Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford, the Yankees' battery, are always the finals players introduced on Old Timers Day. They played together on 6 Yankees World Champion (Yogi, who came to the major earlier, also played in 1947 and '49; Whitey served in the Army in 1951 and '52). Between them, that's 16 rings!!

Don Larsen is a regular at the Yankees Old Timers Day. The Imperfect Man who, on October 8th, 1956, threw the only Perfect Game in World Series history joins the other Bronx legends at the 2013 celebration. Yes, right there with Reggie and the Goose, just as it should be. The one-time St. Louis Brown and Kansas City A whose singular October achievement remains unmatched. While the 1950s featured some remarkable World Series starters -- from Ford to Newcombe, Podres to Raschi -- the decade's greatest post-season moment belongs to Don. 10/8/1956: 10 + 8, as in his uniform number 18. How perfect!

Graeme Lloyd, Paul O'Neill and David Cone -- teammates on the 1996 and 1998 Yankees World Series champions -- chat near the batting cage on Old Timers Day. All three remain close to the game: Lloyd is the pitching coach for the Perth Heat in his native Australia, while O'Neill and Cone are Yankee broadcasters.

Just moments ago, Mark Teixiera conceded to the inevitable, telling reporters that he would have season-ending surgery on his still-ailing right wrist. He rehabbed from the injury during March and April, leading to the game I covered in Trenton where both he and Kevin Youkilis felt they'd completed their recoveries. Neither attempt lasted long and both wound up back on the disbled list. Now Tex has accepted the recommendation of the teams doctors -- with an operation followed by six months of rehabilitation that should make him "good to go" for Spring Training next February.

Back for his first Old Timers Day last Sunday was Orlando Hernandez. The Cuban emigré was a key member of the Yankees starting rotation on three consecutive World Series champions (1998 - 2000) and remained with the club through 2004. If every player has his signature moment -- ie: Derek Jeter's "flip" or Kirk Gibson's gimpy-legged homer -- El Duque's has to be when, after fielding a grounder and finding it stuck in his glove, he tossed the glove (still containing the ball) to 1st baseman Tino Martinez to complete the out. I remember it vividly -- I was at the Stadium that afternoon (without camera) and was stunned and delighted to watch it play out in real time. Now Major League Baseball has posted the video of it online. Enjoy!

It's always a treat to speak with Jerry Coleman at Old Timers Day. The Yankees second baseman from 1949 through '57 (with time away for service in the Korean War), he remains active in baseball calling "20 or 30 games a year" for the Padres. Bring up his time as a Yankee, not only did he play alongside Mantle, DiMaggio, Rizzuto, Berra and Ford, but having started in the Yankee farm system in the mid 1940s, he met Babe Ruth several times at Spring Training when the Bambino stopped by to visit his old team!! The only iconic Yankee player he never met was Lou Gehrig, who died when Coleman was still in high school. And for a humorous touch, he'll remind you that he roomed with Mickey Mantle for two years, "I taught him everything he knew and he never forgave me for it!

...that even the honored guests want to capture it in photos. Here's longtime Yankee Willie Randolph working his iPhone. I'll be sharing some highlights from the Yankees 67th Old Timers Day all this week.

Other than opening day, my favorite date on the Yankee schedule is Old Timers Day. It will be held Sunday for the 67th time. These images are from 2010 and 2011. This is the one day when Mike Torrez (top) can be remembered more for his contribution to the 1977 World Champions -- before leaving as a free agent for the Red Sox, where he threw Bucky Dent's historic playoff home run. Ron Guidry signs an autograph for a fan too young to have seen his magical 1978 season. And John Sterling can cheer his 1960s predecessor in the broadcast booth (and 1950s star infielder) Jerry Coleman. Another example of multiple Yankee generations: (left-to-right) 1990s 1st baseman Tino Martinez, trainer Gene Monahan, 1950s/early '60s 1st baseman Moose Skowron and 1970s/early '80s outfielder Lou Piniella. And below, a classic from 1996, the "old" stadium with Joe DiMaggio the last Yankee legend being introduced.

