Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

Arm & Hammer Park (formerly Waterfront Park) has a nice way of honoring Yankee stars who have played rehab games there on their road back to the majors. These banners in the plaza in front of the ballpark, salute a pair of Bronx legends who donned the Thunder threads for a game or two -- and drew big crowds. When do you expect similar ones to go up for Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis, who wrapped their two-game stays at Renton last night?

I was in Trenton yesterday morning when Yankee regulars Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis played their first minor league rehab games. Both went 0-for-2 with a walk in 7 innings of action. The key was coming through the action injury-free, While both had participated in extended spring training games recently, Kevin said it best at the post-game media session, describing the rookies and young players still at training camp as "babies, they're just coming fresh -- some guys here [in Double A] are a little more polished and command pitches better." One more game for each with Trenton should have them back to help bolster the depleted Yankee lineup this weekend against Boston.

Lyle Overbay in the batting cage before Monday's night's Subway Series opener at Citi Field.

Did you notice the special "camo" uniforms major league teams wore on Memorial Day? Hats, lettering and numerals were done in a camouflage motif similar to what the Padres have made a Sunday tradition. (Above:) David Wright of the Mets. (Right:) The special numbers seen on Yankee 3rd baseman David Adams, bookended by manager Joe Girardi and coach Tony Pena. Details on this special program from on mlb.com.

Zooming in today on Mets manager Terry Collins, who turns 64 today. I snapped this in late April, just moments before walking out for the requisite exchange of lineup cards with the day's opponent. Collins will spent most of this game just inside the staircase at the near side of the dugout. Notice how he's set up a small working area. And it's a time to a relax a bit, before the tension of the game ramps up. While his temper and frustration have frayed at times during another disappointing year in Flushing, it would be unfair to question Collins' passion and determination to remain optimistic despite a roster full of weak spots and underwhelming options.

Wrapping up this week's theme of linking songs to my photos, you might not place Rod Stewart and Jack McKeon in the same setting. But maybe you should. Now 82, Trader Jack spent his March as a kid of any age might dream -- in uniform at spring training. Whether it's Jack, Red Schoendienst of the Cardinals, or broadcasting icon Vin Scully, baseball does keep you "Forever Young."

Continuing this week's theme of matching song titles to photos, could you come up with a better one as Ike Davis, Ruben Tejada and David Wright converge? Fortunately, on a day so little went well for the Mets, Davis wound up catching the ball and holding on.

Having posted a picture yesterday that fit the name of an oldi.... err, classic hit, I thought I'd try it again. From about an hour before last Saturday's Yankees/Blue Jays game, it's a friendly get-together between Vernon Wells of the Yankees and Toronto's Mark Buehrle.

Does that phrase ring a bell? (It was a 1972 hit song by The Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose.) Josh Hamilton might be humming that tune this morning... wondering if the extra money was worth leaving Texas. After five ultra productive years with the Rangers -- including 2010 when he was named American League MVP -- the ultra-talented but emotionally fragile slugger signed a nine-figure deal with the Angels last winner. And the results so far have bordered on disastrous. As of this date, which just happens to be his 32nd birthday, Hamilton is hitting just .216 with just five home runs and 12 RBI. Over the weekend, manager Mike Scioscia decided Hamilton needed a "recharge day," apparently to clear his head after the worst seven weeks of his major league career. Sometimes, leaving a comfortable situation for the lure of the big bucks just doesn't work. Ask Jason Bay. Do you think he'd give back the money given him by the Mets to return to the productive days of bein...

May 20th is chock full of birthdays in baseball. Two of them are guys that played together on the 2010 Phillies: utilityman Wilson Valdez and outfielder Jayson Werth. Never a star or even a regular, Valdez is cut from the same cloth as a Luis Sojo, Joe McEwing and Jose Oquendo -- baseball savvy players who "do the little things," especially at crucial moments. Who can forget in May 2011 when Valdez moved from shortstop to the mound, and pitched a scoreless 19th inning, earning a victory over the Reds? Werth is a different story. Projected for stardom early in his career as a Blue Jay and Dodger, injuries held him back until then-GM Pat Gillick picked him of the scrap heap and watched him emerge as a key player on the Phillies run of dominance in the NL East. Werth then cashed in, signing a nine-figure contract with the Nationals, just before they became a powerhouse. As for those other May 20th birthday boys, check out this list of impressive names: Ken Boyer, Bobby M...

