Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

It's January 31st, the 95th birthday of one of the three most significant baseball figures ever, Jackie Robinson (I'd say only Babe Ruth and Marvin Miller rank with him). Just a few days ago, I was walking along Varick Street in Lower Manhattan, and came upon the streetside entrance to what hopefully one day will open as the Jackie Robinson Museum. While plans for this shrine to the Man who Broke Baseball's Color Barrier have been afoot for at least a half-dozen years, funding issues have kept it from opening. That's a shame -- Robinson's life incorporated so much more than on-field excellent. Courage, wisdom, leadership and, later in his life, business savvy. When young people see athletes today, they don't always see role models. Too often, they see the opposite. Just reviewing the facts, the accomplishments, the legacy of this man make it vital that his story be told -- with as much modern electronic wizardry -- to future generations. Does it sadden or dis...

The bunt can be a very useful tool -- especially in the National League where pitchers have to bat. Check out the technique for Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels, who spreads his hands wide and, makes just the right contact to deaden the ball and advance the baserunner. I shot this from the patio area above left-center field at Citizens Bank Park. That's not far from where the TV cameras are placed -- which is why this almost has the sense of a broadcast freeze-frame.

Despite his familiar last name, he's one of the lesser known Dodgers. Scott Van Slyke, whose father Andy starred for the Cardinals and Pirates, helped make baseball history on June 1st, 2012. That day, the Dodgers lineup that featured the sons of five former Major Leaguers -- along with Tony Gwynn, Jr., Iván DeJesús, Jr., Dee Gordon and Jerry Hairston, Jr. -- the first time that many second-generation ballplayers started together. More noteworthy, the entire Dodgers infield -- first baseman Van Slyke, second baseman Hairston, Gordon at shortstop and third baseman De Jesus -- were all sons of former players.

The Cardinals' beloved Stan Musial made history on this date in 1958 -- becoming the first National League player to receive a $100,000 salary. You bet he did it the old-fashioned way. The previous season, Stan the Man won his 7th National League batting title (at .351), adding 29 home runs and a league-leading 19 intentional walks (consider that the ultimate sign of respect for someone hitting in the middle of the batting order.) And if you prefer more contemporary stats, Musial also led the NL in OPS (at 1.034). That came just a year after St. Louis general manager Frank Lane tried to trade him to Phillies for Robin Roberts -- until owner Gussie Busch intervened, likely at the urging of Stan's business partner Biggie Garagnani. Instead, Lane wound up trading Stan's longtime teammate Red Schoendienst to the Giants. This uniform shirt signed by Stan was up for auction at last week's BAT Dinner in New York.

The Giants 1st baseman has a name ideally suited to the national pastime. His ranks up there with Vic Power, who played the very same position during the 1950s and '60s. Care to add anyone else to this list?? Bill Hands and Rollie Fingers certainly come to mind.

August 7th, 2009 -- Triple-A baseball with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre hosting Lehigh Valley. The lineups are posted: how many names do you recognize? How many of these players made it (or made it back) to the majors? Let's see, there's Mayberry and Cairo for the IronPigs; Austin Jackson, Shelly Duncan and Chris Stewart for the Yankees. Thompson, Newhan, Hoover, Chacin and Russo had "cups of coffee" in the big leagues. Part of the fun of see a minor league game is catching future stars and touted prospects. But, as we've so often seen, there are no guarantees, only crossed fingers.

The Star Stangled Banner plays just before a game last March at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. The players at attention outside their dugout with the grandstand and a couple of palm trees in the distance combine for a moment of calm. The final mental preparation before the umpire calls, "Play ball!" There's one more reason I chose this picture for today. Last night, I read that Chone Figgins (far left, above), who sat out 2013 after failing to make the Marlins in spring training, had signed a minor league deal with the Angels. Once a feared and versatile speedster with the Angels, things haven't right for Figgins since leaving Anaheim. Maybe returning to Southern California helps him turn things around,

The BAT Dinner, my favorite off-season baseball event, was held last night in New York. One of its more charming aspect is reuniting old friends and teammates. Above, we're almost back at the Polo Grounds as Ed Kranepool spends time with Solly Hemus, a coach on the 1962-'63 Mets. And below, Tommy Lasorda and Steve Garvey trade a couple of laughs at the afternoon media session.