Last season, Kris Medlin (seen here in a Grapefruit League game against the Marlins) was one of the Braves' most effective starters -- in fact, Atlanta won its last 23 consecutive games he started! 2013 has been a different story, until now as Medline lost 7 of his first 10 decisions. But Wednesday night, he came up big for the Braves. Swept by the Mets in both ends of a doubleheader the day before, Medlin got Atlanta back on the winning side, throwing seven innings of one-run ball and striking out seven.

Maybe June 18th, 2013 goes down in Mets history as the day the franchise turned the corner. Their "young guns," the two pitchers they hope will be the foundation of better days in the future, each posted victories in a doubleheader sweep over the first place Braves in Atlanta. Zack Wheeler (whom I caught last year with Double-A Binghamton) made his major league debut with six innings of shutout ball in the nightcap. Behind Matt Harvey -- who carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning and struck out a career-high 13 -- New York won the opener. Strong pitching was always a Mets tradition in their winning days. Some important Mets have won 45 over the past half-century: Tug McGraw, John Franco, Pedro Martinez quickly come to mind. Now it belongs to Wheeler -- and will probably start showing up on souvenir shirts within days.

At Candlestick Park, Orlando Cepeda's tie-breaking two-run homer with two out in the top of the 8th inning gives the Cardinals the lead as they go onto beat the Giants 4 - 1 . In a postgame interview, the Baby Bull said he had a little extra incentive to do well, since he "always tries harder" against his old teammates -- who'd sent him to St. Louis a year earlier. The win moves the Cardinals into first place in the National League, where they'll remain the rest of the season. They go onto win 101 games, and best the Red Sox 4 - 3 that fall in the World Series. Oh, and Cepeda would be voted the National League MVP.

First base coach Tom Goodwin certainly had a bird's-eye view of Kirk Nieuwenhuis' dramatic walk-off homer. (See the ball beginning its flight in the upper right corner.) His 3-run blast off Cubs closer Carlos Marmol brought the Mets from three runs down and gave them a stunning 4 - 3 victory Sunday at Citi Field.  In the space of five batters and maybe five minutes, the Mets went from listless to joyous: after being shut out for eight innings by Matt Garza, Marmol gave up Marlon Byrd's home run to lead off the bottom of the 9th. A walk, a hit and a sacrifice later, it was Nieuwenhuis' turn. Despite hitting under .100 when he came to the plate, he connected on a 1-0 fastball, driving it in the right field seats and sending the Father's Day crowd home smiling. Imagine how the fan in the orange shirt feels... he took part in a meet the players promotion, stood next to and even chatted a bit with Nieuwenhuis before the first pitch. Who could have imagined he ...

As part of the All Star Game coming to Citi Field, a series of specially painted "apples" that honor baseball history are on display at various locations around New York. The two honoring the city's former National League clubs are inside Grand Central Stadium.   Notice the sense of history these convey -- especially for local fans who fondly recall the so-called "golden era"of the 1950s.  The Mets inherited the Giants version of the interlocking NY -- as well as the Polo Grounds as their home for the 1962 and '63 seasons -- while the Giants script lives on in San Francisco. There are a total of 36 baseball apples around New York. If you'll be here and are eager to find (and photograph?) the rest of them, here's your guide .

June 13th, 1973: The Dodgers play Steve Garvey at first base, Davey Lopes at second, Ron Cey at third and Bill Russell at shortstop for the first time. While the day's result wasn't what the doctor (or Walter Alston) ordered in a 16-3 loss to the Phillies, it proves to be a milestone date. Ten days later, these four would become the club's regular infield -- and remain together as a foursome for a record eight-and-a-half years. Garvey (above) was in New York last January for the annual BAT dinner.