With Alex Rodriguez and Kevin Youkilis both sidelined, the Yankees have turned to David Adams as their fill in at 3rd base. A promising hitter whose minor league progress was slowed by several injuries, Adams has endured both peaks and valleys over the last six weeks. After being released by the organization to clear roster space, he was resigned. His impressive play at Triple-A Scranton put him back on Brian Cashman's radar -- leading to his recall on the 15th. Last night in the bottom of 2nd inning against the Mariners, he doubled to the right field wall (notice the ball bouncing off the H on the scoreboard) for his first major league RBI. Even though Seattle went onto win, it's a nice memento for a young player whose future might be in the Bronx.

Part of my challenge in posting every weekday is finding a picture that's timely, as well as visually appealing. I went looking for one of Raul Ibanez to honor his triumphant return to New York. After all, he's smacked three home runs in his first two games back at Yankee Stadium since re-joining the Mariners as a free agent. Just recall that remarkable performance in game three of last year's ALDS against the Orioles -- coming off the bench to hit the tying and winning homers. All told, he's hit nine home runs in his last 11 games in the Bronx... quite a homecoming! Keep in mind Ibanez was born in New York but moved with his parents to Miami while still a baby. So New York is always a part of his soul. Turns out that I didn't have any unused images of Ibanez. But I did find this nice panorama of the Stadium from a game he sat out last June. So you can just mentally pencil in last night's grand slam and two-run blast while soaking in the pre-game vibe from a...

Have you ever noticed how often a player has a great game the first time he plays against the team that just traded him or let him leave? Melky Cabrera is the latest example. Last night at Rogers Centre in Toronto, he banged out four hits (and drove in a pair of runs) as the Blue Jays opened an interleague series with the Giants. Toronto pounded San Francisco 10 - 6 -- a score that became closer due to a rough outing by Jays' reliever Brad Lincoln.

May 15th, 2005 was a standout date in Tino Martinez' Yankee career, as he slammed a pair of home runs -- giving him eight in his eight last games -- in a 6 - 4 win over the Oakland A's. The game helped two others reach landmarks: It was the 1800th victory for Joe Torre as a manager.  The 250th career victory for winning pitcher Randy Johnson.  (These images are from the 2012 Old Timers Game.)

Turning 36 today,  Roy Halladay 's major league future is very much up in the air. Days away from undergoing shoulder surgery, the former Cy Young Winner -- and the only man ever to throw regular- and post-season no-hitters in the same year -- hopes to return to the Phillies before October. With two Cy Young Awards and 201 career victories between Philadelphia and Toronto, he's a borderline Hall of Fame candidate. But how much more is left in the tank? Will he ever fulfill his dream of pitching in a World Series? His club fell shy in 2010, losing to the Giants in the NLCS. So when he gets his cake and candles today, what do you think he'll wish for?

John Buck has seemingly done it all for the Mets this season -- including stealing 2nd in the bottom of the 2nd inning during Sunday's game with the Pirates.

Players from the Pirates and Mets were among those taking part in Major League Baseball's  annual Mother's Day promotion with the Susan G. Komen breast cancer charity. (Above: Starling Marte of the Pirates; below: Daniel Murphy of the Mets) The game-used pink bats, undershirts, wristbands and other gear will all be auctioned for charity.  (Above: Garrett Jones of the Pirates; below: Ike Davis of the Mets) (Below) Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates makes a fashion statement.

Matt Tuiasosopa took the long road to the majors. A Seattle native, and son of a popular former Seahawks lineman, Matt played both football and baseball in high school, choosing baseball after being drafted by the Mariners. He spent eight uneventful years in their farm system, including three at Triple-A Tacoma. In 2012, he moved on to the Mets' Buffalo club, again without making waves. Landing an invitation to Tigers camp, he became their unexpected Grapefruit League star. And he's kept hitting after making the club. Providing a spark off the bench -- appearing in 20 games, batting .324 including a pinch-homer this week against the Nationals. (These pictures are from a spring game where he homered against the Mets ). One thing has changed since he got to Detroit: Matt got a lower number. Now, he wears 18. Sharing May 10th with former Met and Cub Jim Hickman and former Giant Robby Thompson, happy birthday to Matt Tuiasosopo.

