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

141 - Dave Hollins

 

Front: Rounding the bases in spring training, but looking like he might be struck with a batted ball and ruled out. 

Back: Throwback uni! 

Better side: It is really hard to vote against a throwback uniform, especially considering this photo is from the 90s, but everything seems so random about the front. So, I vote for the front.

Ties to my personal collections: Spent part of the 1999 season with the Blue Jays, and was a hitting coach for the AAA Binghamton Mets.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 5.

Wiki-facts: "Hollins has been named a member of the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame."

Google it: He was from the Buffalo area, and former Bills WR Cole Beasley used to live in his former home. Cole retired earlier this month.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? 

Birthday boy:  May 25, 1966. Another MLBer with a double-digit worth of seasons, Bill Haselman, was born that date. He's card #552 in this set. The NFL provides Natu Tuatagaloa. Outside the sporting world, there is former Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh, whose wiki entry is something else. It includes the phrases "went into exile" and "Witch hunting campaign".

Next up: 142 - David Hulse

140 - Chris Hoiles

 

140 - Chris Hoiles

Front: In full catcher's gear for a very Panini-friendly photo.

Back: Even friendlier, with even less of the logo visible.

Better side: A draw. Neither really wows.

Ties to my personal collections: None.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 12

Wiki-facts:  He was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 2006.

Google it: It suggests "Chris Hoiles grand slam", which shows you a walk-off grand slam that allowed Baltimore to overcome a 13-10 deficit against Seattle. 

How was his strike-shortened 1994? 19 HR, 53 RBI while batting .247.

Birthday boy:  March 20, 1965. Nobody in the *-reference world was born that date, but wikipedia does list Scottish historian William Dalrymple. That name just sounds like a historian's name.

Next up: 140 - Dave Hollins

139 - Eric Hillman

139 - Eric Hillman

Front: Pitcher at the plate! Bunting! Hell yeah! 

Back: Pitching.

Silver Sig parallel

Better side: Not even close. The front. It looks like the picture was from this game at Dodger Stadium, and the sac. bunt was also successful.

Ties to my personal collections: He's a Met here. 

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 5

Wiki-facts: "Hillman was tied with fellow pitcher Randy Johnson for the tallest player in league history at 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), before later being passed by 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) Jon Rauch."

Google it: The second result is a linkedin profile of a student in British Columbia.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? 0-3 with an ERA of 7.79. His last MLB appearance was in May.

Birthday boy:  April 27, 1966. Shares it with card #45, Bob Ayrault. He also shares it with former NFLer Mike Stock, and frequent JJ Abrams co-worker Matt Reeves. But for some reason, I didn't list Eric when I posted Bob's card. Oops!

Next up: 140 - Chris Hoiles

138 - Ken Hill

 

Front: Pitching.

Back: Pitching.

Better side: Both seem to have the Wrigley ivy behind him, but it is clearer on the front.

Silver Sig:

Ties to my personal collections: He's an Expo here. 

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 11

Wiki-facts: "His son, Kenny Hill, was a quarterback at Texas Christian University." Go Horned Frogs!

Google it: It is probably a southern Ontario thing, but I get far more results on the opening page for a businessman who passed away in 2021. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/ken-hill-dead-1.5877740

How was his strike-shortened 1994? 

Birthday boy:  December 14, 1965. He shares it with a Hall of Famer - Craig Biggio. Also born on that date was actor and director Ted Raimi.

Next up: 139 - Eric Hillman

137 - Glenallen Hill

 

137 - Glenallen Hill

Front: In the dugout, finding something entertaining.

Back: Post-swing.

Better side: Always vote for the more Collector's Choice-ish photo. The front.

Ties to my personal collections: Former Blue Jay, traded in the deal that brought Tom Candiotti to Toronto.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 22.

Wiki-facts: "On May 11, 2000, Hill became the first, and thus far only player to hit a home run on the three-story residential building across the street from Wrigley Field at 1032 W. Waveland Ave."

Google it: Watch said home run.

How was his strike-shortened 1994?  10 HR and 38 RBI with a .297 average.

Birthday boy:  March 22, 1965. The NHL provides two players with that birthdate, Todd Charlesworth and the late John Kordic. Search youtube for John and Basil McRae for some absolute brawls. Not much else in either the wiki or *-reference world other than them.

