minor league games while striking out 429 times. Pete Incaviglia, eat your heart out.

#312 Geronimo Pena

About the Front: I'm thinking Shea Stadium. Can anyone verify?

About the Back: Geronimo Pena finished his career with 14 three-hit games, as well as one four-hit game - June 20, 1992, when he went 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and a pair of runs in a 6-1 St. Louis victory over the Mets.

Triple Play:

1. On August 12, 1991, Pena made baseball history after entering a Cardinals-Pirates contest as a pinch runner for Jose Oquendo in the top of the eighth inning. He stole second base and scored the tying run on Gerald Perry's single, then stayed in the game at second base and delivered a go-ahead solo home run in the 11th. Unfortunately for St. Louis, Barry Bonds spoiled Pena's unique heroics with a walkoff two-run homer in the bottom of that inning.

2. Geronimo reached base in each of his first eight plate appearances in 1993, collecting three walks, four singles, and a home run.

3. Injuries helped shorten his career, as he topped 100 games only once and was out of baseball after the 1996 season.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I'm not sure how long it took me to learn that Pena's first name wasn't pronounced like the Apache leader, but instead with an 'h' sound at the beginning.

Bill James Said: (Of the Cardinals' second-base battle between Luis Alicea and Geronimo...) "The real problem isn't that they can't play; the problem is that Torre can't decide." Just another reminder that Joe Torre wasn't highly regarded as a manager until he started winning World Series in the Bronx.

On This Date in 1993: November 2. Duets, an album featuring a 77-year-old Frank Sinatra collaborating with other prominent musicians, is released. Sinatra did not actually perform alongside his partners, instead recording his parts in advance and having the guests tailor their pieces to his recorded vocals.

#287 Mike Gallego

About the Front: I wonder if Mike Gallego is getting annoyed with all of the attention being paid to Derek Jeter's farewell tour, and especially the retirement of his #2 jersey by the Yankees. Mike Gallego blazed that trail, Jeets.

About the Back: Yorba Linda, listed here as the city of residence for Gallego, is also the birthplace of Richard M. Nixon.

Triple Play:

1. Mike made the A's roster at the beginning of the 1985 season, but didn't have his first plate appearance until May 15. Prior to that, he appeared in 11 games as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. He didn't start a game until August 1, and singled off of Detroit's Bill Scherrer for his first career hit on August 22.

2. Despite totaling just 42 home runs in parts of 13 seasons, he had a pair of two-homer games with the Yankees: April 27, 1993 (both vs. Chuck Finley), and April 7, 1994 (vs. Kenny Rogers and Jay Howell).

3. He spent four years as third base and infield coach for the Rockies before returning to Oakland in that same capacity following the 2008 season. He's been with the Athletics ever since.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I think it's entirely possible that Mike Gallego and Randy Velarde are the same person.

Bill James Said: "His good on-base percentage and ability to play three positions make him an invaluable part of the Yankee roster." Gallego had a career year in 1993, batting .283/.364/.412 for New York.

On This Date in 1993: September 25. Yes, I'm talking about the Reds and Rockies for the second straight day. Jose Rijo goes the distance in a 6-0 Cincinnati win; the only hit he allows is a broken-bat single by Charlie Hayes in the second inning. Rijo strikes out eight and does not issue any walks.

#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.

#262 Mickey Morandini

About the Front: Excellent throwback unis, and I believe that's Andre Dawson of the Cubs sliding hard into second base. Working off of that assumption, I've pinned this photo to the June 21, 1992 Phillies-Cubs tilt. There were actually two games in which Mickey Morandini forced out Dawson at second on a double play, but the other was the April 7, 1992 season opener, and I learned that the Phillies unveiled their new uniforms that day. So no throwbacks. That puts us in the top of the fourth inning on a Sunday afternoon. "The Hawk" has just singled on a ball that shortstop Mariano Duncan couldn't come up with, but Philly starter Kyle Abbott responds by getting Mark Grace to hit it to Duncan for a 6-4-3 DP to keep the game scoreless. But three straight Cubbie hits the following inning lead to three runs, and Mike Morgan blanks the Phils until Dave Hollins' too-little, too-late two-run homer in the ninth. Cubs win 5-2. (That's a lot of toos/twos!)

About the Back: There have been three more unassisted triple plays by second basemen in the years since. Randy Velarde (2000), Asdrubal Cabrera (2008), and Eric Bruntlett (2009) all performed the feat. Mickey's was the first unassisted triple play in the major leagues since shortstop Ron Hansen in 1968, and Hansen's was the only one between 1927 and 1992, but there have been six in total since Morandini. How weird is that?

Triple Play:

1. Mickey had quite the amateur resume, playing for Team USA in the 1988 Summer Olympics and setting several team records at Indiana University, including most career runs scored (277), doubles (61), triples (29), and steals (127).

