#488 Manuel Lee

About the Front: Pop quiz - Is Manuel Lee a) Whistling to get a teammate's attention, b) Inhaling after taking a long drag on a Marlboro, or c) Realizing that a prankster replaced his ChapStick with Krazy Glue?

About the Back: That's quite an economical abbreviation of Manuel's hometown of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic.

Triple Play:

1. Lee was only 19 when he made his big league debut as a pinch runner on April 10, 1985 after joining the Blue Jays as a Rule 5 draft pick.

2. He set a dubious record in 1991, striking out the most times (107) without hitting a single home run.

3. Manuel had a perfect 1.000 batting average in 1995, his final major league season. Starting at second base for the Cardinals on April 26, 1995, he singled off of Curt Schilling in the third inning and scored on a Scott Cooper hit. He left the game an inning later with an injury that required a disabled list stint. He was released by St. Louis once healthy, and retired shortly thereafter.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I wonder if Manuel had an identity crisis. All of his cards prior to 1992 dub him "Manny", but starting in '92, most refer to him by his birth name.

Bill James Said: "Signed as a free agent a year ago, he was expected to solve the Texas shortstop problem, but his season was ruined by hand and thumb injuries, leaving him with a .168 average going into September." Lee salvaged things somewhat with a .324/.418/.426 performance in September of 1993.

On This Date in 1993: September 30. The Mariners outlast the White Sox 2-1 in 11 innings, with Mike Blowers' one-out single to left field driving in the winning run. Veteran reliever Ted Power earns the win with three scoreless innings; it turns out to be the final game in his 13-year career.

#480 Pat Listach

About the Front: Great photo! Pat Listach got sawed off; hopefully the photographer wasn't hit by a shard of his bat.

About the Back: Those 1992 stats represent an early peak for Listach, who played in just 354 MLB games for the rest of his career and never batted above .244, save for a 16-game stint in an injury-shortened 1994 season. In hindsight, Kenny Lofton probably was a better bet for '92 Rookie of the Year honors.

Triple Play:

1. Pat had the first four-hit game of his career on August 22, 1992, going 4-for-4 with a double, two steals, and two runs scored in a 5-1 win over Detroit.

2. In 1996, he became a phantom Yankee. New York sent outfielder Gerald Williams and pitcher Bob Wickman to Milwaukee in exchange for reliever Graeme Lloyd and Listach. But a bruised foot incurred shortly before the trade turned out to be a broken bone, and the Brewers subbed shortstop Gabby Martinez into the deal instead.

3. He got into coaching as soon as his playing career ended, spending nine seasons in the Cubs organization, including three-plus as a minor league manager. He's also coached at the big league level for the Nationals, Cubs, and Astros, and is currently in his first season as the manager for Seattle's AAA Tacoma Rainiers.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: The luster was already off of Listach's rookie cup and ROTY plaque when I got my hands on this card. He batted .244 with 18 steals in 98 games in 1993.

Bill James Said: "He had a series of health problems in '93, beginning with a "root canal cyst" in spring training (I don't know what that is, but I don't think I want one) and progressing through the more usual hamstring pulls, etc."

On This Date in 1993: September 9. Atlanta's Kent Mercker holds the Padres hitless for six innings, but is pulled after throwing just 79 pitches. Doug Brocail also blanks the Braves for seven frames, and Deion Sanders pinch-hits for Mercker leading off the seventh. Luis Lopez breaks up the no-hitter with a ground ball single up the middle off of Mark Wohlers with two outs in the eighth. That turns out to be the only safety of the game for San Diego, and Ron Gant's solo homer off of rookie Trevor Hoffman gives the Braves a 1-0 win in ten innings.

#474 Ozzie Guillen

About the Front: There's a rare site - Ozzie Guillen looking calm and placid.

About the Back: Ozzie collided with Tim Raines while playing the field on April 21, 1992, suffering a serious knee injury that ended his season quite prematurely.

Triple Play:

1. Guillen was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1985, earning 16 first-place votes compared to the nine for runner-up Teddy Higuera.

2. In 1989, he twice fell for the hidden ball trick, assuming both times that the first baseman had returned the baseball to the pitcher following a pickoff attempt, only to be tagged out the moment he removed his hand from the base.

