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

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

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

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

Triple Play:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#484 John Wehner

About the Front: John Wehner massages his trick knee while attempting to field a chopper.

About the Back: Hey, it's a hometown boy! It's always fun to see a local guy play for his team.

Triple Play: 

1. In parts of 11 MLB seasons, John played every position except pitcher. That includes three appearances each at shortstop and catcher.

2. On October 1, 2000, Wehner hit the last of his four career home runs. It was also the final homer ever hit in Three Rivers Stadium.

3. He coached for the Pirates' AA Altoona Curve team in 2003-2004, before taking an analyst gig with the big league club.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I don't care how it's pronounced, I'm still going to snicker at his name.

Bill James Said: "Wehner hit .340 in 37 games in 1991, which was a stone fluke." A .249 career average (68 OPS+) says that Bill wasn't lying.

On This Date in 1993: September 22. The Rockies conclude their inaugural home schedule with an MLB record attendance of 4,483,350 at Mile High Stadium.

#469 Dave Hansen

About the Front: I like to imagine that Dave Hansen just fell butt-first into a sinkhole in Wrigley Field and he's asking for a helping hand.

About the Back: Hansen fared much better than high school outfielder Michael White, the player the Dodgers chose ahead of him in 1986. White spent seven seasons in the minor leagues, reaching AAA for just a single game in 1992.

Triple Play:

1. Hansen's best overall season was 1993, when he batted .362/.465/.505 in 127 plate appearances in a bench role for the Dodgers.

2. In 2000, Dave set a major league record with seven pinch hit home runs, six of which either tied the game or put the Dodgers ahead.

3. In recent years, he has served as hitting coach for the Dodgers and Mariners. He is currently the Angels' assistant hitting coach.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I'm sure I was very impressed by Dave's high batting average in 1993, especially considering that he batted just .214 the previous year. Apparently a back injury in 1992 hampered his performance.

Bill James Said: "Had a great year as a pinch hitter, and may have earned another shot at the third base job, which has been up for grabs since Ron Cey was traded in 1983."

On This Date in 1993: August 17. The Orioles sign 16-year-old Aruban pitcher Sidney Ponson as an amateur free agent. He will pitch in the majors from 1998 through 2009, accumulating 91 wins, 113 losses with a 5.03 ERA (89 ERA+) and three arrests.

#457 Tracy Woodson

About the Front: This was Tracy Woodson's first Topps card since the 1989 base set. I can't think of anyone else in the 1993 set who might have had such a long drought.

About the Back: Tracy's single-season home run record still stands at NC State, though Turtle Zaun tied the mark in 1988.

Triple Play:

1. He appeared in seven postseason games for the Dodgers in 1988, primarily as a pinch hitter. Batting for Franklin Stubbs in the top of the seventh inning in Game Four of the World Series, he gave L.A. a 4-2 lead with an RBI groundout. The Dodgers went on to win, 4-3.

2. Tracy had the dubious honor of striking out while pinch-hitting for Dodgers pitcher Tim Belcher, thereby making the final out of Reds pitcher Tom Browning's perfect game on September 16, 1988.

3. Woodson was a minor league manager from 1998-2004, working in the Pirates, Padres, and Marlins organizations and winning the Southern League championship in 2003 with the Carolina Mudcats. He's been a head coach in the NCAA since 2007, first at Valparaiso University, and now at the University of Richmond.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I never did like the no-sideburns look.

Bill James Said: "Stan Royer plays the same position(s) and is a similar hitter, and I'm guessing that Royer will get Woodson's job." After batting just .208 with no power or walks in pinch-hit duty in 1993, Woodson never played in the majors again. He spent three more seasons plugging along at AAA before retiring.

On This Date in 1993: July 23. There's a three-way tie atop the American League Eastern Division, as Boston tops Oakland in 10 innings, the Yankees beat the Angels, and Toronto falls to the Rangers. At 53-43, the Red Sox technically lead the Yanks and Blue Jays (both 54-44) by a single percentage point. Meanwhile, the Orioles, winners vs. the Twins, lurk a half-game behind the trio at 53-44.

#448 Ken Caminiti

About the Front: Is Ken Caminiti catching a pop-up or watching a bird fly overhead and dreaming of flying away himself?

