The basics: The first of two Mark Whiten cards in the 1993 Upper Deck set. He'll show up again as a member of the Cardinals. He was traded from Cleveland to St. Louis on March 31, 1993.
Card thoughts: You see a lot of backwards caps on cards once the 1990s hit, but I bet there aren't many backwards helmets.
Backs are important in '93 UD: "Hard Hittin'" Whiten enjoyed his most productive season to date in 1992 but he'd achieve his best season the very next year with the Cardinals. That would also be the year he'd hit four home runs in a game against the Reds.
Upper Deck's praise of Whiten's arm strength is not out of line, he was generally regarded as having significant muscle power.
More from '93:1930s New York Giants pitching standout Hal Schumacher died on this date in 1993. Schumacher is probably the greatest baseball player to come out of St. Lawrence University, whose sports teams I've covered quite a bit in my professional career. They're known more for producing pro hockey players.
Was there ever a card with Larry Walker facing Randy Johnson in the all star game? That was a classic backwards helmet moment.
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