2. He was an All-Star for the only time in his career in 1995, when he batted .283/.350/.417 with 34 doubles. At the break, he was batting .302 with a .370 OBP.

3. Morandini was the head coach at Valparaiso High School for four years before a three-year managerial stint in the Phillies' farm system. Currently he is a coach with Philadelphia's AAA club, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Before I even knew Phillies' play-by-play broadcaster Harry Kalas by name, I knew his prolonged, sing-song pronunciation of "Mi-ckey Mor-an-DI-ni".

Bill James Said: "A better second baseman than Mariano Duncan, but a career .197 hitter against lefthanded pitchers (59-for-300), so there are good reasons to platoon him." Over his entire career, Mickey boosted his average to .221 vs. lefties, but his .586 OPS vs. southpaws was still well below his .728 mark against righties.

On This Date in 1993: August 15. Kirby Puckett has himself a day, going 5-for-5 with a pair of two-run homers in Minnesota's 12-5 rout of the Athletics. Minor league veteran Bernardo Brito also homers twice for the Twins, and Brian Harper and Jeff Reboulet each go deep once; all of this action comes in the first six innings of the game. It's the third of Puckett's four career five-hit games; he also had a pair of six-hit efforts in his Hall of Fame career.

#257 Luis Alicea

About the Front: It looks like Luis Alicea's attempting a no-look flip to the shortstop, but he's already standing on second base himself. Maybe he's signaling to a teammate to back up.

About the Back: Check out Alicea's 1991 stat line with the Cardinals. It's pretty hard to tally zero runs batted in over 56 games, even if you're limited to 68 at-bats. Also, it seems worth mentioning that Luis' first career home run, referenced here, was hit against Don Sutton.

Triple Play:

1. He and his younger brother Edwin were teammates at Florida State University. Ed Alicea was drafted in the ninth round in 1988 by the Braves, and had an eight-year minor league career, splitting time between second base, third base, and the outfield.

2. Luis had a 13-year major league career with the Cardinals, Red Sox, Angels, Rangers, and Royals, batting .260/.346/.369 with 47 homers and 422 RBI.

3. After hanging up his spikes, Alicea spent three years managing in the Red Sox organization, and then had brief stints as a big league coach for both the Red Sox and Mets.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I could've sworn he was an All-Star at least once. I guess that's why I look this stuff up.

Bill James Said: "He's a switch hitter who runs well and won't chase bad pitches, witness the .362 on-base percentage, plus his range at second is among the best in the league."

On This Date in 1993: July 23. The Azerbaijani city of Agdam is captured by Armenian separatists. The city's residents are forced to flee, and the separatists will lay waste to Agdam to prevent its recapture by Azerbaijan. The town is still deserted more than 20 years later.

#250 Chuck Knoblauch

About the Front: Twins at Athletics, Willie Wilson ostensibly trying to break up the double play. Can I find the game? Willie's 1992 gamelog tells me that he only reached base in two of his six home games against Minnesota that season. Of those two games, June 28 meets our criteria. In the bottom of the seventh inning, with the Twins waxing the A's 10-0, Wilson drew a leadoff walk against Scott Erickson. Mike Bordick hit a grounder to third baseman Donnie Hill, who tossed to Chuck Knoblauch for the force at second; Bordick was safe at first. The Twins went on to win 10-2, and Knoblauch went 2-for-5 with a double, a steal, and a couple of runs scored.

About the Back: Chuck was the 25th overall pick in the 1989 draft. Using Baseball Reference's WAR statistic, Frank Thomas (73.7) was the only first-rounder that year with more career value than Knoblauch (44.6). That puts him ahead of Mo Vaughn, Ben McDonald, Todd Jones, and Charles Johnson.

Triple Play:

1. His father Ray pitched for eight seasons in the minor leagues (1948-1950, 1953-1957), topping out at the AA Texas League.

2. Chuck won the 1991 A.L. Rookie of the Year Award, but his best all-around season was probably 1996 (.341/.448/.517, 140 runs scored, 35 doubles, league-high 14 triples, 13 homers, 72 RBI, 45-of-59 in steals).

3. The penny-pinching Twins traded Knoblauch to the Yankees after the 1997 season. He famously developed a problem with his throwing accuracy, and was eventually moved to the outfield in 2001. After his hitting cratered in Kansas City the following season (.210/.284/.300 in 80 games), he retired at age 34.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Back when Jon Miller was still the radio voice of the Orioles, one of his favorite impressions was former Twins' PA announcer Bob Casey. It seemed like every time the O's played the Twins, Miller would riff on Casey's exaggerated, nasal pronunciation of "Chaaaauuuuuuucccckkk...Knaaaaaaaablaaaaaauuuuuch!"

Bill James Said: "A great number-two hitter, a classic second baseman." When Bill James says somebody is great in the two-hole, you can bet he's talking about on-base skills (.378 career OBP) and not bunting ability.