About the Back: Ken shares his April 21 birthday with fellow ex-major leaguers Gary Peters, Al Bumbry, Jesse Orosco, as well as current Dodgers rookie slugger Joc Pederson. Also: Terry Tiffee. I just wanted to say (or type) Terry Tiffee.

Triple Play:

1. From September 16-19, 1995, Caminiti hit a home run from each side of the plate three times in a four-game span. No other switch hitter in big league history has performed the feat three times in a month, much less in four days.

2. He really broke out after a trade to the Padres, winning three straight Gold Gloves and capturing the 1996 NL MVP with a batting line of .326/.408/.621, 40 homers, and 130 RBI. Though San Diego was swept by the Cardinals in the NLDS that year, he added three more longballs in the three-game series.

3. Ken battled numerous injuries and addictions during and after his playing career. His personal demons included alcoholism, prescription painkillers, smokeless tobacco, and cocaine. After retiring from baseball, he admitted in an interview with Sports Illustrated that he had used steroids while in MLB. He died of a heart attack at age 41 in 2004.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Caminiti was the cover boy for Hardball 6, a PC game that I got some mileage out of in my teen years.

Bill James Said: "In about two years he will wake up and discover that he can't get around on a good fastball, but until then he's an above-average regular." Can't be right all of the time.

On This Date in 1993: July 8. Second baseman Billy Doran plays the final game of his 12-year career, collecting a pinch-hit single in the Brewers' 15-3 rout of the Twins. Doran spent the bulk of his time with the Astros, and retired with an OPS+ of 106 (.266/.354/.373) and 209 stolen bases.

#403 Gary Sheffield and Edgar Martinez

About the Front: I just realized how annoying it is that they don't list positions on the fronts of these All-Star cards. It's of particular concern with this card, since neither Gary Sheffield nor Edgar Martinez stayed at third base for much longer. Sheffield was a corner outfielder from 1994 onward, and Martinez was a full-time DH by 1995.

About the Back: Edgar's .328 first-half batting average looks plenty impressive, but he batted .364 for the final 53 games of 1992 to capture the American League crown with an overall mark of .343. Sheffield won the N.L. batting title with an overall .330 average, though his splits by half were more even (.325 first half, .338 second).

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: When I pulled this card from the pack, Martinez was having his worst big league season, limited to a .237 average and .378 slugging percentage in a 42-game, inury-hampered campaign. But he would rebound in 1994 and remain a world-class hitter for another decade.

On This Date in 1993: April 9. Bo Jackson (who we just covered on Monday!) pinch-hits for Dan Pasqua in the bottom of the sixth inning at Chicago's Comiskey Park and hits a home run off of Yankee reliever Neal Heaton. It's his first game appearance since hip replacement surgery, and his first home run since September 21, 1991, but the White Sox are thumped 11-6.

#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.

#390 Wade Boggs

About the Front: A few cards ago we had "25" on Devon White's bat, now we have "26" on Wade Boggs' cleats.

About the Back: You can see that Boggs had his worst offensive year by far in 1992, falling below .260 after never previously batting less than .302 in the first decade of his career. Fans must have been wondering whether it was a fluke or the beginning of his decline.

Triple Play:

1. He always seemed to draw a lot of attention for things that he did off the field. There was the famed superstition that had him eating chicken the day of every game, the ugly $12 million legal fight with his former mistress Margo Adams, and the legendary claims that he downed "at least" 64 Miller Lites on a cross-country flight while with the Yankees.

2. Boggs retired after a 1998-1999 stint with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, finishing with a triple-slash of .328/.415/.443 and 3,010 hits. His 578 doubles are still good for a #20 all-time rank.

3. He was a first-ballot Hall of Fame choice in 2005, joined on the dais by Ryne Sandberg.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Wade keeps crossing over into my other decades-long fandoms, with a memorable 1992 guest appearance on The Simpsons and a cameo at the 2007 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, where he posthumously inducted longtime personal friend "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig. Boggs credits the pro wrestler with saving his life, helping to carry Wade to safety after the latter severely cut his leg on barbed wire during a hunting trip.

Bill James Said: "Has about a 50-50 chance to get 3,000 hits."