Vernon Wells has gone from Angels benchwarmer to vital cog for the Yankees. The outfielder, who'd never duplicated the numbers from his best days with the Blue Jays, was virtually given away late in Spring Training. The Yankees, missing such key names as Jeter, A-Rod, Granderson and Teixeria, slipped Wells into left field. And he's been a productive player ever since. Last night, he had a hand in all three New York runs -- homering for the first two, then scoring the game-winner in the to the 9th -- as the Yanks slipped past the Rockies. And if that wasn't enough, he even filled in at 3rd base and made a nifty fielding play after Joe Girardi emptied his bench. Thanks to Mark Feinsand of The New York Daily News, who noted that Wells had played 13,751-2/3 big-league innings as an outfielder -- without ever playing even an inning on the infield. Stepping in on short notice (albeit after taking ground balls in practice for several weeks) and helping an injury-riddled team win...

At the end of the pre-game warmups for the White Sox on Tuesday night, 3rd baseman Conor Gillaspie flipped a ball away. Like a knuckleball, it floated a bit, resulting in what you see here.

It was an old fashioned pitchers' duel at Citi Field on Tuesday night. The Mets' Matt Harvey (above) was better than advertised. He retired the first 20 batters he faced. Only an infield single by Alex Rios kept him from a perfect game. The White Sox' New Jersey born lefty Hector Santiago (right, with coach Daryl Boston behind him)  nearly matched him zero-for-zero. Though the Mets tallied four hits, Santiago kept them off the scoreboard in his seven innings. Finally, the Mets pushed across a run against reliever Nate Jones in the 10th to claim a 1-0 victory. But one had to come away tremendously impressed by both the work of both Harvey and Santiago.

Bill White, whom I interviewed in 2011 when he published his memoir  Uppity: My Untold Story About the Games People Play , made a splash on this date in 1956 . He became just the 26th player to hit a home run in his first major league at bat. Making his debut for the New York Giants, the just-recalled 1st baseman homered off the Cardinals' Ben Flowers, and later doubled and singled. All told, a three-hit game at (the first) Busch Stadium, where White would later enjoy many productive days (and nights) in a  St. Louis uniform. The only downer: White and the Giants lost to the Cards 6 - 3. Bill White, whom cynics might consider eligible for The Hall of Very Good, amassed a Baseball career through several different areas that make him Cooperstown-caliber. An outstanding (if not immortal) first baseman, he starred for the Cardinals of the early- and mid-1960s. Later, he was a pioneer -- the first African-American play-by-play broadcaster spent 18 years calling Yankee games (197...

Out by a whisker... the throw to Kevin Frandsen just beats Juan Lagares of the Mets to 1st base, You can see the white of the ball in Frandsen's closed glove while Larages' foot is still in the air.

A free-spirited relief pitcher during the '80s and early '90s with the Mets, Phillies, Dodgers, Rangers and Orioles, Roger McDowell's lucky number could well be 7. He won 70 games in his career, as well as the deciding Game 7 of the '86 World Series. These days, he's the pitching coach of the Atlanta Braves -- having taken over for the widely acclaimed Leo Mazzone and continuing the Braves' tradition of developing young pitchers.. For someone once known as a prankster, he's become all business, overseeing a staff that's kept the Braves in first place the first month of the season. I'm not much of an autograph collector, yet after I took the picture to the right at Dodger Stadium, my pal John Weber, then-working at the Phils' flagship radio station, got Roger to sign the print.

Blue Jays infielder Emilio Bonifacio near the batting cage before last Friday night's game at Yankee Stadium.

April 16th, 1972: The Mets host the Pirates in the strike-delayed opening weekend of the season.This photo was taken from the field level seats along the 1st base line. Notice the bunting you find during the first week of home games. Not a big crowd for a weekend game -- though because of the price structure, the lower bowl is quite full, while the upper level (with the cheapest seats at $1.50, if memory serves) is mostly empty. And where's the advertising?