Next up: 138 - Ken Hill

136 - Phil Hiatt

 

136 - Phil Hiatt

Front: Sliding (and it looks like he's failing to break up a double play)

Back: Swinging away 

Better side: It will take a lot to defeat a horizontal photo, and that generic at-the-plate photo isn't going to do it.

Ties to my personal collections: None.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 6, although half of them are one sentence.

Wiki-facts: Was named in the Mitchell report.

Google it: There is a professor named Phil Hiatt in one of The Sims games.

How was his strike-shortened 1994?  Was not in the majors.

Birthday boy: May 1, 1969 (nice). Former NBA veteran Billy Owens, who would play in exactly 600 NBA games, mainly with Golden State, was born that day. NHLer Ben Hankinson, who played in 557 fewer NHL games, and is now an agent, is another 5/1/69 baby in the *-reference world. Filmmaker Wes Anderson is the most famous member of that specific date's babies.

Next up: 137 - Glenallen Hill

135 - Orel Hersheiser

 

135 - Orel Hershiser

Front: Pitching.

Back: Pitching.

Better side: A repeat battle from last time, but at least there's a rather unique angle on the back. And that is enough to give it to the back.

Ties to my personal collections: He would have one season with the Mets in 1999, and get a few cards with them to end his career in 2000.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 47

Wiki-facts: "Hershiser is the only player to receive the Cy Young Award, the Championship Series MVP Award, and the World Series MVP Award in the same season."

Google it: Also has a profile at Poker Database. 

How was his strike-shortened 1994? 6-6 with a 3.79 ERA. Perfectly average. 

Birthday boy: September 16, 1958. That's the same as former St. Louis Cardinal Greg LaFleur. That's the football version, not the baseball version. He's the only one in the *-reference world that matches with Orel. But, that is the same date as actress Jennifer Tilly. Jennifer also as a poker database profile.  

Next up: 136 - Phil Hiatt

134 - Roberto Hernandez

Front: Pitching.

Back: Pitching.

Better side: A dull draw.

Ties to my personal collections: He'd go on to play with the Mets, and get some cards with them in the mid 2000's.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 13

Wiki-facts: "Hernández’s success in the 1986 season put little known USCA on the map for professional scouts. USCA would later refurbish and rename their baseball field after him".

Google it: While the first item is for this pitcher, the main image is of the former Fausto Carmona.

How was his strike-shortened 1994?  Went 4-4, with a 4.91 ERA and 14 Saves. 

Birthday boy: November 11, 1964

Next up: 135 - Orel Hershiser

 

133 - Pat Hentgen

 

Front: Throwing horizontally.

Back: Throwing vertically, with almost the same pose.

Better side: The angle is so much better on the front.

Ties to my personal collections: He's a Blue Jay here.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 11

Wiki-facts: "Hentgen was named to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2016." The 2022 induction ceremony took place yesterday, with one of Pat's former teammates, Duane Ward, among the inductees.

Google it: Nothing that couldn't be discovered through his wiki article.

How was his strike-shortened 1994?  13-8 with an ERA of 3.40. 

Birthday boy: November 13, 1968. Mark Kiefer of the Brewers was also born that date. Hockey has journeyman goaltender Mark Fitzpatrick. There isn't much else aside from those.

Next up: 134 - Roberto Hernandez

132 - Mike Henneman

Front: Preparing to pitch.

Back: Looking at something more interesting than the photographer.

Better side: Maybe if they actually showed what Henneman was looking at, I'd pick the back photo. But they aren't, so the front is better.

Ties to my personal collections: Was originally drafted by Toronto in 1982, but never signed.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 6

Wiki-facts: "Henneman was adopted as an infant and only found out about five brothers and two sisters after taking a DNA test in 2020."

Google it: More on his newfound family.

How was his strike-shortened 1994?  Went 1-3 with a 5/19 ERA and 8 saves. 

Birthday boy: December 11, 1961. 6 year MLBer Bob Sebra was also born that date. The NFL has Jess Atkinson, Chris Scott and Gardner Williams. No NBAers or NHLers match up with that date, but soccer does have Steve Nicol. Outside the sporting world, there's guitairist Dave King of Flogging Molly, and Macky Sall, the current president of Senegal.

Next up: Pat Hentgen

131 - Rickey Henderson

 

Front: Sliding.

Back: Hitting.

Better side: Rickey Henderson is better known for Rickey Henderson's prowess on the basepaths than at the plate, so that is Rickey Henderson's better option.

Ties to my personal collections:  Rickey Henderson is on the Blue Jays here, but Rickey Henderson would also play for the Mets. 