On This Date in 1993: July 13. In the 64th All-Star Game, hosted at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the American League dispatches the National League, 9-3. Gary Sheffield, Kirby Puckett, and Roberto Alomar each hit a home run in the first three innings. Puckett also drives in a run with a double and is named the game's MVP. John Kruk famously has a near-death experience with an overthrown Randy Johnson fastball. (Yes, this is yesterday's date. Oh well.)

#221 Carlos Baerga

About the Front: I wonder who the blurry on-deck batter is. Carlos Baerga batted third in all 161 of his starts in 1992. Albert Belle was the cleanup hitter behind him in 151 games, with Paul Sorrento (seven), Mark Whiten (two), and Carlos Martinez (one) chipping in otherwise. Judging by the lightness of our mystery man's skin, it's almost certainly Sorrento. There were four Cleveland home games featuring the 3-4 combo of Baerga and Sorrento, but that's as close as I can come to identifying the specific game.

About the Back: "Rogers Hornsby was my manager, and he called me a talking pile of pigshit!"

Triple Play:

1. On April 8, 1993, Carlos became the first player in MLB history to hit home runs from both sides of the plate in one inning. In the bottom of the seventh, he clouted a two-run homer off of Yankee southpaw Steve Howe, and later in the inning switched to the left side and belted a solo shot against righty Steve Farr.

2. After many years in the wilderness, he had a one-year resurgence with the Diamondbacks in 2003, batting .343/.396/.464 as a part-timer.

3. As of 2014, he is coaching on the staff of the University of Northwestern Ohio's baseball team.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I can't believe how abruptly Carlos' career decline arrived. He batted .305/.345/.454 with a 115 OPS+ through 1995, his age 26 season. From 1996 through 2005, his final year in the majors, his line was .272/.313/.378 with an 80 OPS+.

Bill James Said: "If the Indians get any pitching they'll win that new division this year, which will give Baerga a chance to strut his stuff." Dennis Martinez, Charles Nagy, and Mark Clark all had good years for the Tribe in 1994, and the club was only one game behind the White Sox in the new American League Central Division when the strike halted play in August.

On This Date in 1993: May 23. Beginnings and ends, as the Angels sign 18-year-old Puerto Rican catcher Bengie Molina and the White Sox release 35-year-old former Blue Jays ace Dave Stieb. Stieb will make a surprising comeback in 1998, but we'll get to that in a future blog post.

#219 Bip Roberts

About the Front: Oh no! We've been Bipped!

About the Back: Yes, Topps namedropped 19th century star Big Ed Delahanty, who died after falling off a bridge and being swept into Niagara Falls. He had been travelling on a train and was ejected for being drunken and disorderly. You could look it up.

Triple Play:

1. In 1994, Roberts had a league-best 24-game hitting streak.

2. He spoiled Pedro Martinez's perfect game bid on June 3, 1995 with a leadoff double in the tenth inning.

3. Bip is now a TV analyst for Comcast Sports Network covering the Oakland Athletics, and coaches at Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I loved the commercial featuring Tony Gwynn mocking the worthlessness of Bip's rookie card.

Bill James Said: "Went on the disabled list with a sprained thumb on July 2, came back for a couple of weeks, and then broke his ring finger."

On This Date in 1993: May 21. Down 8-1 after five innings and 10-4 through seven, Oakland scores five runs in the eighth and three more in the ninth to rally past the White Sox, 12-11. Rickey Henderson homers, triples, and drives in five for the A's. Robin Ventura goes deep twice in a losing cause.

#197 Jeff Frye

About the Front: Jeff Frye's one-legged batting stance could be an homage to his Rangers teammate Julio Franco.

About the Back: At first glance I thought this picture could have been taken during the same at-bat as the shot on the front, but this time Frye is sans eye black.

Triple Play:

1. In 1997, Jeff played in a career-high 127 games for the Red Sox and batted .312/.352/.433 with 36 doubles.

2. On August 17, 2001, he became the second player in Blue Jays history to hit for the cycle.

3. Frye currently works as a player agent, representing second baseman Ian Kinsler among others.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I thought Frye was a fitting surname, since Jeff was something of a small fry at 5'9".

Bill James Said: "After playing well as the Rangers second baseman in the second half of '92 he missed all of '93 with a knee injury, casting his future into doubt."

On This Date in 1993: April 18. The Giants outlast the Braves 13-12 in a wild 11-inning contest in San Francisco. Each team uses seven pitchers, and the Giants rally from early 5-0 and 11-6 deficits. With Atlanta leading 12-8 in the ninth, Mike Stanton allows all four batters he faces to reach base, and all four eventually score. Matt Williams goes deep on Steve Bedrosian's first pitch in the bottom of inning 11 to win it.