3. Ozzie had a successful tenure as White Sox manager from 2004-2011, including overseeing the team's first World Series championship in 88 years in 2005. He went on to spend one controversial and disappointing season managing the Marlins, going 69-93 in 2012 before being shown the door.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Guillen was one of many declining veterans to join the Orioles in the late 1990s, but his stay was shorter than most. He collected one single and one walk in 18 trips to the plate at the beginning of the 1998 season before being released on May 1.

Bill James Said: "Doesn't it seem strange to you that nobody could ever convince Guillen, who is intelligent and approachable, to stop chasing bad pitches?"

On This Date in 1993: August 24. A rare good day for the '93 Padres, who jump all over Cardinals' rookie starter Allen Watson and reliever Todd Burns for 13 first-inning runs en route to a 17-4 win. Watson allows four hits and four walks and departs having retired just two batters. Burns tosses gasoline on the fire by yielding five straight hits upon taking the mound, capped by a Phil Plantier three-run homer. That's nine hits and four walks in total, with 16 men coming to the plate. San Diego wound up slugging five home runs; Tim Teufel also had a two-run shot in the first inning, and Phil Clark, Archi Cianfrocco, and Brad Ausmus all took Burns deep in a span of four batters in the sixth inning.

#465 Tony Fernandez

About the Front: Great picture, with Barry Bonds barreling into second base in an attempt to break up the double play and Tony Fernandez suspended in midair, completing the relay throw to first. My crack research shows that this shot was taken during the May 17, 1992 game in Pittsburgh. In the bottom of the first, Bonds was hit by an Andy Benes pitch to load the bases. Gary Varsho slapped a grounder to second baseman Tim Teufel. Teufel threw to Fernandez to force Bonds at second base, but Varsho beat out the relay to first and Orlando Merced scored from third. Ultimately the Padres won 6-5, with Fernandez collecting a pair of singles, a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored in five plate appearances.

About the Back: Tony's 17 triples in 1990 blew away the competition, with National League leader Mariano Duncan totaling 11 three-baggers and American League runner-up Sammy Sosa notching 10.

Triple Play:

1. Fernandez won four straight Gold Gloves at shortstop, 1986-1989. He also made the All-Star team in 1986, 1987, 1989, 1992, and 1999. The 1999 season saw him reach career highs with a .328 average, .427 on-base percentage, 41 doubles, 75 RBI, and a 125 OPS+ at age 37.

2. Tony batted .327 in 43 career postseason games, and drove in nine runs for Toronto in the 1993 World Series.

3. To date, he is the Blue Jays' all-time leader in Baseball Reference's defensive WAR (11.9) as well as games played (1,450), hits (1,583), and triples (72).

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I didn't like Fernandez when I was 11 and he helped those blasted Jays beat the Phillies in the World Series. But I REALLY developed a distaste for him four years later when he jumped on a first-pitch slider by Armando Benitez with two outs in the top of the 11th in Game Six of the ALCS, sending the best Orioles team of my lifetime home for the winter without a ring. Lousy bum.

Bill James Said: "It is assumed at this writing that Fernandez will leave the Blue Jays for greener bank accounts, leaving Alex Gonzalez to play short for Toronto." Tony did indeed sign with the Reds as a free agent, but for just half a million dollars plus incentives.

On This Date in 1993: August 11. The Cubs blow leads of 5-0, 7-5, 10-7, and finally, 11-10 on the road against the Marlins. Randy Myers hands Florida a walkoff win in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with one out on a walk, a single, a stolen base, and an intentional walk. Jeff Conine's sacrifice fly ties it up, and Gary Sheffield ends the game with an RBI single.

#462 Felix Fermin

About the Front: Cameo alert! Is Joe Carter safe or out? Either way, it's a great photo. It's always fun to see the cloud of dirt kick up.

About the Back: That's right, it took Felix Fermin 4,234 professional plate appearances to hit his first home run. The unfortunate victim was White Sox reliever Donn Pall.

Triple Play:

1. In 1989, Fermin was the runaway American League leader in sacrifice bunts, amassing 32 for the Indians. Be still, my heart!

2. His son Andy was a 32nd-round pick of the Blue Jays in the 2010 draft. He has a career batting line of .267/.346/.379 in six minor league seasons.