The color of the sky, set against the stands mainly filled with fans wearing red, makes this September 2009 image from Philadelphia jump out at you. Those were heady times at Citizens Bank Park: the reigning World Champs on their way to a second straight World Series. The ballpark is packed, the crowd is excited.

You share it with one of the three people in the photo above: David Murphy is at bat for the Rangers in this August 2012 game in New York. Russell Martin is the Yankee catcher. And Texas backstop Geovany Soto is in the on-deck circle. And your winner is... Soto ! (He's behind the plate in this photo.) Not that I mind finding a reason to post another photo of Derek Jeter. Actually this photo includes two former Rookies of the Year -- Soto won it as a Cub in 2008.

I took a liking to Mark Reynolds during his time with the Yankees. He flashed the right handed power he's been known for and wasn't a butcher in the field. With Alex Rodriguez likely gone for the upcoming year, he seemed to be the best available candidate for 3rd base. That's why I was surprised by reports that the Yankees weren't expecting bring him back. Yet, that's what happened. Friday, word spread that Reynolds had agreed to a minor league deal with the Brewers. With the likes of Kelly Johnson and Eduardo Nunez already on the roster, the Yankees have the bodies, but do they have the necessary talent to round out the infield? Keep in mind, that over the past six years, his total of 185 home runs ranks 5th in the majors. (And I know he strikes out at a ridiculous rate.) That's a question Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi will have to answer.

Shea Stadium, seen from the 7 line (the elevated subway). The height of the ballpark seems in perfect symmetry with the trees between it and the train..

I got my first look of Astros all-star catcher Jason Castro last July 31st, when Houston visited the Orioles at Camden Yards. The Stanford product had his best year yet in 2013, smacking 18 home runs to go along with 35 doubles and a .276 average. And you have to admit that it's kinda cool that you can spell his team's name from his last name.

Catcher Jarrod Salalamacchia was one of the off-season's less publicised free agents. Earning a ring with the 2013 Red Sox, but not the complete confidence of manager John Farrell -- who benched him for the final three games of the World Series -- Boston brought in the veteran A.J. Pierzynski. "Salty" then took his talents to Miami, as the Marlins enter the second year of their latest tear-down-and-build-up routine.  It's a homecoming for the Royal Palm Beach, Florida native, who has also played for the Braves and Rangers. He's shown offensive ability -- 25 home runs in 2012, 40 doubles alongside 14 homers last year -- but his defense remains a bit suspect. And if you were wondering, his 14-letter last name is the longest of any major league player... ever.

A few years ago, I covered a baseball autograph and collectibles show and was dazzled by the array of vintage cards for sale. How many of these did you once own? How many of yours just disappeared or were ground up between the spokes of your bicycle? Or perhaps, you held onto at least some of your cards. Below, more of the merchandise that evokes memories. Do you display any plaques or souvenirs at your home from your favorite teams or games?

Is that the ideal description for Alex Rodriguez' attitude toward the appeals process for his Biogenesis-related suspension? Saturday's announcement that his penalty was being reduced from 211 games to 162 did nothing to calm his anger or lead to any chance of compromise. Instead, it's more lawyers and more time in court -- probably best described as judge shopping -- as he hopes to overturn the arbitration process that was part of baseball's collective bargaining agreement.

Another pair of images from the previous Stadium. Pre-game warmups before a Yankees - Orioles game in July 2008. A simpler, but not necessarily better Stadium. Fewer luxury boxes and food options. None of that digital signage with flashing, pulsating advertising. But less in touch with Yankees history than the one which opened the following spring. How do you feel about the new Stadium five years after the change? For friends outside New York, did you ballclub move into a new home -- and is the "fan experience" better than in the one it replaced? Click on "comment" below and share your opinion.

July 28th, 2008: batting practice as seen from the upper deck of the old Yankee Stadium. (The Orioles are the guys in the orange shirts.) Hard to imagine that just two months later, the park would host its final game. During the winter and early spring of 2010, the Stadium would meet its fate.

