Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

Available at the stadium gift shop in Surprise, Arizona. Would you buy one? Would you have the chutzpah to wear it to a game?

Above, is a view you won't find from the ballparks in Florida -- yes, that's a mountain just beyond the left field stands at Scottsdale Stadium, home of the Giants. Below, a much more familiar sight -- Larry Bowa, 40 years after making his major league debut as the Phillies' shortstop. He returns in 2010 as the Dodgers' 3rd base coach. While Bowa mans the 3rd base coaching box, Joe Torre and the rest of his staff are watching the action from the field, just outside the Dodger dugout.

Stop number-four on the Cactus League journey was Peoria, Arizona as the Padres hosted the Chicago Cubs. Below, the pre-game warmup for the Cubbies whose exercises appear to have been inspired by a chorus line. I kept an eye out for familiar faces popped on this day of sundrenched perfection. Above, the onetime A's DH and Phillies post-season hero, a dramatically slimmer Matt Stairs, trying to made the Padres roster. And below (center) Cubs skipper Lou Piniella, watching the game from the field, along with several of his coaches. #22 for San Diego, one of the few players to have won World Series on teams in each league, the feisty infielder David Eckstein. And that's not just a familiar face in the Padres' broadcast booth, it's Hall of Famer Jerry Coleman, starting his 38th season behind a San Diego microphone.

In my long experience at ballparks, I had never seen a food item named for Babe Ruth -- until now. The concessionaire at Peoria Stadium, pre-season home of the Padres and Mariners, offers for your gastronomic delight (or horror) the Ruthian Dog. Certainly fit for the Bambino's notable appetite, this thick footlong dog is frosted with a layer of chili and cheese. And holding it all together is an Italian-style bun you'd associate with Meatballs or Sausage & Peppers. Yes, I ordered one -- and enjoyed every bite.

And it's the pre-season home of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals. For day three, it's the Rangers hosting the Seattle Mariners. The "M's" expect to be strong contender in the AL West, with a new emphasis on speed and pitching. Below, joining Felix Hernandez at the top of the rotation, lefty Cliff Lee, who came to Seattle in the biggest trade of the off-season. Another new Seattle name in 2010 is third baseman Chone Figgins, signed away from the division rival Angels. He'll join the remarkable hitting machine Ichiro at the top of the Mariners batting order. The only player ever to total 2000 hits in Japanese baseball and America's major leagues, Ichiro has batted over .300 with at least 200 hits in all nine of his seasons in the US -- also unprecedented! l On the Rangers side, their 2010 lineup will be boosted by DH Vladimir Guerrero, who also departed Anaheim this off-season. Our seats, just behind the foul screen, put us acr...

Part of the reason I chose Arizona for this year's Spring Training trip was that Phoenix was enjoying a sunnier and warmer winter than Florida. By the time we flew in on Sunday night, that had changed -- 24 hours later, my first look at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, the home of the Dodgers and White Sox, was a soggy story. The rain wasn't done on Monday night, the next afternoon's pre-game"highlight" was a sudden downpour, which quickly sent everyone outdoors scrambling for cover. A couple innings in, it was finally Sunny and dry. Still cool, but otherwise perfect --unless you're a die-hard Dodgers fans. The Colorado Rockies posted a football score, winning 12 - 0. It's the second year for this massive complex 20 minutes northwest of downtown Phoenix. My pal, KABC Dodgertalk host Ken Levine said there are 11 fields for the teams to use. And like many spring training parks, Camelback Ranch (in the valley beneath Camelback Mountain -- easily visib...

Hello from the Valley of the Sun (but even more clouds so far)... my spring training odyssey for 2010 stars in Scottsdale at the pre-season home of the San Francisco Giants. Today's starting pitcher for Giants, the veteran lefty Barry Zito. Some of the National League's best young hitters were on display. Above, James Loney of the Dodgers; below, the Giants' dynamic and charismatic Pablo Sandoval. Partytime at the park -- a private party was held in the pavilion bar above the right field fence. Of course, Manny Ramirez of the Dodgers was cast in the role of villain. The dreadlocked dynamo, who served a 50-game suspension last season for improper use of performance enhancing substances, brought out the worst of the generally mild-mannered crowd.