30 - Matt Drews

Front photo: Throwing in front of a tarp.

Back photo: Might be from an actual game. At least he's throwing towards something or someone.

Better photo?: I'll vote for the back one, just because there is something in the foreground.

Ties to my personal collections: Was part of a trade that sent former Blue Jay Cecil Fielder to the Yankees, accompanying a (then) future Blue Jay Ruben Sierra to the Tigers.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 8. About 8 more than I expected for someone who didn't reach the bigs. The power of being a Yankees draft pick!

Wiki-facts:Grandson of former big leaguer Karl Drews. Karl was killed by a drunk driver in 1963.

Google it: There is something called The Matt Drews society. Which taught me that Angelfire is still out there. Last update to the page seems to have been 2002.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? At A-ball in Oneonta, went 7-6 with a 2.10 ERA. That would be the lowest ERA of his career.

Birthday boy: August 29, 1974. Japanese keyboard player Kumi Tanioka was also born that date. If you're a video game fan, you may have heard some of her work.

Up next: 31 - Kurt Abbott.

29 - Billy Wagner

Front photo: Casual Friday at baseball card photo shoot day.

Back photo: Something different, an exercising photo.

Better photo?: Definitely the back photograph. Mainly because I haven't seen a photo like that so far.

Ties to my personal collections: Would go on to become one of many heart-attack inducing closers for the Mets in the 2000s.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 34.

Wiki-facts: Nickname was "Billy The Kid". How creative. Is a natural right-hander, but learned to throw lefty after two broken arms as a child.

Google it: Twitter handle is wagsk13wjs_e - Let's see. Wags. K. 13. Then I'm lost.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Entered the season ranked as the #78 ranked prospect. Finished it at #17. Was a starter, going 8-9 with an ERA of 3.29.

Birthday boy: July 25, 1971. One of the original Toronto Raptors, Tracy Murray was born that date. Nobody else from the 4 major team sports lines up with that, but actress Chloë Annett (Red Dwarf) and country singer Roger Creager were also born 7-25-71.

Up next: 30 - Matt Drews. Then we move on to the standard base set.

28 - Brooks Kieschnick

Front photo: Posed photo.

Back photo: Seems cropped way too tightly to be from an actual game. I'll really be glad to work my way out of these staged photos.

Better photo?: The bat over both shoulders is a classic pose, especially horizontally.

Ties to my personal collections: No direct ones, but the fact he both pitched and player outfield later

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 15

Wiki-facts: Was one of the inaugural members of the College Baseball Hall of Fame, and has had his number retired by the University of Texas.

Google it: You can follow him on twitter at @kiesch23. It isn't verified, but who the hell would try to impersonate Brooks Kieschnick on twitter?

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Was at AA Orlando. Didn't pitch, but batted .282 with 14 homer runs and 55 RBIs.

Birthday boy: June 6, 1972. One of my favourite names to say in baseball was born that date - Tony Graffanino. A couple short term NBAers, Frankie King and James Scott, were also born that date. A player with a more famous NHL brother in Marko Kiprusoff is a 6-6-72 baby. Outside the pro sports world, Today's Natalie Morales is another one.

It is nice to have a rather busy day in this category.

Up next: 29 - Billy Wagner.

27 - Matt Brunson

Front photo: A posed photo in front of a team photo interesting.

Back photo: The position of the ball gives a unique look to the staged photo.

Better photo?: The ball makes it closer than it should be. Still, I love that team shot in the background and give it to the photo on the front.

Ties to my personal collections: Nothing.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: N/A. Doesn't have one.

Wiki-facts: Again, N/A.

Google it: You have to go to the second page to find anything about this Matt Brunson. There's a guitarist from the band Crowbar and someone from Creative Loafing Charlotte ahead of him. First link included the term 'bust'. Yikes.

 How was his strike-shortened 1994? Batted .212 with 1 HR and 31 RBI.

Birthday boy: September 2, 1974. Basketball-reference lists Jason Lawson, who played 17 games with the Orlando Magic as being born that date. And that's it for the *-reference sites. But, wiki gives you an Australian Race Car driver in Steven Johnson, and a star of adult cinema. I'm not giving you the name, you can find out if you so desire.

 Up next: 27 - Brooks Kieschnick. And we're finally back to guys who have wiki entries.

26 - Kirk Presley

Front photo: A classic photo with a beautiful view of a minor league park in the background.

Back photo: Generic posed pitching photo.

Better photo?: Not even close. Stadium for the win!

Ties to my personal collections: Is pictured as a Met. I have another card of his in my Mets binder that says was third cousin to Elvis.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: N/A. Doesn't have one. Did have an article in People though. That's probably the first for someone from this set.

Wiki-facts: Again, N/A.

Google it: There's a lawyer in Kansas City named Kirk Presley whose name pops up as well in google searches. Not the same guy, unfortunately.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Spent time at Pittsfield and St. Lucie. Went 6-7 with an ERA of 3.83 in 16 appearances, all starts.

Birthday boy: April 17, 1975. Nobody at any of the *-reference.com sites has that exact birthday. But, he does match up with a Travis Roy, hockey player who was sadly left a quadriplegic 10 seconds into his first shift at Boston University.

Yegads this is a depressing card.

OK. British politician Heidi Alexander was also born that date. She's still in office, so maybe that counts for something.

