Cal Ripken Jr., 1992 Triple Play #199

Look, Cal Ripken isn't a violent man by nature. But if Kevin Maas comes in too high with a takeout slide at second base, Junior is going to linger at the bag for just a moment, gripping the ball with a little extra oomph. Maybe he'll give a passing thought to spiking that ball off of Maas' helmet, but he'll think better of it. He'll bend down, just as the Yankee first baseman moves to get up and dust himself off, and he'll challenge Maas to a friendly wrestling match in the clubhouse. He'll grin at the younger player, his icy blue eyes glinting. Always keep them guessing.

Gregg Olson, 1992 Triple Play #13

The sands of the 2013 baseball season are slipping quickly through the hourglass. School is back in session, it's still dark outside when I get up for work, and pumpkin-flavored everything is back on sale. Oh, and here comes the National Football League to horn in on the action.

Last night, I drafted my fantasy football team in my uncle's ten-team league. I'm not sure how he talked me into it, since fantasy football is an excruciating, frustrating exercise in my experience. I've done no prep, as evidenced by how many running backs and receivers were completely new to my wondering eyes as I scanned the draft board. But maybe I'll catch lightning in a bottle like I did a few years back and laugh all the way to the bank. More likely, I'll have three key players out with injuries by week six and I'll be scanning the waiver wire for platoon running backs with an upside of eight points. At the very least, I had a little chuckle when it was time to select a tight end and the best one available was Greg Olsen of the Panthers. Come on down, Greg...when Cam Newton inexplicably stops targeting you this year, I'll console myself by cracking jokes about your mean curveball.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards, 1992 Triple Play #263

Even though the Orioles are opening the 2010 season tonight in some bingo hall in Tampa, they will be packing the fans into this beautiful building on Eutaw Street in just a few more days. Today marks the nineteenth anniversary of the first game ever played in Oriole Park at Camden Yards - April 6, 1992. Then, it was Orioles 2, Indians 0, with veteran offseason acquisition Rick Sutcliffe tossing the shutout. Currently the score is Orioles 2, Rays 0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, with veteran offseason acquisition Kevin Millwood blanking the home team thus far. Coincidence? Nah. Let's go O's!

Chito Martinez, 1992 Donruss Triple Play #192

When you combine writer's block with the act of choosing a card at random from your "1992 Orioles" box, you get Mr. Reyenaldo Ignacio Martinez and some lovely red-to-orange-to-yellow-and-back-again gradients. This is a funny sort of photo, as Chito is racing toward home plate while the third base umpire flees in the other direction. They're like two ships passing in the night, kicking up clouds of infield dirt as they go. So we begin another week, unsure of whether we're coming or going. At least it's a short week, at least if your employer is kind enough to celebrate Columbus' accidental discovery of America.

The next time I pick blindly from a stack of cards, maybe I should keep going until I find one that is more interesting.