The St. Louis Cardinals showed New York fans last night why they have the best record in baseball. I was at Citi Field as prized rookie pitcher Michael Wacha had a rocky first inning: he threw 37 pitches, giving up an Omar Quintanilla homer and a Marlon Byrd sacrifice fly. He then settled himself, and lasted six innings as he stifled the Mets offense. His final line: two runs, five hits, three walks. While New York did itself in with shabby fielding (five of the six runs losing pitcher Jeremy Hefner surrendered were unearned), they also failed to cash in on several scoring opportunities. Despite a roster shuffle that saw the release of Rick Ankiel and the demotion of Ike Davis and Mike Baxter, the Mets again played flat, listless ball. Unable to build on an early 2-0 lead, it appeared inevitable that the Cards would get to Hefner. Add on fielding errors by Daniel Murphy and Kirk Nieuwenhuis, plus a bobble by David Wright that cost them a possible double play, the Cardinals c...

Today, a movie title fits well with my photo. It's Josh Satin, seen during a 2011 "cup of coffee" with the Mets. Now, he's back in Queens, as one of the players recalled when slump-riddled Ike Davis was sent to the minors. Never considered a top prospect in the same light as Davis, Satin has hit over .300 this season at Las Vegas, which will earn him an audition as the Mets seek productive players in what's already considered a lost season.

Congratulations to Andy Pettitte, whose 7-1/3 effective innings (1 run, 3 hits, 6 strikeouts) against the Mariners earned him the 250th victory of his career. While the soon-to-be 41-year old probably won't make it to the magical 300 wins, it underscores his place in Yankee history -- the rugged, reliable lefty, the dependable number-two starter on a winning club.

Rick Ankiel lasted less than a month with the Mets. The once-promising slugger (and earlier, once-promising pitcher) had the same issues in New York that surfaced in Houston -- too many strikeouts, not enough hits. After going 12 for 66 (a .184 average), he was designated for assignment by the Mets after yesterday's game.

Nick Swisher's ever-present smile -- and power-packed regular season play -- endeared him to Yankee fans during his four New York years. Leaving for the Indians last winter as a free agent, he returned to the Bronx this week in an Indians uniform. The smile's still there, even though the Ohio native wears a helmet with a red C instead of an interlocking NY.

Among the upgrades at what's now Arm & Hammer Stadium in Trenton is a right field video board that's truly major league caliber. Whether zooming inside the pre-game warmups or providing the in-game lineups and statistics, fans rarely had it this good at a major league park 20 years ago!

John Mayberry Jr. (seen here against the Mets back in April) grabs the headline with his power hitting heroics Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. He kept the Phillies alive with game-tying homer in the bottom of the 10th off the Marlins' Steve Cishek. An inning later, Mayberry came up against Edgar Olmos with the game still tied, and the bases loaded. He emptied them and ended the game with a laser line drive that just cleared the ballpark's cozy left field fence. Two home runs in extra innings, the second a walk-off grand slam -- as the Phillies win 7 - 3. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Mayberry is the first player in major league history to hit two extra-inning home runs with the second being a walkoff slam. Finally, from the odd coincidence file -- it was Philadelphia's third straight win in which they scored seven runs.

Mark Teixeira's first home run of the season was a grand slam! Finally back in the Yankee lineup after that March wrist injury that cost him nearly three months, he connected off Cleveland's Justin Masterson with the bases loaded in the 3rd inning Monday night. Do you see the ball? If you're having trouble, look straight above the Y on the SONY sign.

June 3rd, 1963: 19 year old Houston Colt .45s rookie Rusty Staub belts his first major league home run. The two-run 4th inning shot off future Hall of Famer Don Drysdale gives Houston their winning margin in a 2-1 victory over the Dodgers. Staub went onto hit 291 more in a 23 year career that later brought him to Montreal, Detroit, Texas and two tours of duty with the Mets. When he retired after the 2005 season, he was the only major league ballplayer to have 500 hits with four different teams! A tireless worker for charitable causes -- especially those assisting families of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty, Rusty was honored at last winter's BAT Dinner in New York.