1993 Finest Refractors
Boston’s Last .400 Hitter Isn’t Who You Think
No, this isn’t an article about Ted Williams hitting .406 in 1941. It’s not about his batting .400 and .407 in his war-shortened 1952 and 1953 seasons. Wade Boggs is the last .400 hitter since Ted Williams retired in 1960. But wasn’t Boggs’ highest single season batting average “just” .368? Aren’t the closest approaches to .400 George Brett’s .390 in 1980 and Tony Gwynn’s .394 from 1994?
Steve Finley Never Retired From Baseball
The career 300/300 ballplayer quietly had a very impressive decade in the 1990s.
What’s Better Than a 5th Grade Teacher? One That Played for the Mariners
The winning pitcher of Nolan Ryan’s final game now teaches elementary school. He also appears on an alarmingly green refractor card.
One of Baseball’s Best Closers Played Less Than 400 Innings
There was a brief period in baseball history where Bryan Harvey ruled the bullpen.
Mike Lansing: Giving ’93 Finest a Second Miami Team
What happened when an independent minor league team showed up to grab players at the MLB Amateur Draft?
Revisiting ’93 Finest: David Nied
The Braves’ Big-4 were almost the Big-5. Then came the expansion draft.
1993 Finest: When the Orioles Selected Big Ben First in the Draft
His selection as the first pick in the 1989 Draft was still fresh in collectors’ minds four years later.
Tom Henke Became A Major League Pitcher to Get Free Beer
That’s right, Tom Henke wouldn’t have become a professional ballplayer if it hadn’t been for friends promising to buy him beers if he tried out in front of major league scouts. The Texas Rangers liked what they saw in the 6’5″ bespectacled pitcher and picked him in the 1980 draft.