#500 Jose Canseco

About the Front: It must have been really strange to see Jose Canseco in a Rangers uniform when this card was released. He'd been traded the previous August after an eight-year stay in Oakland that included a Rookie of the Year award, an MVP, and three straight trips to the World Series.

About the Back: The aforementioned MVP season was 1988, when Canseco became the first member of the 40 HR/40 SB club. His OPS+ that year was 170, meaning that he was 70% better than the league average hitter.

Triple Play:

1. Arriving in Texas kicked off the itinerant phase of Jose's career. From 1992 through 2001, he played for the A's, Rangers, Red Sox, A's again, Blue Jays, Devil Rays, Yankees, and White Sox. He also had Spring Training stints with the Angels and Expos.

2. He finished his big league career with a batting line of .266/.353/.515, 462 home runs, and 1,407 RBI. Even with the overall home run spike of the last few decades, he's still 35th all-time in round-trippers.

3. Canseco has achieved infamy as a fame-chasing bonehead, from the release of two "tell-all" books that accused several of his peers of steroid abuse, to his forays into reality TV, to moonlighting in mixed-martial arts and boxing, to...I'll just link to this summary of his various legal troubles.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: The major story with Jose Canseco in 1993 was his disastrous relief appearance for Texas in a 15-1 loss in Boston on May 29. In one inning, he threw 33 pitches (12 for strikes), gave up three runs on two hits and three walks, and blew out his right elbow, necessitating Tommy John surgery. I didn't realize until looking it up just now, but this happened three days after Cleveland's Carlos Martinez hit a fly ball that bounced off of Jose's head and over the Cleveland Stadium wall for a home run! Talk about a long week.

Bill James Said: "His chance to be a star now is to be Cecil Fielder, to hit 50 home runs and drive in 130, but he has to stay healthy to do that, and he needs to grow up to stay healthy." I think we all know how that turned out. Canseco topped 113 games played one more time in his career, when he clouted a career-high 46 homers in 151 games for the Blue Jays in 1998. By the way, James lists his position as "Right Field/Relief Pitcher". Har har!

On This Date in 1993: February 27. The Rangers sign pitcher Allan Anderson as a free agent. Anderson led the American League with a 2.45 ERA for the Twins in 1988, but lost effectiveness over the next few seasons. He would split the 1993 season between the Texas and Cleveland AAA affiliates, posting a 5.79 ERA in 26 games, and then retire.

#497 Matt Petersen and Willie Brown

About the Front: Many of these Marlins and Rockies "future stars" cards feature photos that wouldn't be out of place on Little League trading cards. This one is a prime example. Matt Petersen and Willie Brown even have wispy adolescent mustaches!

About the Back: Willie Brown was drafted in the 55th round by the hometown Braves in 1989, but didn't sign. In 1992, the Marlins took him in the fourth round. That'd be a bit of an upgrade. Matt Petersen, meanwhile, was a 27th round pick, but led the Erie Sailors in innings pitched in his first pro season. By the way, that Erie club was managed by future Marlins and Braves skipper Fredi Gonzalez, who was already in his third season as a minor league manager at age 28.

Triple Play:

1. Willie Brown lasted four seasons in the minors, progressing to high-A Brevard County in 1995. He finished his career with a batting line of .225/.320/.400, 42 homers, and 146 RBI.

2. Matt Petersen was also in pro ball for four years, with AA stints in the Marlins and Cubs organizations. He won 32 games and lost 30, with a 4.35 ERA.

3. Brown played collegiate baseball at Florida A&M University. This HBCU also produced Hall of Famer Andre Dawson and star players Hal McRae, Vince Coleman, and Marquis Grissom.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I was a lot more credulous 25 years ago, but even then I probably would've looked askance at the "Future Star" label for a guy who batted .200 in the low minors.

Bill James Said: Zippo. These guys weren't within sniffing distance of the majors.

On This Date in 1993: February 20. The New York Islanders retire goalie Billy Smith's uniform number 31.

#491 Shawn Hare

About the Front: I don't trust that orange Gatorade cooler lurking in the background. He's up to something...