On This Date in 1993: March 12. The Athletics release Jeff Ballard seven weeks after signing him. The Stanford lefty, who was 18-8 with a 3.43 ERA at age 25 with the 1989 Orioles, will catch on with the Pirates in late April and finish his MLB career with a couple of uneven seasons in the Pittsburgh bullpen.

#385 Jim Leyritz

About the Front: Close your mouth, Jim Leyritz. You're letting in flies.

About the Back: You don't see many "C-OF-3B" positional designations on cards.

Triple Play:

1. Leyritz was a part-time player for most of his career, but had a knack for big postseason hits. In Game Four of the 1996 World Series, his three-run homer off of Atlanta closer Mark Wohlers tied the game with one out in the eighth inning; the Yankees went on to win it in extras and knot the Series at two games apiece.

2. While playing for the Padres in 1998, Jim homered in three straight NLDS games as San Diego pushed past the Astros.

3. On December 28, 2007, Leyritz, driving on a supsended license, crashed his vehicle into another car in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The other driver was killed, and tests showed that both motorists were under the influence of alcohol. The ex-ballplayer was acquitted of manslaughter charges, as it was unclear whether he or the other driver had run a red light. But he was found guilty of misdemeanor DUI.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: He also sparked a decisive six-run Yankee outburst in their Game Five ALCS clincher against the Orioles in 1996, causing much consternation for yours truly. If only that had been the worst thing he ever did in his life.

Bill James Said: "He was one of the best platoon players in baseball, hitting .336 with a .600 slugging percentage against lefthanders."

On This Date in 1993: March 3. American biologist Albert Sabin, developer of the oral polio vaccine, dies of heart failure at age 86.

#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.

#336 Mike Pagliarulo

About the Front: I assume that Mike Pagliarulo is tracking the flight of a pop-up as he holds up on the basepaths. He looks like he's being tugged in two different directions.

About the Back: If you were listing players with 30-homer seasons, how long would it take you to remember Pags?

Triple Play:

1. In addition to the ALCS homer mentioned on the card back, Pagliarulo also had a go-ahead longball against John Smoltz in the seventh inning of Game Four of the 1991 World Series. However, Atlanta rallied to win that contest.

2. He missed out on the players' strike in 1994, having signed a free agent deal the previous offseason with Japan's Seibu Lions. He batted .263/.362/.418 in 80 games with the Lions, then finished his career back in the majors with the Rangers in 1995.

3. After his playing career ended, Mike had a scouting website known as Baseline Report. He is currently the hitting coach for Pittsburgh's AAA Indianapolis club.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Pags was an underrated midseason pickup for my Orioles in 1993, batting .325/.373/.556 with nine doubles, six home runs, and 21 RBI in 33 games down the stretch. I particularly remember his grand slam off of Nolan Ryan.

Bill James Said: "He's a free agent, and I wouldn't touch him with a 20-foot pole."

On This Date in 1993: December 8. President Bill Clinton signs the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) into law.

#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.

#315 Edgar Martinez

About the Front: Thank the heavens that Edgar Martinez's bat is not literally on fire, as is the case in the photo atop this article about the former Seattle great.

About the Back: As you can see, the moribund Mariners didn't slot Edgar into the starting lineup until after his 27th birthday, and he won his first career batting title two years later. Imagine what he could've done if he hadn't been taking repeated tours of AAA in his mid-20s.

Triple Play:

1. Martinez was a two-time AL batting champ, with his other top season coming in 1995. That year, he led the loop with 121 runs scored, 52 doubles, a .356 average, a .479 on-base percentage, and a 185 OPS+. He played all 145 games for Seattle in the strike-shortened season, also setting career highs with 29 doubles, 113 RBI, and a .628 slugging percentage. All that, and he still finished third in MVP voting behind dubious winner Mo Vaughn (.300/.388/.575, 39 HR, 126 RBI) and runner-up Albert Belle (.317/.401/.690, 52 2B, 50 HR, 126 RBI).

