#26 Skeeter Barnes

About the Front: Here's another truly odd photo. Skeeter Barnes is staring up at his own right hand as he throws the ball, as if to say, "Yep, I've still got the ball. Am I doing this right?". Or possibly, just as he was winding up to throw, a plane buzzed over top of the stadium. Hopefully he wasn't that easily distracted.

About the Back: There's a good visual representation of a journeyman's career. In the eight years from his MLB debut with the Reds to his arrival in Detroit, he totaled 75 games in five seasons, and didn't even get a sniff of the majors in the other three seasons. Besides the Reds, Expos, and Cardinals, Barnes also passed through the Phillies, Brewers, and Pirates organizations before getting his shot with the Tigers at age 34 in 1991. Talk about resilient!

Triple Play:

1. His birth name is William Henry Barnes.

2. His lack of a true defensive position and his struggles in various cups of coffee in the big leagues kept Barnes in the bus leagues for more than a decade despite his minor league batting line of .296/.348/.431.

3. Skeeter has coached in the Tigers and Rays organizations, and is currently Tampa Bay's minor league coordinator for base running.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Skeeter is a great name. You've got to have something to distinguish yourself when you're a utility player.

Bill James Said: "He's now 37 years old, but in great shape, and one of the most reliable bench players in the American League." After going 6-for-21 (.286) in 24 games in 1994, Barnes was sent back to AAA Toledo. He retired at season's end.

On This Date in 1993: June 21. Jeromy Burnitz debuted for the Mets, replacing Bobby Bonilla in right field and in the cleanup spot in the seventh inning of an 8-3 win over the Expos. He struck out looking in his only at-bat, the first of 1,376 punchouts in a 14-year career. (He would also hit 315 home runs, which is pretty swell.)

NOTE: I will be away at the beach for the next week, so the 1993 Topps blog will be pretty quiet for the rest of the month. See you later!

#25 John Franco

About the Front: In stark contrast to most of the pitcher photos we've seen thus far, John Franco does not look like he's exerting an extraordinary amount of effort in throwing the ball. He has a short, flat-footed stride, and his arm is cocked just enough that it appears as though he's merely lobbing the ball to the catcher. It might just have something to do with the precise moment at which the photo was taken.

About the Back: I didn't realize that Franco was drafted by the Dodgers. They traded him to Cincinnati in May of 1983 along with minor-league reliever Brett Wise for infielder Rafael Landestoy, who totaled 21 hits for L. A. before he washed out of the majors for good. Woof.

Triple Play:

1. John pitched for-freaking-ever, totaling 424 saves (fourth-most ever) with a 2.89 ERA in 21 seasons. He played out the string with the Astros in 2005 at age 44. Oh, the life of a lefty reliever.

2. His son J. J. was drafted by the Mets in the 42nd round of the 2010 draft, but chose to attend Brown University. The younger Franco batted .194 for the Bears and reached base at a .227 clip in 2013, and committed 12 errors in 39 games at shortstop. But hey, he's studying economics.

3. Franco was the third-ever team captain in Mets history, being tabbed for the honor in 2001.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I probably didn't know much about the vagaries of career arcs when I was younger, but I'm sure I would've been stunned to learn that the two Francos in the 1993 Topps set (John and Julio) would both still be active in the big leagues after I graduated college.

Bill James Said: (From Randy Myers' entry:) "Only 28 years old, it's hard to remember that he was once traded for John Franco, who is about 73." Of course, John was 33 at the time, but he laughed last anyway.

On This Day in 1993: June 20. John Paxson's three-pointer in Game Six of the NBA Finals helps the Chicago Bulls beat the Phoenix Suns, 99-98, to clinch their third straight league championship.