About the Back: Pitchers Kevin Tapani and Curt Young are probably the most notable CMU Chippewas in recent years. Current Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter also attended Central Michigan, as did former Yankee Tom Tresh, who was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1962.

Triple Play:

1. On May 31,1994, Hare had the first multi-hit game of his big league career, going 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, and a run scored in the Mets' 3-2 loss to the Rockies.

2. His career ended with a fruitless 29-game stint in South Korea with the Haitai Tigers in 1998, batting just .206 with no home runs and three RBI.

3. Shawn now works as a financial advisor for Wells Fargo out in Woodland Hills, CA.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Do you think Shawn Hare's favorite Hall of Famer is Rabbit Maranville? Huh? Eh?

Bill James Said: Bill didn't evaluate Shawn prior to the 1994 season, as the outfielder spent all of 1993 at AAA Toledo, batting .264/.313/.466 with 20 home runs and 76 RBI.

On This Date in 1993: October 9. The White Sox battle back to tie up the ALCS at two games apiece with a 7-4 win in Toronto. Lance Johnson tripled and homered, and Frank Thomas went deep as well. The Chicago bullpen held the Blue Jays to a single run in 6.2 innings after rookie starter Jason Bere got the early hook.

#482 Darren Reed

About the Front: Here's an oddity. This is Darren Reed's only Topps card in a base set, but he appeared in their 1990 ML Debut set (released in 1991) in a Mets uniform, and appeared in the 1992 Traded set and Stadium Club set, both times as an Expo.

About the Back: Reed missed the entire 1991 season after he took an Alejandro Pena fastball to the hand.

Triple Play:

1. He hit his first career home run and his first (and only) career triple in consecutive at-bats against the Cubs' Steve Wilson on September 30, 1990.

2. Darren had just six home runs in 82 career games, but three of those came in a four-game span, July 25-28, 1992.

3. He missed all of 1993 with a serious hamstring injury, and never made it back to the majors. In his final pro season (1996), Reed batted .345/.406/.534 in 54 games for the Duluth-Superior Dukes of the independent Northern League.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: For some reason, I always thought he was a catcher. Maybe I was confusing him with Jeff Reed.

Bill James Said: N/A.

On This Date in 1993: September 15. Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein, disbands Parliament. Oh, no he didn't! But he totally did.

#473 Dave Henderson

About the Front: I think Topps was contractually required to depict Dave Henderson with his bright, gap-toothed grin on all of his cards. If they weren't, they should have been.

About the Back: Here's a fun fact - the 1992 Athletics had three players who were first-round picks in the 1977 draft. Harold Baines (first overall), Bob Welch (20th), and Henderson (26th). The Orioles' first-round pick in 1977 (19th overall) was Drungo Hazewood, who I mention just because.

Triple Play:

1. In Game Five of the 1986 ALCS, Dave rescued the Red Sox from the brink of elimination with a two-out, two-strike, two-run homer off of Angels closer Donnie Moore in the ninth inning to put Boston on top, 6-5. The Angels tied it in the bottom of the inning, and Hendu knocked in the winning run with a sac fly in the 11th.

2. On August 3, 1991, Henderson hit a solo home run in each of his first three at-bats against Twins pitcher David West, but Minnesota won 8-6.

3. He spent many years as a broadcaster for the Seattle Mariners.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: It tickled me that the A's had Rickey, Steve, and Dave Henderson at various points in the 1980s (Steve was in Oakland from 1985-1987, between Rickey's stints and before Dave's), and that none of them were related.

Bill James Said: "The A's are still playing him in center field, which is a joke, and still letting him bat cleanup." Hendu batted an anemic .220/.275/.427 with 20 homers and 53 RBI in 1993, his penultimate year in the majors.

On This Date in 1993: August 21. This week's number one song: "Runaway Train" by Soul Asylum. That's more like it.

#472 Chris Gwynn

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

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

Triple Play:

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

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

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

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

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

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

#471 Dave Gallagher

About the Front: Dave Gallagher's #8 is written on his bat knob, unless that's an infinity symbol. You never know.