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 80

Wiki-facts: "In 1983, Henderson married his high-school sweetheart, Pamela. They have three children: Angela, Alexis, and Adrianna."

Google it: If you search on images, the first 15 photos are Oakland ones, with one being from a ceremony at the Stadium.

How was his strike-shortened 1994?  Rickey Henderson was back with Oakland, batting .260 with 6 HR, 20 RBI and 22 SB.

Birthday boy:  December 25, 1958.  Rickey Henderson is not the only MLBer born that date, as that's also former Padres Gerry Davis's birthdate. The NFL has Jeff Rohrer and Hanford Dixon. Singer Alannah "Black Velvet" Myles is another 12/25/58 baby.

Next up: Mike Henneman.

130 - Charlie Hayes

130 - Charlie Hayes

Front: Snagging the ball, although it does look like practice, thanks to the casualness of the player behind him.

Back: Hitting

Silver Sig:

Better side: Still the more unique photo is the front one.

Ties to my personal collections: Would sign with the Mets in 2000, but be released during spring training.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 18

Wiki-facts: His son is Ke'Bryan Hayes of the Pirates.

Google it: The Society for American Baseball Research calls him a 'solid journeyman'.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Batted .288 with 10 HR and 50 RBI.

Birthday boy:  May 29, 1965. Jarmo Myllys, formerly of the San Jose Sharks, was borth that date as well. The day also claims NFLer David Braxton, who mostly played for the Cardinals. 

Next up: Rickey Henderson

129 - Hilly Hathaway

 

129 - Hilly Hathaway

Front: Pitching.

Back: Dugout boredom.

Better side: Nice use of a horizontal format gives the nod to the front.

Ties to my personal collections: None.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 2

Wiki-facts: Real, full name is Hillary Houston Hathaway. The original Triple H!

Google it: Nothing of note, although you can learn that it is short for Hillary there as well.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? His last MLB experience was in 1993.

Birthday boy:  September 12, 1969. The *-reference world has nobody else on that date. Wiki is a little more helpful. Author James Frey, famous (infamous) for the fabrications in A Million Little Pieces was born that date. So is former Masters winner Angel Cabrera Sr. That would be nice, but he's currently serving time for domestic violence. Shigeki Maruyama, another golfer with 3 PGA wins, albeit in less well-known tournaments may not be as notable as the other two, but he's the least sketch of this group.

Next up: Charlie Hayes

128 - Billy Hatcher

 

Front: Dugout pose.

Back: Dancing? 

Silver Sig parallel:

Better side: I don't know quite what he is doing on the back, but it is definitely the more interesting of the two.

Ties to my personal collections: None.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 13

Wiki-facts: Middle name is Augustus. 

Google it: There is a Game Cube game called Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg. No relation to the player.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? He'd be traded to the Phillies. Overall, batted .245 with 3 HR and 31 RBI.

Birthday boy:  October 4, 1960. Fellow MLBer Joe Boever was born that date. He was active with Detroit this season, but did not get a card in this, or any other UD release this year. Or next year. He'd get a Collector's Choice card in 1996. It is also the birth date of NFLers Tom Jelesky and Dan McQuaid. The NBA claims Jim Grandholm, and there were no NHLers. Henry Worsley, an explorer who passed away after trying to make a solo crossing of the Antarctic, was also born on that date outside of the *-reference world. In the news, Eastern Air Lines Flight 375 crashed at Logan Airport, killing 62 of the 72 people on board.

Next up: Hilly Hathaway

127 - Bryan Harvey

Front: Rather generic pitching photo.

Back: Looks to be celebrating one of his 45 saves.

Better side: An easy win for the back.

Ties to my personal collections: None, but I do have his autograph out of 1996 Leaf Signature.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 6.

Wiki-facts: "named Rookie Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News" (1988)

Google it: There was a musician with the same name. He was murdered, along with his family, in a spree killing in Richmond.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? A 5.23 ERA with 6 saves in 10 games. His 1995 would be even worse - 1 game, and an ERA of infinity. 

Birthday boy:  June 2, 1963. No other MLBers were born that date. One-game NHLer Jeff Eatough also was. Doug Evans played 354 more games with stops in Winnipeg, St. Louis and Philly. Of the three NFLers born that day, Vic Bellamy, Dana Wright and Larry Roberts, Larry was easily the most successful on the field, with two Super Bowl championships over 8 years with the 49ers.