#24 Tim Naehring

About the Front: In case you couldn't tell, those are Tim Naehring's flip-up sunglasses dangling around his neck as he makes a relay (or warmup) throw. They appear to have an elastic band, like sports goggles. I can't imagine why he wouldn't just wear them on his face, with the shades flipped up if it's not too bright. Seems like they'd be a distraction flapping around his neck. I'll hazard a guess that it's the pre-inning warmup, and he'll pull them on when play resumes.

About the Back: Obviously there's an error in the writeup at the bottom. I can't track down Tim's college stats, but it would be pretty hard to drive in only five runs on nine homers.

Triple Play:

1. Naehring was a highly regarded but injury-prone infielder early in his career. When he was finally slotted in as Boston's starting third baseman in 1995, he was a big part of the club's return to the postseason. He batted .307 and reached base at a .415 clip in 126 games.

2. Sadly, a serious elbow injury sidelined Tim midway through the 1997 season, and in fact ended his career at age 30. He walked away with a .282/.365/.420 career batting line in 547 games.

3. He worked as farm director and later as minor league field coordinator for his hometown Reds, and in 2007 joined the Yankees organization as a scout.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Tim's awkward facial expression on the front of this card made me think of him as a player unsure of his abilities. Given his track record, he was probably just in pain.

Bill James Said: "The Red Sox infield is solid, and there's no obvious place for him, but I do believe he is a good hitter and a good fielder, and he may just shove somebody out of the way and take their job." As I said, it didn't happen until Boston traded Scott Cooper to the Cardinals in early 1995, but that's another notch in Bill's belt.

On This Day in 1993: June 19. William Golding, best known for writing the novel Lord of the Flies, passed away in Cornwall, England at age 81.

#23 Todd Stottlemyre

About the Front: This post-release shot of Todd Stottlemyre is a bit terrifying, and not just because of the Joker-esque rictus on his shadowy face. There is some unnatural muscle definition and contortion in that forearm. The more I think about professional pitchers, the more I wonder how most of them are able to live without constant pain after they retire.

About the Back: That near-no-hitter on August 26, 1992 was spoiled by a Dan Pasqua double to right-center field. That was the only one-hit shutout of Todd's career.

Triple Play:

1. You may know Todd as the son of Mel Stottlemyre, a five-time All-Star pitcher for the Yankees (1964-1974) and a longtime pitching coach. If you're a weirdo, you know him as the younger brother of Mel Junior, who pitched 13 games for the Royals in 1990.

2. In 2000, Stottlemyre was given the Lou Gehrig Award and the Branch Rickey Award, each of which is awarded annually for exemplary community service outreach. Todd is active with the Leukemia Society.

3. Todd's 15 wins in 1991 would remain a career high; however, he did notch 200-strikeout seasons in 1995 with the Athletics and 1998 with the Cardinals and Rangers.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: On October 20, 1993, I watched Stottlemyre start a wild Game Four of the World Series. He had a 3-0 lead before he took the mound, and quickly gave it back. The Phillies reached him for four runs in the first inning and two more in the second, and was yanked from the game for a pinch hitter in the midst of a four-run Jays rally in the top of the third. Philadelphia scored in each of the following four innings to retake the lead, 14-9. Then Larry Andersen and Mitch Williams happened, and Toronto won 15-14. What I missed was the series of events that led to Todd publicly declaring that Philly mayor Ed Rendell could kiss his ass.

Bill James Said: "The league hit .292 against him, his strikeout-to-walk ratio is bad and gets worse every year, his career ERA is 4.41 and he misses a month every summer with an injury." Quit sugarcoating it, Bill!

On This Date in 1993: June 18. Iraq refuses to let United Nations weapons inspectors install remote-controlled monitoring cameras at two missile engine test stands. I'm sure it's much ado about nothing.

#22 Jim Eisenreich

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

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

Triple Play:

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

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

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

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

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

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

#21 Luis Salazar

About the Front: As Luis Salazar dances off of second base, it looks like he's wearing forearm bands. I don't know if I've ever seen someone wear wristbands that large/that high.