About the Back: After his strong season at the AA level in 1983 (which included a .461 on-base percentage), you would have expected Gallagher to be on a fast track to the majors. But he spent the bulk of the next three seasons at AAA Maine, batting .247 and .242 before posting a .292 average in 1986 to finally earn his first callup.

Triple Play:

1. He was the center fielder on Topps' 1988 All-Star Rookie team, thanks to his .303 average and league-leading .994 fielding percentage.

2. On May 19, 1991, Dave went 5-for-5 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored in a 10-2 Angels rout of the Orioles.

3. After his playing career, Gallagher founded the Dave Gallagher Baseball Academy in North Trenton, NJ.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: If I looked at Gallagher's career with a critical eye at the time, I would've noticed that he batted .216 with one double and two RBI in 23 games with my Orioles, who promptly traded him to California for a pair of minor league scrubs, only to see him hit .293 with a .355 on-base percentage the following year. The O's made a lot of false steps at the beginning of the 1990s.

Bill James Said: "A useful player in the Henry Cotto/Stan Javier/Doug Dascenzo mold; when you have one you think they're a dime a dozen, but when you don't have one you'll notice it in a hurry."

On This Date in 1993: August 19. Expos lefty Jeff Fassero improves to 8-3 with a 1.89 ERA in a 10-2 win over the Cubs. He tosses a complete game, allowing six hits and three walks and striking out nine. Journeyman infielder Randy Ready and catcher Darrin Fletcher hit home runs for Montreal.

#467 Lee Stevens

About the Front: Lee Stevens is rocking a sweatshirt underneath his jersey, so I'm guessing it's pretty chilly wherever he is. (Cleveland?) Maybe that accounts for the near-total lack of fans in the bleachers behind him.

About the Back: "Mark Snipp" sounds like a Harry Potter character. He needs a more outlandish first name though. I'd suggest Maurelius Snipp.

Triple Play:

1. After batting .262/.325/.495 with 43 home runs and 136 RBI in 222 games with Japan's Kintetsu Buffaloes in 1994-1995, Stevens returned to America and played another seven seasons for the Rangers, Expos, and Indians.

2. He hit 144 home runs in the major leagues, including three in one game against the Tigers on April 13, 1998...but never had a walkoff homer.

3. Lee has been the hitting coach for the Rookie-level Grand Junction Rockies since 2013.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I never had the opportunity to wear eye black in Little League. I have a hunch that the visual effect would have been hilarious.

Bill James Said: Nothing, since Lee spent the 1993 season with Toronto's AAA Syracuse club, batting .264/.328/.449 in 116 games.

On This Date in 1993: August 13. Johnny Gaudreau is born in Salem, NJ. In 2014, he would be the NCAA's Hobey Baker Award winner, recognized as the top collegiate hockey player for his efforts at Boston College. He would join the NHL's Calgary Flames that same year, making the All-Star team as a rookie.

#466 Mike Felder

About the Front: Mike Felder looks somewhat embarrassed to be running to first base. "Is it even worth running out this little dribbler?"

About the Back: Felder's bases-clearing triple on May 27, 1992 came in the top of the ninth with two outs and the Giants clinging to a 2-1 lead, so it was pretty crucial. He scored San Francisco's sixth run on a Willie McGee single, and the Giants went on to win 6-2.

Triple Play:

1. Mike was the National League Player of the Week for May 26-June 1, 1991. In seven games over that span, he batted .467 (14-for-30) with two doubles, two triples, six runs scored, five RBI, and three steals in as many chances. He had five multi-hit games out of the seven.

2. He was the recipient of the Willie Mac Award in 1992. Since 1980, the Giants have honored one player each year who best represents the spirit and leadership of Hall of Famer Willie McCovey. The Giants' players and coaches vote on the award.

3. Mike last played in the majors with the Astros in 1994, but continued his career in various independent leagues and in Mexico through the 1998 season.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I couldn't tell you much about Mike Felder, but after all these years, I still remember his nickname - "Tiny". Such are the indignities of the 5'8", 160-pound athlete.