Up next: 27 - Matt Brunson.

25 - Trot Nixon

Front photo: Posed photo.

Back photo: Couldn't be more staged if he were reciting Hamlet's soliloquy.

Better photo?: The clouds look like they are real and not some photographers backdrop, so I'll vote for the front.

Ties to my personal collections: Played 11 games of the 2008 season with the Mets and has a base card in that year's update set. I don't have it. The 2008 issue, and its parallels, were the last cards of his career.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 17

Wiki-facts: Real name is Christopher Trotman Nixon.

Google it: First son was born on 9/11/2001. He was at the airport in Norfolk, VA after air space shut down.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Spent the season with the A Level Lynchburg Red Sox, batting .246 with 12 HR and 43 RBI.

Birthday boy: April 11, 1974. Nobody else on the various *-references has that exact date. But, he does match up with model and actress Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica).

Up next: 26 - Kirk Presley.

24 - Steve Soderstrom

Front photo: Posed  photo, but at least you get some scenery in the background.

Back photo: Unless that ballpark has a fence within a few paces of the mound, I'll call this one posed as well.

Better photo?: Trees in the background are always nice. The front.

Ties to my personal collections: Was originally drafted by the Mets in 1990 in the 15th round. Didn't sign with them.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 4

Wiki-facts:  He currently runs a baseball teaching facility in Turlock, CA. Only had 3 big league appearances, all starts, going 2-0 with an ERA of 5.27 in 1996.

Google it: He's actually the co-owner of the Backyard Sports Academy.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Spent his time at Class A San Jose, where he went 2-3 with a 4.20 ERA.

Birthday boy: April 3, 1972. Matches up with nobody on any of the team sports reference sites. but does match up with former tennis player Sandrine Testud, who has 3 singles championships and was ranked #9 in the world at one point. In Hollywood, actresses Jennie Garth (90210) and Leigh-Allyn Baker (Will & Grace) were also born that date.

Up next: 25 - Trot Nixon.

23 - Jeff Granger

Front photo: Despite the fact he debuted with the Royals in 1993, it is still a posed shot. But, that debut consisted of one inning and an ERA of 27.00.

Back photo: And another one.

Better photo?: A bland draw.

Ties to my personal collections: None that I can see.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 2

Wiki-facts: If I ever get a wikipedia page, I don't want the words "cautionary tale" to appear on it. Unfortunately for Jeff, those words do appear in relation to his being rushed to the majors. On a better note, he was also a quarterback at high school and at Texas A&M.

Google it: There is another Jeff Granger that shows up in two other links prior to this Granger. No matter how bad the cautionary tale is for the baseball Jeff Granger, at least the first three words in an article about him don't contain the phrase "Corrupt tax auditor".

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Had two games in the bigs, both starts. Went 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA.

Birthday boy: December 16, 1971. Both the Bangladesh Liberation War and Indo-Pakistani Wars of 1971 ended on that date. Michael McCary of Boyz II Men was born that date. Nobody else on other sports reference sites has that exact birthdate.

Up next: 24 - Steve Soderstrom

22 - Wayne Gomes

Front photo: A posed shot.

Back photo: Due to the fact that there's nobody else on the field, I'll call it a posed photo as well.

 Better photo?: It isn't a band photo, so he can get away with a chain link fence on his card.

Ties to my personal collections: Most similar players as per baseball reference are a pair of former Blue Jays, Giovanni Carrara and Cliff Politte. Was also once traded for former Blue Jay Felipe Crespo. There's one more in birthday boy, but it isn't a sports tie-in.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 2

Wiki-facts:  After his retirement, he opened the Virginia Baseball Academy in Suffolk, VA. He

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Spent it in the minors as A-level Clearwater.

Birthday boy: January 15, 1973. While he does match up perfectly with a soccer player from Egypt in Essam El-Hadary, there's a death on that date that interests me much more, as a MSTie. Coleman Francis passed away on that date - the man who brought us The Beast of Yucca Flats, The Skydivers and Red Zone Cuba.

"Drink Night Train go to the basketball game, throw up under the bleachers..."

Up next: 23 - Jeff Granger.

21 - Brian Anderson

Front photo: A posed shot.

Back photo: Probably a posed shot as well, even though he went from the draft to the bigs in the same season.

Better photo?: I'll go for the front, due to the visible lights in the background.

Ties to my personal collections: Nothing of note. Never played for a team I follow. Was once part of a trade that included someone named 'Pep Harris', who has just landed on my wantlist on the strength of being named Pep Harris.

Paragraphs in wikipedia entry: 19

Wiki-facts: Was a fill-in broadcaster for Cleveland while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He is currently part of the Rays broadcast team as a TV analyst. Was on the World Series winning D-backs in 2001.

How was his strike-shortened 1994? Started 18 games, with a 7-5 record and an ERA of 5.22. Good enough for 6th in the AL ROY balloting. He finished ahead of teammate Jim Edmonds.

Birthday boy: April 26, 1972. Same date as former Pirate Francisco Cordova. In other sports, former NFL C Tim Ruddy was also born on that date. Outside the sporting world, actress Maura West, who has 3 Daytime Emmy Awards for her work on soap operas. Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana, died on the date.

 Up next: 22 - Wayne Gomes.