3. Felix has managed in the Dominican Republic and in Mexico, and has won a record five Dominican Winter League championships. In 2007, he also helmed the Mexican League champions, Sultanes de Monterrey.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: His name is much more amusing when you pronounce it like "vermin".

Bill James Said: "Led American League in errors, with 23, was last in fielding percentage for a regular shortstop (.960)." And somehow the Indians flipped him and Reggie Jefferson for Omar Vizquel. Nice trade, Seattle.

On This Date in 1993: August 5. Magic: The Gathering, a fantasy-based trading card game, is released.

#431 Rich Amaral

About the Front: Is it just me, or does Rich Amaral look like a weathered Jimmy Smits?

About the Back: Three years seems like an awfully long time to spend in Pittsfield, MA. That was the Cubs' AA affiliate at the time. If not for the White Sox drafting Amaral in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft, he may well have spent a fourth year there. Instead, Rich played for the Pale Hose AA club in Birmingham in 1989.

Triple Play:

1. Amaral still qualified as a rookie in 1993 at age 31, when he batted .290/.348/.367 with 19 stolen bases in 30 tries for Seattle. His 421 plate appearances that year would remain a career high.

2. In a big league career that spanned 10 seasons with the Mariners and Orioles, Rich played at least 40 games at every position except for pitcher and catcher.

3. He and his son Beau both starred collegiately for UCLA's baseball team. The younger Amaral was a seventh-round draft pick with the Reds in 2012, and is currently an outfielder at AA Pensacola.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Rich "Protect Your Car With" Amaral. I can only imagine the useful facts that might have been crowded out of my brain by Chris Berman nicknames.

Bill James Said: "Most backup infielders are good glove/no hit guys who can also run; Amaral is a better hitter than most middle infielders and can also steal bases, but his glovework kept him out of a job until last year."

On This Date in 1993: June 3. Draft time! The Mariners choose wisely with the first overall pick, taking a high school shortstop from Miami named Alex Rodriguez. Other notable first round selections include Trot Nixon (7th overall), Billy Wagner (12th), Derrek Lee (14th), Chris Carpenter (15th), Torii Hunter (20th), and Jason Varitek (21st). The Twins take Hunter and Varitek with back-to-back picks, but are unable to reach an agreement with the latter, a Scott Boras client.

#424 John Valentin

About the Front: The mustache isn't a good look for John Valentin...or most people, really. You've got to have a thick, Selleck-esque soup strainer to even have a chance.

About the Back: Though his home run on September 30, 1992 (off of David Cone, no less) provided the winning margin, Valentin never did hit a walkoff homer in his career.

Triple Play:

1. July 8, 1994 was a memorable date for John: he went 2-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run, and executed an unassisted triple play in Boston's 4-3 win over Seattle.

2. He was the 1995 AL Silver Slugger at shorstop, thanks to a line of .298/.399/.533, 108 runs scored, 37 doubles, 27 home runs, and 102 RBI. Two years later he led the American League with 47 two-baggers.

3. He has coached in the Mets and Dodgers organizations, and is currently manager Don Mattingly's assistant hitting coach in Los Angeles.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Why was his name pronounced "VAL-en-tin", and the Brewers shortstop's surname pronounced "val-en-TEEN"? I guess it's the difference between being born in New York and being born in New Jersey.

Bill James Said: "The new Eddie Bressoud, a righthanded hitting shortstop who had almost the same numbers for the Red Sox in '93 that Bressoud did in '62." There's a comp you don't see often.

On This Date in 1993: May 12. Calvin and Hobbes comic strip time!

#404 Barry Larkin and Travis Fryman

About the Front: Eye black for everybody!

About the Back: Barry Larkin actually had a much better second half than the first in 1992. After the break, he batted .321/.395/.487 with eight homers and 41 RBI in 72 games. Fryman, however, slumped to .235/.296/.359 with seven home runs and 39 RBI in 73 games.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I was surprised to see an American League shortstop other than Cal Ripken on this All-Star card. Of course, '92 was the worst season yet in the Orioles star's career (.251/.323/.366, 14 HR, 72 RBI).

On This Date in 1993: April 13. American historian, novelist, and environmentalist Wallace Stegner, who won the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for Angle of Repose, dies at age 84.