Bill James Said: "Felder signed with Seattle as a free agent, and opened the season as their regular left fielder, in which role he was a miserable failure (surprise, surprise, isn't this like the fourth time we've learned this?)." I'd say Bill was being needlessly cruel, but Felder's .211/.262/.269 line (43 OPS+) with one homer, 20 RBI, and 15-for-24 stolen bases makes me wonder how in God's name the Mariners allowed him to collect 374 plate appearances in 1993.

On This Date in 1993: August 12. The number one song in the U.S. is UB40's cover of Can't Help Falling in Love. Man, I never liked those guys.

#455 Chili Davis

About the Front: Chili Davis looks like he's about seven feet tall, rather than his listed 6'3". Maybe it's the pinstripes.

About the Back: Chili was the first Jamaican-born major leaguer, and to date there have only been three others: Devon White, Rolando Roomes, and Justin Masterson. That last one can probably win you a bar bet.

Triple Play:

1. On June 17, 1993, he pitched the final two innings of an 18-2 Angels loss to the Rangers. He retired six of the seven batters he faced, with only a plunking of Jose Canseco keeping him from perfection.

2. Chili retired after the 1999 season with 350 home runs, the fourth-most among switch hitters behind Mickey Mantle, Eddie Murray, and Chipper Jones. He batted .274/.360/.451 (121 OPS+).

3. Davis is currently in his first year as Red Sox hitting coach, following a three-year stint in the same position with the Athletics.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: How can you not like a guy named "Chili"? His birth name is Charles Theodore Davis, FYI.

Bill James Said: "A full-time DH, Davis drove in a hundred runs for the first time in his career, which effectively prevented people from talking about all of the things that he can't do." In the first year of his second go-round with the Angels, Chili batted .243/.327/.440 with 27 homers and 112 RBI. He also struck out a career-high 135 times, and his 103 OPS+ was the second-lowest of his career.

On This Date in 1993: July 21. Five years after the Yankees traded him to Seattle for Ken Phelps, Jay Buhner celebrates by going 5-for-5 with a homer, a double, and three RBI in a 10-3 Mariners win over the Bronx Bombers. Ken Griffey, Jr., Tino Martinez, and Lee Tinsley also go deep for the M's, who clobber Jimmy Key and Steve Farr in support of a complete-game effort from Erik Hanson.

#450 Darryl Strawberry

About the Front: The blurry fans in the background look like they're right on the field. For safety's sake, I'm sure that's not true.

About the Back: Two homers is all well and good, but Darryl had a pair of three-homer games in his career, separated by more than a decade: August 5, 1985 for the Mets and August 6, 1996 for the Yankees.

Triple Play:

1. Late in his career, Strawberry found new life as a part-timer for the Yankees. In 1998, he hit two pinch grand slams during the regular season; only four other players have performed that feat.

2. Darryl is both a recovered drug addict and a survivor of colon cancer. He currently lives in Missouri with his wife Tracy and is a born-again Christian minister.

3. His son D. J. (Darryl Jr.) was a swingman and point guard for the University of Maryland basketball team (2003-2007). He was a second-round draft pick of the Phoenix Suns, and has played pro basketball ever since, spending much of that time in Europe.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Thanks to The Simpsons, I've always suspected that the mocking chant of "DAAAARRR-RRYYYLLL, DAAAARRR-RRYYYLLL" will actually reduce Strawberry to tears.

Bill James Said: "The back injury which has cost him most of the last two years is obviously serious and probably chronic."

On This Date in 1993: July 10. Television screenwriter Sam Rolfe, who co-created Have Gun - Will Travel and also wrote for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Eleventh Hour, dies of a heart attack at age 69.

#446 Luis Mercedes

About the Front: Luis Mercedes is here to welcome yours truly back from vacation! He also seems to think that his curly black hair is just too gorgeous to hide underneath a cap. I'm sure Jim Palmer could commiserate.

About the Back: The idea of an affiliated minor league having a "Rookie of the Year" seems a bit odd to me, but as Luis was nearly three years younger than the average International League player in 1991, he was a worthy recipient of that award.