About the Back: This is Salazar's complete major league statistical record, as he did not catch on with another team in 1993. Even though he didn't reach the majors until 1980, he signed with Kansas City as a teenager in 1973, so two decades in pro ball is nothing to sneeze at.

Triple Play:

1. As the Padres' starting third baseman in the early 1980s, Luis was a good defender. He led the National League in range factor at his position in 1982 and 1983, and also turned a league-high 28 double plays from the hot corner in 1982.

2. He pitched twice in mop-up relief for San Diego in 1987. He finished out a 10-1 loss to the Astros on June 10 with a scoreless inning of work, but allowed a run to the Reds on two hits and a wild pitch on July 29 in a 15-5 loss.

3. Salazar has coached and managed in the Brewers, Dodgers, and Braves organizations. During an Atlanta spring training game in 2011, he was struck flush in the face by a Brian McCann foul ball and was knocked unconscious. Though he lost his left eye as a result of the accident, he was considered very fortunate to have avoided brain damage and other serious injuries.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: It's funny to think that I spent my first year as a baseball fan closely poring over the cards of players in this set when some of them (such as Luis Salazar) were already out of baseball. Thanks to an absence of Internet and a more expansive cable platform, I literally didn't know what I was missing.

Bill James Said: Nothin'. As I've made very clear, Luis didn't play in 1993.

On This Date in 1993: June 15. Mike Piazza has the first two-homer game of his career, and the Dodgers rally for 10 runs in the final two innings to blow out the Rockies. It's a 12-4 final.

#20 Tim Salmon

About the Front: Tim Salmon was fortunate enough to get a solo card in the 1993 Topps set, which is more than 1993's other Rookie of the Year can say. (More on that later.) Not only that, but he got a card number on the 10's. Pretty heady treatment for a rookie, but he had just put up a 1.141 OPS in 118 games at AAA. Topps rolled the dice and it worked out well in this case.

I'd also mention that Tim Salmon was one of those guys who didn't age much cosmetically throughout his career. He looked much the same in 2006 as he did in 1992.

About the Back: The Angels scout who signed Salmon was actually his future big league coach (and current Rays skipper) Joe Maddon. With an "o". No respect from Topps.

Triple Play:

1. What Could've Been: The Braves drafted Tim in the 18th round in 1986, but he declined to sign, instead attending Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.

2. Salmon played his entire 14-year career for the Angels, finishing with a batting line of .282/.385/.498, 299 home runs, and 1,016 RBI. Remarkably, he never made an All-Star team.

3. In the only postseason of his career, he helped power the Angels to a seven-game World Series triumph over the Giants with a .346/.452/.615 line in 31 trips to the plate. His performance in Game Two (4-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB) was instrumental, as the Halos won a wild 11-10 contest.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: This guy seems pretty fishy, eh? Huh? Even as an adolescent, I loved terrible puns.

Bill James Said: (After suggesting that Salmon doesn't run or make contact enough to be a great star...) "But he should provide the Angels with a solid cleanup hitter for several years." Bill James is right more than he's wrong, you know.

On This Date in 1993: June 13. The WWF's King of the Ring pay-per-view event took place in the Nutter Center in Dayton, OH. Bret "the Hitman" Hart won the eight-man-tournament to become King, and Hulk Hogan lost the World Heavyweight Title to the 600-pound super-heavyweight Yokozuna. It was Hogan's last match in WWF until 2002. (C'mon, you knew I was going to work in a pro wrestling tidbit sooner or later.)

#19 Ed Nunez

About the Front: One of the biggest visual changes to occur in my 20 years of baseball fandom is the cut of uniforms. Players today wear their duds much looser than they did in 1993. Ed Nunez was a big dude (6'5", 235-240 pounds), and he squeezed into those skintight pants. I'd call it a change for the better, but some guys go too far and seem to be wearing pajamas.

About the Back: Because I know you're curious...the trade that sent Nunez from the Brewers to the Rangers was for the infamous Player to Be Named Later. The PTBNL turned out to be minor league pitcher Mark Hampton. I'm sorry for sharing that.