#392 Travis Fryman

About the Front: The orange "D" on the Tigers' road caps and helmets (as opposed to white on their home duds) was always a neat little design touch.

About the Back: It's been a while since I fact-checked Topps' wonky draft information. In this case, Travis Fryman was Detroit's third pick in 1987, but thanks to free agent compensation, he was still taken in the first round (30th overall). Sheesh.

Triple Play:

1. He hit for the cycle in a 12-7 loss to the Yankees on July 28, 1993, going 5-for-5 with a pair of doubles, a triple, a homer, and five RBI.

2. Fryman had his best season in 2000 with Cleveland, batting .321/.392/.516 with 38 doubles, 22 home runs, and 106 RBI. He made the All-Star team for the fifth and final time in his career, and won his only Gold Glove at third base.

3. Travis has been managing and coaching in the Indians' organization since 2008.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I remember Fryman being one of the seeming dozens of power hitters assembled by the Tigers. Even today, I was shocked to review his career stats and see that he never had a 30-homer season.

Bill James Said: "One of the best players in baseball over the next five years." I guess I wasn't the only one fooled by Travis. He averaged 21 home runs and 93 RBI over the following five seasons (1994-1998), batted .274/.334/.452, and his OPS+ was a middling 101.

On This Date in 1993: March 16. Kid Rock releases his second album, The Polyfuze Method.

#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).

#356 Freddie Benavides

About the Front: Is Freddie Benavides that small, or is the lettering on the back of Cincinnati's jerseys that large? I wouldn't expect a nine-letter surname to spread into a player's armpits.

About the Back: He had to have one heck of a glove in order to spend any time in the big leagues. As a minor league player, Freddie had a career batting line of .234/.287/.300.

Triple Play:

1. Benavides was taken by the Rockies with the 28th pick in the 1992 Expansion Draft, sandwiched between the Marlins' choices of outfielder Carl Everett (from the Yankees) and pitcher David Weathers (from the Blue Jays).

2. Freddie had only four career home runs, none bigger than his go-ahead three-run shot off of the Phillies' Roger Mason in the bottom of the eighth inning on August 19, 1993. It capped a five-run rally in a 6-5 Colorado win.

3. He has coached and managed in the Reds' organization since 1999, primarily serving as the minor league infield coordinator.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I always loved the name "Freddie Benavides". It's just lyrical, rolls off of the tongue.

Bill James Said: "In Colorado, he hit .387 with a .591 slugging percentage; on the road, .208 and .258." When the major leagues came to Mile High Stadium in 1993, it truly was unlike anything contemporary fans had ever seen.

On This Date in 1993: January 14. The Athletics trade DH Harold Baines to the Orioles for a pair of minor league pitchers.

#354 Jay Bell

About the Front: Here I'd thought that players wearing a single long sleeve was a more recent development, but Jay Bell took the field in just such a manner back in 1992. Maybe he was a trendsetter.

About the Back: Yes, Jay was an Air Force kid. He mentions it in this excellent interview/article.

Triple Play:

1. The Twins traded Bell to Cleveland as part of a four-player package that netted future Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven. The infielder made his big league debut with the Indians on September 29, 1986, facing Blyleven and Minnesota, and took Bert deep in his first at-bat.

2. He was a two-time All-Star, earning honors in 1993 (.310/.392/.437 in 154 games, with a Gold Glove to boot), and then again in 1999 as part of an anomalous year of power production with the Diamondbacks (.289/.374/.557, 38 HR, 112 RBI).

3. Jay retired after the 2003 season, and served as Arizona's bench coach in 2005-2006. He's also been hitting coach for the Pirates (2013) and bench coach for the Reds (2014-present), and in between did some coaching for Team USA in amateur competitions.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: My best friend Joe wasn't a huge baseball fan, but he dabbled in card collecting in the early 1990s. He used to complain about how often he pulled Jay Bell from packs.

Bill James Said: "I had him rated as the third-best shortstop in baseball last year, but since Larkin gets hurt all the time, Ozzie's pushing 40, Fryman's defense didn't come around, Blauser's only done it once, and Ripken goes through long slumps without coming out of the lineup, I guess he's got to be the man."

On This Date in 1993: January 12. 1960s British rock group Cream, fronted by Eric Clapton reunites to perform at their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ceremonies take place in Los Angeles; other artists enshrined include Creedence Clearwater Revival, Ruth Brown, The Doors, Van Morrison, and Sly and the Family Stone.