Triple Play:

1. Mercedes also led the AA Eastern League in batting with the Hagerstown Suns in 1990, with his .334 mark.

2. Late in the 1991 season, Luis was suspended at AAA Rochester for throwing his batting helmet in the face of an opposing player during an argument. Undeterred, the Orioles called him up in September for his big league debut.

3. He last played in Mexico during the 1995 and 1996 seasons, having finished his MLB career with a total of just 70 games played and a batting line of .190/.286/.242.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: In the early 1990s, I remember hearing Mercedes' name when my father was listening to O's games in the car. His name had a certain ring to it.

Bill James Said: "His skills probably are not a lot different from those of Willie McGee, who has the job that he wants." The Orioles had traded Luis to the Giants for pitcher Kevin McGehee on April 29, 1993, and the speedy, singles-hitting outfielder couldn't crack a San Francisco outfield that included McGee, Darren Lewis, and Barry Bonds.

On This Date in 1993: July 6. Manny Machado celebrates his first birthday. In the present day, he's a Gold Glove third baseman for the Orioles and is in the midst of his fourth big league season. Where does the time go?

#445 Dale Murphy

About the Front: This photo sums up Dale Murphy in the early 1990s. He's sitting on the bench, staring straight out at the field, wearing an unfamiliar uniform, and searching vainly for answers. Poetic, ain't it? There's also a background cameo by Philly manager Jim Fregosi.

About the Back: Hey, that's the old Phillies uniform! What gives?

Triple Play:

1. His son Shawn was an offensive tackle at Utah State University and a fourth-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2008. He played briefly in the NFL with the Buccaneers and Broncos.

2. Murphy had an amazing peak with the Braves in the 1980s, winning five Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers as a center fielder, earning back-to-back NL MVP honors in 1982-1983, and being tabbed for seven All-Star Games.

3. Dale coached first base for Team USA in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He also maintains a steady presence on Twitter (@DaleMurphy3).

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: If I'd followed baseball more closely when I was younger, I'm sure the sight of Dale Murphy in the Rockies' purple and black (he signed with the team on April 3 after being released by the Phillies) would have been jarring.

Bill James Said: "Murphy called it quits in May after getting about one hit a week." Yes, unfortunately the former star batted .143/.224/.167 in 49 trips to the plate for the Rockies, managing a lone double among his six total hits. Even the friendly atmosphere of Mile High Stadium couldn't prop up his flagging career.

On This Date in 1993: June 25. Walkoff walk! The streaking Orioles win their fourth straight with a 7-6 victory over the Yankees in ten innings at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. New York jumps out to early leads of 5-0 and 6-1, chasing starter Fernando Valenzuela in the fourth inning, but the O's rally back with five runs over the last four innings of regular play against Jim Abbott and three Yankee relievers. In the bottom of the tenth, Steve Howe yields a leadoff double to Damon Buford and intentionally walks a pair of batters (bookending a Mark McLemore sac bunt) to load the bases with one out. Buck Showalter replaces Howe with ex-Oriole John Habyan, who strikes out Mike Devereaux before issuing a game-ending free pass to Chris Hoiles on four straight pitches. With Baltimore's win and losses by front-running Detroit and Toronto, the O's close to within four games of first place despite ranking fourth in the top-heavy American League East. Forgive my verbosity, but I was just noting the parallels to the 2015 season thus far; swap out the Tigers for the Rays, and you've got four East clubs within 2.5 games of one another. And just like '93, the Red Sox are in fifth, nine (well, eight and a half) games out!

#442 Kevin McReynolds

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

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

Triple Play:

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

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

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

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

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

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

#440 Ruben Sierra

About the Front: It looks like somebody just told Ruben Sierra something very unsettling. Maybe it was along the lines of "the A's will still be playing in the Coliseum in 2015".

About the Back: Sierra has dropped to fourth on the Rangers' all-time home run list with 180 (owing to a pair of return stints in the 2000s). Ahead of him are Juan Gonzalez (372 HR), Rafael Palmeiro (321), and Ivan Rodriguez (217). Frank Howard hit 246 homers for the franchise, but all but nine of those came when the team was still the Washington Senators.