Last May 29th, Kevin Youkilis and Mark Teixeria thought they were over their injuries that landed them on the disabled list. They played a rehab game with the Yankees' minor league club in Trenton, hoping this would serve as the final step before resuming a normal season from that point on. As we know, it didn't work out for either, as Kevin's back and Tex's hand didn't hold up to the strain of playing even a few games. And both were soon shelved for the year. Maybe they already had begun to accept that fate. Just look at their expressions as they met the media and expressed hope that they'd soon be joining -- and helping their teammates. Dreams that clearly didn't pan out.

You share it with Elvis Presley, whom I'm sorry to say was not much of a baseball fan. Football, horseback riding and the martial arts were his sports. But that doesn't mean there isn't anyone of note (or sport) sharing January 8th with the King of Rock and Roll. For starters, there's Jason Giambi (below), who rocked 438 home runs in the last 19 major league seasons, many as a Yankee. There's also Hall of Fame relief pitcher Bruce Sutter, 1940s star Walker Cooper, original Met John DeMerit, smooth fielding Mike Cameron and the often injured Carl Pavano. But can any of them sing "Hound Dog" or "Viva Las Vegas?" And a little trivia question for you: Who is the only major league ballplayer ever with the first name, Elvis? That's Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus (below, right).

Matt Williams will face more pressure this season than your typical first-year manager. He's replacing Davey Johnson with the talented and touted Washington Nationals -- a team that won the NL East in 2012, only to struggle a year later when big things were expected. Moving to Washington from Arizona, where he was a coach on Kirk Gibson's staff, Williams inherits a team built around Bryce Harper and Steven Strassburg. This former 3rd baseman knows about the post-season -- he's the only player to hit World Series home runs for three different ballclubs. And he did that in three different decades -- with the '89 Giants, '97 Indians and '01 Diamondbacks.

Remarkable to realize that during the late 1940s and '50s, two of New York's second basemen -- both destined for the Baseball Hall of Fame -- wore #42. While the number is deservedly synonymous with Jackie Robinson, who proudly wore it for the Dodgers, across town it also belonged to Jerry Coleman. The talented and modest Yankee, who met Babe Ruth while a minor leaguer, played alongside DiMaggio and Mantle in the Bronx and, served our country proudly in two wars, died Sunday at 89. One of my personal highlights of covering Yankees Old Timers Day has been to spend time chatting with Jerry, taking in a few baseball stories, hearing his wonder at the sparkling new ballpark that replaced the Yankee Stadium where he'd played and worked, but mostly marveling at someone so happy in his life. Spending more than 70 years in the game, he made his mark alongside some of the greatest players ever -- then described subsequent generations of stars behind his microphone. Always with ...

2014 marks the 20th anniversary of the Indians terrific ballpark. Opened as Jacobs Field -- and named for the club's then-owners -- the stadium was a variation on the Camden Yards formula. Not as retro, but similarly fan-friendly and snug. Good sightlines and plenty of amenities in a baseball-only setting. The only thing wrong was the weather. Between Friday night, Saturday and Sunday, we went to three "openings" and saw two full games. June 24-26th in Cleveland is still the rainy season and not yet summer. The stadium was certainly the draw -- coinciding with Indians becoming a contender. With young stars like Manny Ramirez, the Indians went 66 - 47 in the AL Central. The following year, Cleveland would be back in the World Series for the first time since 1948.

...you share it with David Cone. He is among the very special circle -- Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden would be the others -- to have starred for both the Yankees and Mets. His 1999 perfect game is one of many highlights from his 17-year career that also included a pair of 20-win seasons and a pair of National League strikeout titles. Pretty impressive for a Kansas City native whose hometown Royals clearly didn't realize his potential when they traded him to the Mets in 1987 after just 11 major league appearances. These days, "Coney" is a Yankees TV commentator and studio analyst. This image is from last summer's All Star Game at Yankee Stadium.

From Syracuse Chiefs players Jhonatan Solano and Chris Marrero