2. Edgar played through 2004, retiring as a career-long Mariner at age 41. He batted .312/.418/.515 (147 OPS+) for his career, with 514 doubles, 309 home runs, and 1,261 RBI. His on-base percentage is 20th-highest all-time; four of the players in front of him played the bulk of their games in the 19th Century, and a fifth (Ferris Fain) played barely half as many games as Martinez. He was a seven-time All-Star and a five-time Silver Slugger, and his feats as a designated hitter were so prodigious that MLB created a namesake award after his retirement to honor the best DH in the American League each year. However, the pinheads in the BBWAA have let him languish on the Hall of Fame ballot for five years and counting, penalizing him for the dual crimes of not playing a defensive position and daring to play during the past few decades, when big, bad, scary steroids ruined the sanctity of baseball. Ugh.

3. He is a noted humanitarian and an entrepreneur, with his own namesake endowment for muscular dystrophy research at the Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle. In June 2007, he was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame in Boise, ID, which I have just learned exists. In 2005, he was a cofounder of Plaza Bank, the state of Washington's first hispanic financial institution. In 2013, he collaborated with the Mariners and local chefs and bartenders on Edgar's Cantina, a bar and grill inside of Safeco Field.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I was thrilled when Martinez roped "The Double", a two-run walkoff hit off of New York's Jack McDowell in the 11th inning of the decisive Game 5 of the 1995 ALDS. It has become possibly the most memorable scene in Seattle's team history, securing a series win in the club's first-ever trip to the postseason. At the time, I was just a big Ken Griffey, Jr. fan who hadn't yet grown to strongly dislike the Yankees. But in hindsight, I enjoy that moment all the more.

Bill James Said: "Martinez, one of the best hitters in baseball, severely pulled his hamstring in April, tried to come back too quickly, and then a) didn't hit, and b) re-injured the hamstring." If you look back at Edgar's career stats, the 42 games played and .237 average in 1993 stick out like a sore, um, hamstring. Yet he still drew enough walks (28 in 165 PA) to give him a .366 OBP and a perfectly average 100 OPS+. I feel like most fans still don't grasp just how good a hitter he was.

On This Date in 1993: November 5. The back-to-back World Champion Blue Jays release Jack Morris. After going 21-6 with a 4.04 ERA in 240.2 innings in his Toronto debut in 1992, the longtime Tigers ace plunged to 7-12 with a 6.19 ERA in a rocky 1993 campaign. He will sign with the Indians for 1994, but find himself out of work again that August after putting up a 5.60 ERA in 23 starts in Cleveland.

#303 Brook Jacoby

About the Front: Brook Jacoby is pictured in a pretty classic third baseman's pose - knees bent, glove at the ready, throwing hand in position to pound the mitt expectantly. Off the top of my head, I can't recall ever seeing the glove-pounding action in a candid shot.

About the Back: This a complete major league batting record for Jacoby, who had a forgettable 18-game stint in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons in 1993 before retiring.

Triple Play:

1. On July 3, 1987, he hit three solo homers in four trips to the plate, but Cleveland was still outslugged by the White Sox, 14-9.

2. Brook was an All-Star in 1986 and again in 1990.

3. He has been a hitting coach in the Rangers' organization, and also served as Cincinnati's big league hitting coach from 2006 through 2013.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: One of the first Brook Jacoby cards I owned was a 1992 Fleer issue depicting him in the green and gold of the Athletics. I bet that was a strange sight for Indians fans.

Bill James Said: He did not say, as Jacoby was not playing in America in 1993.

On This Date in 1993: October 20. Records are set in an outrageous Game Four of the 1993 World Series. The Blue Jays eke out a 15-14 win over the Phillies, as the teams combine for the most runs in a Fall Classic game. It's also the longest nine-inning Series game at the time, taking four hours and 14 minutes to complete. There are six lead changes and seven half-innings featuring multiple runs. Toronto blows an early 3-0 lead, but rallies from deficits of 6-3, 12-7, and 14-9. Larry Andersen and Mitch Williams conspire to allow a decisive six-run Jays rally in the top of the eighth, with Devon White's two-run triple putting the visiting team ahead for good. The Phillies are put in a 3-1 hole in the best-of-seven championship.

#298 Scott Livingstone

About the Front: The sleeves on Scott Livingstone's undershirt are an unusual length. They're much longer than his jersey sleeves, which looks kind of sloppy.

About the Back: Livingstone played 44 games (127 at-bats) for the Tigers in 1991, and in fact had a card in the 1992 Topps set. It seems like they were playing fast and loose with the "All-Star Rookie" designation.