Triple Play:

1. In 2001, Ruben was the American League Comeback Player of the Year with the Rangers. He had played a total of 86 MLB games over the previous four years, but batted .291/.322/.561 with 23 home runs and 67 RBI in 94 games with Texas that season.

2. In all, he played parts of 20 seasons in the big leagues and totaled 306 homers and 1,322 RBI.

3. Sierra owns show horses, and recorded two albums of Latin music during the 1990s.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I remember Tony LaRussa referring to Ruben as "a village idiot" when the player made public comments questioning Oakland management's desire for him to be a more selective hitter.

Bill James Said: "Ruben Sierra is the first player in major league history to hit 20 homers, steal 20 bases, drive in 100 runs - and have a terrible season by his own standards." Sierra hit just .233/.288/.390 (86 OPS+) in 1993, making it the worst season of his career to that point.

On This Date in 1993: June 16. Jack McDowell turns in one of his best starts on the season, a three-hit shutout of the Athletics. Chicago wins 4-0, as McDowell (10-4) strikes out eight while walking two. He will twirl a two-hitter in Seattle on August 1.

#435 Willie McGee

About the Front: That's a pretty unusual stance for catching a fly ball. It almost looks like Willie McGee is slightly crouched, as if he were preparing to jump. He's clearly playing at Wrigley Field, so I guess a gust of wind could have carried the ball off-course.

About the Back: As you can see, Willie won an unconventional National League batting title in 1990. He was traded to Oakland at the end of August, but had already accumulated enough appearances in St. Louis to qualify for the N.L. crown. So despite the fact that his .274 average in the American League lowered his overall mark to .324, lower than Eddie Murray's .330 average with the Dodgers, McGee was still the top hitter in the senior circuit. Clear as mud?

Triple Play:

1. He won three Gold Gloves as the Cardinals' center fielder (1983, 1985, and 1986), captured a Silver Slugger award in 1985, and was also the 1985 N.L. MVP.

2. McGee finished his career back in St. Louis, spanning the 1996 through 1999 seasons. In a notable moment on April 8, 1997, he hit a walkoff pinch homer against Montreal's Ugueth Urbina in the bottom of the ninth inning of the Cards' home opener. Not only was it the first game-ending home run of his career, it gave St. Louis their first win after a season-opening six-game losing skid.

3. Willie has been a special assistant to Cardinals' GM John Mozeliak since 2013. Last year, he was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: It's kind of inspiring that somebody so strange-looking could be such a successful athlete. Still, it seems mean-spirited for folks to say that he looks like E.T.

Bill James Said: "Hit 3.5 times as many ground balls as fly balls, the highest ratio in the major leagues by far (253-73)."

On This Date in 1993: June 9. Lefty Terry Mulholland shuts out the Astros as the Phillies win 8-0. It's the third straight complete game for the veteran, who allows six hits and no walks and strikes out nine. Philly batters club four home runs, and Jim Eisenreich finishes a single shy of hitting for the cycle.

#429 Milt Cuyler

First of all, I'm sorry for the two-week hiatus. I was travelling...and then recovering from travel. Let's get back to Series Two.

About the Front: Milt Cuyler wears his uniform number (22) on his wristbands. That's a good way to keep teammates from wandering off with your equipment.

About the Back: Cuyler had only ten career home runs, but drove in 21 runs on those round-trippers. That's getting the most out of it.

Triple Play:

1. Milt finished fifth in the American League in stolen bases in 1991, and was third in Rookie of the Year voting behind Chuck Knoblauch and Juan Guzman. However, he never exceeded 89 games played in any subsequent big league season, and his career was essentially over after a 50-game stint in Boston in 1996.

2. On May 11, 1993, he set the tone for a 12-7 Tigers win over Toronto with a career-high four hits in six at-bats from the leadoff spot, including a double and a triple. He scored three runs and stole a base.

