148 - Gregg Jefferies

148 - Gregg Jefferies

Front: Sliding

Back: Running. 

Better side: I do like the horizontal photo with the arms outstretched to the side, but the running photo is the perfect mix of intense with a hint of derpiness. The back pulls out a surprise nod. 

Ties to my personal collections: Former Met at this point in his career. 

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 21

Wiki-facts: "In 2020, he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he was "absolutely not" content with what he accomplished in his career." 

Google it: If you had about 2.5 million in your couch cushions, you could have bought his former home in New Jersey last year. 

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Went .325 with 12 HR and 55 RBI. Earned an All-Star appearance for the second straight year.

Birthday boy:  August 1, 1967.  Former NHLer Dan Vincelette was also born 8/1/67. Despite almost 200 NHL games, he'd never get a card in a major release. Wikipedia lists film director José Padilha as an August 1st 1967 baby as well.

Next up: 149 - Reggie Jefferson

147 - Domingo Jean

 

Front: Pitching

Back: Pitching

Better side: The front looks like spring training, the back looks like regular season. I love the indifference of the player with his back to the pitcher. The front photo wins. 

Ties to my personal collections: None. 

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 8

Wiki-facts: "Jean was the last active New York Yankee player to wear number 42 before Mariano Rivera donned it in 1995."

Google it: The image that comes up when Domingo Jean autocompletes is his 1992 Bowman card. You know the one...

How was his strike-shortened 1994? He'd already pitched his last MLB game at this point.

Birthday boy: January 9, 1969. A very boring date. Nobody on the -reference sites. Nobody on the January 9 wiki entry. Zzzzzzzz.

Next up: 148 - Gregg Jefferies

146 - John Jaha

 146 - John Jaha

Front:  Doing something defensively.

Back: At the plate.

Silver Sig:

Better side: The front not only works with the horizontal format, but with the design of the card as well.

Ties to my personal collections: None. 

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 7

Wiki-facts: "Jaha became only the second player (after Joey Meyer) to hit a ball into the upper deck at Mile High Stadium."

Google it: Nothing out of the ordinary. Just baseball stuff. Normal is good.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Went .241 with 12 HR and 39 RBIs. 

Birthday boy:  May 27, 1966. NHLer Ray Sheppard, who put together a solid 14 year career was born that date, and the NBA has another journeyman type born that date - Eric Leckner. 

Next up: 147 - Domingo Jean

145 - Danny Jackson

 Front - Almost flat on the ground after the delivery. Which was his style

Back - Generic pitching photo

Silver sig - 

Better side: The first one really shows Jackson's methodology of pitching. This one was easy!

Ties to my personal collections: None

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 6

Wiki-facts: "pitched, as of 2021, the only immaculate inning in World Series play"

Google it:  Watch said inning! 

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Went 14-6 with an ERA of 3.26, made the All-Star team.

Birthday boy:  January 5, 1962. Butch Graves, who played in 4 games for the Cavaliers in 84-85, was born on that date, but that's all the *-reference world has. Actress Suzy Amis Cameron (Titanic, The Usual Suspects) accompanies Danny on the wikipedia list of people born that day.

Next up: 146 - John Jaha

144 - Pete Incaviglia

Front: Rounding the bases, sporting a throwback.

Back: Swinging, also with a throwback.

Silver Sig:

Better side: I love the ever-so-slight whip on the bat on the reverse, but the front photo gives a better look at the uniform. The front by a nose. 

Ties to my personal collections: None, although he was drafted by the Expos.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 12

Wiki-facts: "As a result of the Expos trading Incaviglia immediately after signing him, Major League Baseball instituted a rule whereby a team cannot trade a drafted player until he has been under contract to the club for at least one calendar year. This was known as the Pete Incaviglia Rule."

Google it: "In 1999, Pete Incaviglia was voted as the NCAA Player of the Century by Baseball America."

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Hit .230 with 13 HR and 32 RBI. He'd spend 1995 in Japan before returning.

Birthday boy: April 2, 1964. A good day for Football Reference, with Lee Getz, John Brandes and Brendan Folmar matching that date, but no other sports have players there that do. Wikipedia lists former pro-wrestler "Jonathan Sharkey", whose entry includes this "He was also jailed in Tennessee for making threats against an Indiana judge. Investigators confiscated two rifles and a wooden stake with spikes at his house". Fun!

Next up: Danny Jackson

143 - Todd Hundley

 

Front: Throwing.

Back: Signaling.

Better side: The back is a little more unique, and therefore more Collectors-Choice-esque.

Ties to my personal collections: He's a Met! And was the man behind home plate until they traded for some guy named Piazza.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 15

Wiki-facts: "His father, Randy, was a catcher for the Chicago Cubs"

Google it: He had the Mets team home run record. Here he is concerning Pete Alonso breaking it:

https://sny.tv/articles/watch-todd-hundley-weighs-in-on-pete-alonso-breaking-his-mets-home-run-record

How was his strike-shortened 1994? 16 HR, 42 RBI, but only a .237 average.

Birthday boy: May 27, 1969. He's one year late for a couple Hall of Famers, Jeff Bagwell and Frank Thomas. The only other person in the *reference world born that specific date is one time Charlotte Hornet Travis Williams. Wikipedia lists former NASCAR racer Jeremy Mayfield was also born that day.

Next up: 144 - Pete Incaviglia

142 - David Hulse

 

142 - David Hulse

Back-to-back Daves! (They all have their own hands but they come from different mums)

Front: Sliding! And is that a throwback uniform? 

Back: On the bases, with the glove blocking the view of anybody wanting to see some booty.

Better side: Even if booty was visible, I gotta vote for the front.

Ties to my personal collections: None.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 6 

Wiki-facts: "In a game against the Cleveland Indians on May 26, 1993, Hulse was in center field when the Indians' Carlos Martínez hit a ball to deep right-center field that bounced off the head of right fielder Jose Canseco and over the fence for a home run."

Google it: There's a "Certified Vibrational Sound Master Teacher" by the same name.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? 1 HR, 19 RBI with a .255 average.

Birthday boy:  February 25, 1968. 1 season NBAer James Blackwell was born that date. The NHL provides Darrin Madeley, who spent 3 seasons with the expansion Senators, which comprised his entire NHL career. Pretty bland date. 

Next up: 143 - Todd Hundley