Triple Play:

1. Scott made 246 pinch hit appearances in his big league career, with modest success: .277/.309/.375 with 16 doubles, two homers, and 36 RBI.

2. In 213 trips to the plate with the Padres in 1995, he hit .337/.380/.490 with a personal best of five home runs.

3. Livingstone opened the Stars Academy of Baseball in Southlake, TX in 2006.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: "Scott Livingstone, I presume?" I had heard the famous "Dr. Livingstone" quote somewhere or another, and linked it to this young ballplayer. Such are the connections our minds make.

Bill James Said: "The odd man out in the Detroit infield, where Gomez has taken over at shortstop, Fryman and Trammell both play third when they can't play short, and Tony Phillips is liable to play anywhere."

On This Date in 1993: October 10. The Blue Jays push the White Sox to the brink of elimination with a 5-3 win in the fifth game of the ALCS. Juan Guzman ran his career postseason record to 5-0 as the winning pitcher, and Robin Ventura's two-run, two-out homer in the ninth inning was too little, too late. Toronto chased White Sox starter and 1993 Cy Young winner Jack McDowell in the third inning, touching him up for three runs on five hits and three walks.

#288 Dave Cochrane

About the Front: Dave Cochrane is pictured hunkered down at third base, where he played 10 games in 1992. He also appeared in 21 games as a catcher, 16 in left field, nine in right field, three at first base, two as DH, and one game at second base. Have gloves, will travel.

About the Back: Two straight players living in Yorba Linda! What are the odds?

Triple Play:

1. In 1987, Cochrane pitched in eight games for the White Sox' AAA Hawaii club. He allowed 15 hits and nine runs in 11.1 innings, with 11 walks and six strikeouts, and that was the end of that experiment.

2. On June 15, 1991, he went 2-for-4 with a double, a bases-loaded walk, and a career-high five RBI as Seattle trounced the Tigers 15-2.

3. Dave played his final big league game on July 30, 1992, collecting a pinch single in the ninth inning before exiting for a pinch runner.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I always wondered if he was related to Hall of Fame catcher Mickey Cochrane. As near as I can tell, the answer is no.

Bill James Said: He didn't say. Dave was out of baseball after the 1992 season.

On This Date in 1993: September 26. The first mission inside the research facility Biosphere 2 ends after two years.

#266 Rene Gonzales

About the Front: Rene Gonzales is taking his hacks in the "new" Comiskey Park, as evidenced by the blurry guys in black-and-white uniforms in the home dugout. Of course, now the park is known as U. S. Cellular Field. Boo to corporate naming rights, yay to taking away the name of the old skinflint who helped drive his players to throw the World Series in 1919.

About the Back: Rene "saw action", alright. He entered the first game of the 1991 ALCS in the eighth inning as a pinch runner for John Olerud, took over at first base in the bottom of the inning, and made two putouts. He played one inning at shortstop in the fifth game, receiving no defensive chances. In between, he did a lot of spectating.

Triple Play:

1. Gonzales had one walkoff home run in his career, a tiebreaking solo shot against Seattle's Mike Jackson on April 29, 1990. It came with one out in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Orioles a 5-4 victory.

2. He played every defensive position except for catcher and center field during his big league career. Yes, that includes pitching; he worked a perfect eighth inning for the Angels in an 11-4 loss at Detroit on June 6, 1993. The utility player dispatched Mickey Tettleton on a foul popup to third base, and got a pair of groundouts from Kirk Gibson and Chad Krueter. It took all of 13 pitches, eight of which were balls.

3. Rene was a manager in the low minors for the Brewers' organization from 2007 through 2009.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I always liked that Rene wore number 88, since 8 was my favorite number as a kid and high numbers were so rare among major leaguers.

Bill James Said: "Had a big surprise season in 1992, and was following through in 1993 until a September slump (12 for 67) cut about 20 points off his average." Gonzales was at .267/.364/.342 on September 7, and finished the year at .251/.346/.319. His OPS rounded to .666. Coincidence? Yes.