#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!

#300 Cal Ripken

About the Front: This is a great shot of Cal Ripken lunging to his right to snare a ball. A similar pose was used for Cal's statue at Camden Yards, which was dedicated two years ago.

About the Back: Oh yeah, that consecutive-games thing. Thanks to the strike, Junior had to wait until September 6, 1995 to pass Lou Gehrig. He didn't take a day off until the end of the 1998 season, halting the streak at 2,632 games. I don't think anyone expected him to leave Gehrig 502 games behind.

Triple Play:

1. Let's take a deep breath and list some of Cal's accolades: 1982 AL Rookie of the Year, 1983 and 1991 AL MVP, 19-time All-Star (17-time starter), 1991 and 2001 All-Star Game MVP, two-time Gold Glover at shortstop, eight-time Silver Slugger. He was also a first-ballot Hall of Famer, garnering 98.5 percent of the vote.

2. His father, Cal Sr., was a catcher in the Baltimore farm system from 1957 through 1962. He then spent a dozen years as a minor league manager for the O's, and later coached on Earl Weaver's major league staff. He managed the Orioles after Weaver's second retirement in 1987, but was unceremoniously fired after the team lost its first six games in 1988. But the elder Ripken did have the chance to manage sons Cal and Billy in Baltimore. Billy was a second baseman who played for parts of 12 seasons, mostly with the Birds, batting .247/.294/.318 and playing sound defense. (Billy does not appear in this card set, having batted .189 in an injury-plagued 1992 season with the Orioles.)

3. Ripken heads a group that owns a few minor league baseball teams, most notably the Aberdeen IronBirds, the Orioles' New York-Penn League affiliate. The IronBirds play near Cal's childhood home, and their complex includes several little league fields that are modeled after MLB stadiums. The Cal Ripken World Series is held in Aberdeen every summer, bringing together youth teams from across the nation and the world.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Before I was even a baseball fan, I remember seeing milk commercials featuring Cal. There was one with an actor portraying a young Ripken in little league. As he comes up to bat, neighbors start warning one another to move their cars, because "that kid's up".

Bill James Said: "I know nobody asked me, but if anybody does, I am completely opposed to putting personal goals ahead of the good of the team." If James thought that the O's had a better chance of winning games with somebody other than Ripken at shortstop every day, he should have named the player. It's worth noting that Ripken moved from shortstop to third base in 1997, when the Orioles acquired Mike Bordick.

On This Date in 1993: October 14. Guy Malary, the justice minister of the Haitian transition government, is shot dead. Two security guards and a driver are also killed in the ambush.

#296 Luis Rivera

About the Front: Luis Rivera is preparing to slap a tag on Chuck Knoblauch as the Twins' second baseman slides headfirst into second base at the Metrodome. My half-baked research skills pinpoint July 16, 1992 as the likely date that this photo was snapped. In the bottom of the first inning, Knoblauch hit a leadoff single and proceeded to get picked off by pitcher Joe Hesketh, who threw to first baseman Mo Vaughn, who threw to the shortstop Rivera, who made the putout at second. Minnesota won 7-6.

About the Back: Oof, they referenced his minor league stats. Double oof, A-ball stats. Triple oof, A-ball DEFENSIVE stats.

Triple Play:

1. Luis hit a grand total of 28 career home runs, and had two home runs each against a pair of pitchers: Jeff D. Robinson and Hall of Famer Tom Glavine.

2. According to the Baseball Reference Bullpen wiki, Rivera's nickname is "Papa". Whether that's meant in a fatherly way, or as the literal Spanish translation of "potato", they don't say.

3. He spent a decade with the Indians' organization as a minor league coach and manager and later a big league coach. Since 2010, he has been employed by the Blue Jays; currently he is their major league third base coach.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I always identified Rivera more by his earlier cards, which showed him with big eyeglasses and a mustache.

Bill James Said: "He's lost his job but he's still here, waiting for the wind to blow him away."

On This Date in 1993: October 8. The Houston Astros sign 17-year-old Venezuelan Freddy Garcia as an amateur free agent. He would go on to win 156 games in 15 big league seasons, and would earn a World Series ring with the White Sox in 2005.