Triple Play:

1. Ed was the youngest player in the league when he debuted with the Mariners in 1982 at age 18. In his second-ever big league game, April 13, he pitched the 12th-17th innings. He allowed one run and struck out five in six innings. The game was suspended in the top of the 18th and resumed the following day, and Gene Nelson took the loss in the 20th for Seattle.

2. In 1985, he was the fifth-busiest reliever in the American League. The righty appeared in 70 games for the Mariners, leading the club with 16 saves.

3. Despite finishing second on the Athletics with 56 games pitched in 1993 (with a 3.83 ERA), Nunez did not make the cut in the 1994 Topps set. He allowed 20 runs in 15 innings in 1994, was released in mid-May, and that was that.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Nunez was another one of those guys that Topps presented differently than other card companies. To Donruss, Fleer, and Score, he was "Edwin". Topps stubbornly stuck with "Ed". Baseball Reference lists him as "Ed", so maybe Topps was in the right here after all. But it was a bit confusing to a kid.

Bill James Said: "Opposing hitters hit .298 against him, but he gave up only two home runs, and his strikeout/walk data was good." Those numbers do seem to indicate that he was walking a tightrope, and fell off in 1994.

On This Date in 1993: June 11. This is taken from the Baseball-Reference Bullpen wiki: "The Yankees-Brewers game at County Stadium is interrupted by some 100 seagulls who swoop down onto the field‚ apparently in search of moths hatching in the infield and outfield grass. The Yankees eventually win the game by a score of 5 - 4‚ winning in the 9th on a two-run pinch homer by Kevin Maas. While no players or seagulls are hurt‚ Wade Boggs calls the situation "terribly dangerous". The seagulls will return for tomorrow night's game‚ but the Brewers will be prepared for the birds. Gus the wonder dog‚ on loan from the Wisconsin waterfowl association‚ will keep them away."

#18 Terry Steinbach

About the Front: Our first Athletics card gives me an opportunity to scratch my head over the inclusion of red in the team's color scheme for this set. The A's hadn't had any red in their uniforms since their Kansas City days. Couldn't Topps have gone with just green and gold? Or even another, darker shade of green?

About the Back: Terry Steinbach was incredibly consistent as a hitter throughout his career, with one incredible exception that I'll get to in a moment. But he usually hit in the .270s with a bit of power and drove in 50-some runs. He was also a three-time All-Star: 1988, 1989, and 1993.

Triple Play:

1. Power hitting was on the rise in 1996, but I still don't know how to account for Terry's 35 home runs and 100 RBI that year. He did have a career-high 571 plate appearances, but he homered once every 14.7 at-bats to blow away his previous best of a home run every 24.4 trips to the plate. Steinbach's peak output otherwise was 16 round-trippers way back in 1987.

2. Terry attended the University of Minnesota, where the baseball team briefly featured three Steinbach brothers in the lineup: Tim at catcher, Terry at third base, and Tom in right field.

3. He finished his career back home in Minnesota, playing for the Twins from 1997 through 1999. In the final month of his career, he caught Eric Milton's no-hitter (he had also been behind the plate for Dave Stewart's no-no in 1990).

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: This was one of the most elusive cards in the set for me. I completed the entire second series of Topps back in 1993, but even after taking my wish list for Series One to the local hobby shop, I had a dozen or so stragglers that I didn't get my hands on until about 2008. The very first page of my 1993 Topps binder was incomplete! Oh, the humanity.

Bill James Said: "His season was ended by a broken wrist in mid-August; he'll be fine for '94." He was fine indeed, matching 1993's .285 average and increasing his RBI output from 42 to 57 in a comparable number of plate appearances.

On This Date in 1993: June 10. Scientists from California announce that they have extracted genetic material from a weevil preserved in amber that dates back to the time of dinosaurs.