On This Date in 1993: August 21. Phillies' southpaw Terry Mulholland breaks his right hand punching a water cooler after giving up a second-inning home run to Houston's Scott Servais, but stays in for seven innings. The Astros win 3-2 in extras, with Luis Gonzalez delivering a walkoff single against David West in the bottom of the tenth. Afterward, Mulholland admits that his act of self-injury was stupid, but says that it would've been even dumber if he'd used his pitching hand.

#259 Craig Grebeck

About the Front: This has been a favorite 1993 Topps card of mine for a long time, due to the somewhat unique image of Chris Hoiles setting a target for the unseen Oriole pitcher as Craig Grebeck stands in the box.

About the Back: Lookit those 15 homers for Craig in his first minor league season! Who knew he had that kind of pop at any pro level?

Triple Play:

1. His brother Brian was a 19th-round draft pick of the Angels in 1990 out of San Diego State University. He played pro ball for 12 seasons, but never reached the major leagues.

2. Grebeck, nicknamed "The Little Hurt" by Hawk Harrelson, hit only 19 career homers in a dozen seasons in the bigs. However, he touched up Kenny Rogers three times, took David Wells deep twice, and hit his first career home run off of Nolan Ryan on August 10, 1990.

3. After retiring, Craig became a coach in the Angels' organization.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Standing at 5'7", Grebeck was shorter than I was at that time. It was something of an ego boost for a gawky, unathletic middle schooler such as myself.

Bill James Said: "One of my favorite players, a tiny little guy who takes advantage of his size by forcing the pitchers to pitch to him, and is also strong enough to drive the ball."

On This Date in 1993: August 12. The Indians outlast the Brewers in an 8-6 rollercoaster of a game, thanks to Carlos Baerga's three-run homer off of Jesse Orosco in the 11th inning.

#245 Chris Sabo

About the Front: It just wouldn't be Chris Sabo without those Rec-Specs. Judging from the squinting grimace on his face, he might have needed a new prescription.

About the Back: Pretty underwhelming numbers for Sabo in 1988, when he won the NL Rookie of the Year Award...save for those 40 doubles and 46 steals. He got four more first place votes than Mark Grace, who batted .296 with a .371 on-base percentage, but had only 23 doubles, seven homers, and three steals.

Triple Play:

1. Chris was red-hot in the 1990 World Series (get it?), batting .563/.611/1.000 in 18 trips to the plate with a double, two home runs, and five RBI.

2. Injuries severely curtailed Sabo's career. He totaled 147 games from 1994 through 1996 with the Orioles, White Sox, Cardinals, and Reds. His short-lived return to Cincinnati included a seven-game suspension for corking his bat; he claimed the bat belonged to a teammate, but would not name the offending player.

3. Chris was a 2010 inductee to the Reds' Hall of Fame. He's kept a low profile since hanging up his spikes, though he did spend the 2005 season coaching with the Reds' single-A Dayton Dragons farm club.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Sadly my chief memory of Sabo was his single disappointing year in Baltimore, though in hindsight a .465 slugging percentage in 68 games isn't too shabby. He was pushed off of third base by a resurgent Leo Gomez, though, and griped about being shifted to right field and DH.

Bill James Said: "He has lost his speed after a series of ankle and foot problems."

On This Date in 1993: July 7. Hurricane Calvin makes landfall near Manzanillo in Mexico, claiming 34 lives.

#238 Chris Donnels

About the Front: Chris Donnels' front foot is pointing at the visitor's dugout. That doesn't seem right.

About the Back: Donnels was the 24th overall pick. He didn't really pan out for the Mets, but they took Todd Hundley and Pete Schourek with their next two picks, at least.

Triple Play:

1. The Marlins selected Chris in the Expansion Draft in November 1992, but placed him on waivers a month later; he was claimed by Houston.

2. He played in Japan from 1996 through 1998, batting .288/.401/.507 with 42 home runs in 264 games for the Kintetsu Buffaloes and Orix Blue Wave.

3. Donnels hit five pinch home runs in his major league career.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: The spelling of his name always tripped me up. Double-n, single-l.

Bill James Said: "He'll be 28 in late April, so getting a regular job is probably out, but could have a good career as a pinch hitter/extra infielder."

On This Date in 1993: June 23. John Olerud goes hitless for the first time since May 25 in a 4-3 Toronto loss to the Yankees. His 26-game hit streak may be over, but he's still batting .401/.502/.694 on the season.