#292 Rey Sanchez

About the Front: "I got it!" I hope you do, Rey Sanchez. Also, that pencil mustache would make John Waters proud.

About the Back: No batting gloves! I wonder if he conditioned his hands using the Moises Alou method.

Triple Play:

1. Throughout his career, Sanchez hit for average but did little else with the bat (.272/.308/.334 in parts of 15 seasons, 69 OPS+). But it was his defense that kept him in the game; from 1999-2001, while starting at shortstop for the Royals, he was a three-time league leader in defensive WAR.

2. Rey played for a dysfunctional Mets team in 2003. In one infamous incident, the infielder left his spot on the bench midgame and allegedly received a haircut in the clubhouse.

3. On June 11, 2004, Sanchez led the Devil Rays to an 8-7 win over the Rockies with a walkoff inside-the-park home run. It was the last such hit until Angel Pagan performed the feat for the Giants in 2013.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I had never encountered the name "Rey" before seeing this card. It can be short for Reynaldo or Reymond, but in Sanchez's case it's just plain Rey.

Bill James Said: "His range factor at short was the best of any major league player, his fielding percentage average." Translation: a number of his errors came on balls that his peers wouldn't have even reached.

On This Date in 1993: October 2. The top US single this week is "Dreamlover" by Mariah Carey. Ugh.

#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.

#256 Wil Cordero

About the Front: This is a pretty solid action photo, with Wil Cordero preparing to play a tough hop on a grounder in Wrigley Field. I just wish that the ball itself was in the frame.

About the Back: The portrait on the back, however, resembles a mugshot. Cordero has some experience with those.

Triple Play:

1. His lone All-Star season was 1994, when the shortstop batted .294/.363/.489 with 30 doubles, 15 home runs, and 63 RBI. He also earned a Silver Slugger Award.

2. On May 10, 2000, Wil went 5-for-5 with three runs scored, a home run, a double, and four RBI in a 13-9 Pirates win over the Mets.

3. Cordero excelled in a limited role with the Indians in 1999, batting .299/.364/.500 in 54 games and collecting five hits and a walk in 10 trips to the plate in Cleveland's Division Series loss to Boston.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I always thought that the loose way that Wil's jersey hung off his torso on this card made it look like he had a pot belly.

Bill James Said: "Explain this: Cordero struck out less than half as often as we had expected based on his minor league record, but still hit for more power but with a lower batting average."

On This Date in 1993: July 22. Levees near Kaskaskia, Illinois rupture, flooding the town under nine feet of water and forcing everyone to evacuate on barges supplied by the Army Corps of Engineers. Of course, the population was nine as of the 2000 Census (and jumped to 14 by 2010), so I guess it could have been worse.

#237 Jose Vizcaino

About the Front: I recognize the yellow banner on the left side of the photo as signage for CBS Sports, the former broadcast partner of Major League Baseball.

About the Back: As you can see, power was not Jose Vizcaino's game. He totaled 36 homers in parts of 18 MLB seasons, with a single-season high of five.

Triple Play:

1. Jose played 1,820 total games in the major leagues despite a career OPS+ of 76 (24% below average), but did have a reputation as a strong defender.

2. Vizcaino was a contributor to the 2000 World Champion Yankees. In the World Series opener, he went 4-for-6 and drove in the winning run with a single off of Turk Wendell in the bottom of the 12th inning.

3. He has worked for several years as a special assistant in player personnel with the Dodgers.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I remember Vizcaino always having this wide-eyed expression that made him look like he was in a constant state of surprise or shock.

Bill James Said: "With Sandberg and Dunston both unavailable early last year Vizcaino opened the season red-hot, slumped during the hot months, then closed with another rush, finishing with excellent offensive and defensive numbers." I don't know that I'd call .287/.340/.358 excellent, but James is right about the monthly splits. Jose's OPS by month, in chronological order: .823, .799, .639, .660, .507, and .745.

On This Date in 1993: June 20. Five days after a chewing tobacco ban is implemented across minor league baseball, AA Knoxville Smokies pitcher Travis Baptist is ejected for dipping, and manager Garth Iorg is also tossed from the game for allowing the infraction. This tidbit seemed relevant, considering Tony Gwynn's premature death from salivary gland cancer earlier this week (in the present day).

#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).