3. Cuyler has spent several years coaching rookie-level hitters with the Twins' Gulf Coast League affiliate.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Milt may have shared a last name with Hall of Famer Kiki Cuyler, but he finished his career with 1,970 less hits.

Bill James Said: "Appears to be suffering from Jerome Walton's Disease; played very well as a rookie but has failed to hold his ground."

On This Date in 1993: June 1. The Expos sign 18-year-old Orlando Cabrera as an amateur free agent from Colombia. He will go on to enjoy a 15-year career as a big league shortstop, winning a pair of Gold Gloves as well as a World Series ring with the 2004 Red Sox.

#426 Nigel Wilson

About the Front: Nigel Wilson's photo isn't very interesting, so I'll take this opportunity to talk about the Marlins uniform. I'm glad we've freed ourselves from the 1990s shackles of teal and purple as desirable color elements for team logos and uniforms. The cap and jersey lettering are already way too much teal, but wait until we get to the traded set and you get to see teal spring training jerseys, teal sleeves underneath the vests on the alternate home duds, and teal batting helmets. Thankfully the Marlins started incorporating more black into their scheme almost immediately.

About the Back: I didn't remember that Nigel was Canadian. I don't know if it's a more recent development, but it seems like the Blue Jays are always seeking out native Canucks to pump up local interest in the team.

Triple Play:

1. Wilson's father was a cricket player from Trinidad.

2. In cups of coffee with the Marlins and Reds, Nigel went hitless. His final shot at the big leagues came in September 1996 with the Indians. After an 0-for-25 skid to start his MLB career, he broke through with a pinch-two-run-homer on September 8, 1996. In all, he went 3-for-12 in Cleveland with a walk, a pair of home runs and five RBI, giving him a final career batting line of .086/.111/.257.

3. In 1997, he jumped to the Japanese League, where he enjoyed three seasons of 30-plus home runs for the Nippon Ham Fighters. On June 21, 1997, he became the second player in league history to go deep in four straight at-bats, joining the legendary Sadaharu Oh.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I recall a lot of hype about Wilson, primarily from the card companies. I guess that has something to do with him being Florida's first expansion draft pick.

Bill James Said: "In his September callup he went 0-for-16 and struck out 11 times, one of the least auspicious beginnings on record."

On This Date in 1993: May 14. William Randolph Hearst Jr., editor in chief of Hearst newspapers and son of the founder of the publishing empire, dies at age 85.

#414 Juan Guerrero

About the Front: Juan Guerrero appears to be totally alone on the field. If that ball takes a bad hop, nobody will be there to get him a bag of ice.

About the Back: Guerrero was a Rule 5 pick by the Astros prior to the 1992 season.

Triple Play:

1. His only big league home run was a walkoff shot off of Roger Mason in the bottom of the 12th inning on July 21, 1992.

2. The glamorous life of a Rule 5 pick in the National League: Juan played a game at second base, 10 at third, 19 at shortstop, two in left field, and 43 as a pinch hitter.

3. Guerrero never played in the majors again after 1992. However, he did bat .327/.365/.504 with 10 homers and 55 RBI in 76 games for the Catskill Cougars of the independent Northeast League. (I am a sucker for ex-big leaguers in the indies.)

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: This card provides a reminder that I haven't studied most of the set for 20 years. I could've sworn that Guerrero was listed as a shortstop. In my defense, he actually played the largest number of games at short in '92.

Bill James Said: N/A.

On This Date in 1993: April 28. Former NC State men's basketball coach Jim Valvano dies of metastatic cancer at age 47.

#407 Barry Bonds and Joe Carter

About the Front: That face that Barry Bonds is making? I feel like he wore that face for about 78% of his big league career.

About the Back: That .434 OBP seems pretty impressive. It's worth mentioning that Bonds posted a .476 OBP in the second half of 1992, putting him at a league-leading .456 for the year. Incidentally, Barry topped that .456 mark seven times in his superlative career, and had an overall mark of .444.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I always thought that Barry Bonds' dangly cross earring looked a bit silly.

On This Date in 1993: April 16. An Earth Day concert at the Hollywood Bowl features Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Steve Miller, and Don Henley.