Next up: Billy Hatcher

126 - Greg W. Harris

 

Front: I'm suddenly hungry for sunflower seeds.

Back: Pitcher at the plate!

Better side: Both are really good and perfect for the Collector's Choice line. Given the fact recent photos of pitchers at the plate will disappear from cards shortly, I'll pick that one.

Ties to my personal collections: None.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 5, including one dedicated to botched surgeries and financial mismanagement. The lawsuits seem to have netted him $16,000,000.

Wiki-facts: The 'W' stands for Wade.

Google it: The first Greg Harris you get while googling is the other pitcher named Greg Harris. There are three baseball players named Greg Harris on the first page, including a former minor leaguer during the 2010s.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Went 3-12 with an ERA of 6.65. Ouch. 

Birthday boy:  December 1, 1963. No former MLBers were born that date. There's a rare NBA match, with a former member of the Miami Heat in Billy Thompson. Former Browns/Chiefs center Tom Baugh provides NFL content. The world of short-track speed skating provides a more notable member of the 12/1/63 club with 3-time Olympic medalist and Canadian Sports Hall of Fame member Nathalie Lambert. The list of her medals takes up a full screen at wikipedia. Cricketer Arjuna Ranatunga is another one, and his wiki includes the sentence "he was regarded as one of the fattest cricketers to have played at international level".

Next up: Bryan Harvey

125 - Gene Harris

Front: Pitching from the side.

Back: Pitching from the front. 

Better side: He looks a little derpy on the reverse, so I'll pick the front photo.

Ties to my personal collections: Debuted with the Expos, before being traded to Seattle as part of the Mark Langston/Randy Johnson trade. His only major card as an Expo was in 1990 Pro Debut.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 3

Wiki-facts: "During the 1994 season, an injured and ineffective Harris lost his closer role with the San Diego Padres to Trevor Hoffman in mid-April"

Google it: It wasn't until the 8th page that I got a link for the pitcher, as opposed to the jazz pianist.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Didn't the Wiki-Facts hint at it enough? 1-1 with a 8.03 ERA with the Padres. Was traded to Detroit, where he went 0-0 with 7.15 as his ERA. 

Birthday boy: December 5, 1964. NHL journeyman Perry Berezan was born that date, and he's the only player in the *-reference universe born that date. I was an English major, so I have no idea what this means in a technical sense, but this sounds really important medically: "Lloyd J. Old discovers the first linkage between the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and disease—mouse leukemia—opening the way for the recognition of the importance of the MHC in the immune response."

Next up: Greg W. Harris

124 - Erik Hanson

 Posting two of these in a single month?! What's wrong with me?

Front: Releasing the pitch at Yankee Stadium

Back: On its way.

Better side: If the two photos are sequential, then it has to be a draw. If not, then I'll take the back due to the framing of the ball right at the top of the screen.

Ties to my personal collections: Signed with the Jays in 1996. Finished 1 season and 2 part seasons with a 13-20 record and a 5.68 ERA. Ouch.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 3.

Wiki-facts: He attended Wake Forest University.

Google it: There's an artist with the same name.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Was with the Reds, going 5-5 with a 4.11 ERA. 

Birthday boy: May 18, 1965. Former NFLers Greg Rakoczy and Rufus Porter were born that date, with the latter having a 10-year career despite going undrafted. Outside the sporting world, Israeli spy Eli Cohen was hanged in Syria on that date.

Next up: Gene Harris

132 - Jeffrey Hammonds

Front: Super casual dugout photo.

Back: At the plate.

Silver Parallel

Better side: That front picture wouldn't look out of place in a Studio set. Just filer it B&W filter it and voila! Easily the front.

Ties to my personal collections: Was drafted by Toronto in 1989, but didn't sign.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 20.

Wiki-facts: Picked up a bronze during the 1991 Pan-Am Games.

Google it: Currently works for the MLBPA as a Special Assistant in Player Programs and Initiatives.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? He finished 6th in the AL ROY voting after going .296 with 8 HR and 31 RBI.

Birthday boy: March 5, 1971. He shares that with quite a few MLB alum, such as Brian Hunter (card #659 in this set), Chad Fonville, Brian Lesher and Jose Mercedes. The rest of the *-reference world only provides former NHLer Scott Thomas, who had his time with Buffalo end in 1994 after 39 games, only to journey through the minors and return in 00-01 for 24 more games with LA.

Next up: Erik Hanson