Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

From a recent Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.

Pardon this former oldies deejay for paraphrasing a classic Temptations hit. But nostalgia for days past seemed to be the underlying theme of the Phillies Tuesday night victory over the Mets at Citi Field. Mainstays of the Phils 2008 World Champs, Cole Hamels fired eight shutout innings and Chase Utley belted a grand slam. It was a rare night when everything clicked for the Phillies. So it's only fitting that two of the guys who brought the club its last title turned back the clock for a night. I shot these last Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park when Hamels and Utley helped beat the Giants.

It's the bottom of the 6th inning Sunday at Yankee Stadium. Francisco Cerevelli got a good swing on a J.A. Happ pitch for a home run to right field. No need for Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista to jump. The ball's about to land in the third row behind him. I zoomed in to give you the full sense of the fans in the right field seats. Have you ever caught a home run ball? How about a foul ball during a game? If you've got a story, click on "comment" and share it.

Yesterday, as the Baseball Hall of Fame marked its 75th anniversary -- yes, it was 1939 when its first group of inductees such as Babe Ruth, Cy Young and Connie Mack were honored -- the Yankees and Blue Jays sported special patches to mark the occasion. And what a distinguished group it is -- Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre, the managers who rank 3rd, 4th and 5th alltime in victories; sweet swinging Frank Thomas, with 521 homers, a .301 batting average and back-to-back AL MVPs; and Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, two of the pitchers who helped build Cox's dyanasty with the Braves, including an unprecedented 14 consecutive 1st place finishes. And let's not overlook the writers' honoree Roger Angel and the broadcast wing selection, Eric Nadel of the Rangers. An impressive class, all of whom were able to attend the induction ceremonies.

Thursday, we sat on the club level of Citizens Bank Park, where a woman in the row in front of us caught my attention. Yes, she wore a panda hat honoring her favorite player, Giants 3rd baseman Pablo Sandoval. You don't often see someone so joyful rooting for the "enemy." Sandoval, the player nicknamed Kung Fu Panda. I'm not sure he really saw her cheering, but the woman told me that she and her husband were rapid Giants fans (even though they live in New York) and enjoyed spending part of each summer following their team on road trips. It wasn't much of a day for Sandoval, who went 1-for-4 as the Giants lost to Cole Hamels and the Phils 2 - 1.

Yasiel Puig did something Friday night that no Dodger had done for well over 100 years. Starting in center field for the first time this season, the dynamic Cuban smacked three triples -- matching a Dodgers record set by Jimmy Sheckard early in their Brooklyn days, on April 18th, 1901. (How long ago was that? William McKinley was still president! And Babe Ruth was a six-year troublemaker hanging out near daddy's tavern!) If that wasn't enough, Puig added a double for his fourth extra base hit of the night, as L.A. defeated its arch-rival from San Francisco 8 - 1.

On the ride back from the Phillies/Giants matinee at Citizens Bank Park, we stopped at Trenton to catch the Thunder hosting the Mets Double-A club, the Binghamton Mets. The big attraction was the Yankees top minor league pitching prospect Luis Severino . Flashing a fastball that peaked at 98 MPH (according to the scoreboard), he impressed -- especially in the first inning, when he struck out three, after giving up a hit to B-Mets leadoff man Brandon Nimmo. But the 20-year-old wore down inning-by-inning. He struck out three in the first inning; then four over the next three innings. He made several Binghamton batters look bad -- so it's clear he has "good stuff." But as the game moved on, more and more of the Mets prospects were making good contact and driving balls right up the middle. Don't expect to see him in Yankee pinstripes anytime soon. The other prospect who made a strong impression was Dilson Herrera (below), the B-Mets 2nd baseman. Even though the box s...

Chase Headley , seen here in spring training with the 2010 Padres, looked like he was bursting into stardom when he batted .285 with 31 home runs and 115 RBIs in 2012. But he's never come close to repeating those numbers since. The Yankees are hoping the switch hitting 3rd baseman rebounds -- especially when he hits from the left side and takes aim at Yankee Stadium's cozy right field corner. Even hitting the other way, the left field foul pole is just 318 feet away. Considering how little production the Yankees received from Yangervis Solarte since mid-May, the club didn't pay a big price for Headley, a free agent at season's end. The other half of the package, minor leaguer Rafael DePaula is rated the Yankees number-15 prospect -- so no one's expecting him to turn into even David Phelps or Shane Green. While Solarte was the feel-good story of the season's first six weeks, he, as predicted by many, fell back to reality. Give Brian Cashman credit -- he ...

The Orioles centerfielder earns a salute after his two-home run performance powered Baltimore past the Angels last night. Jones knows how to make friends. A good example, tossing a ball into the stands after catching the last out of the just-ended half-inning. If you or your kids want a unique (and free) souvenir, it pays to sit behind the visitors dugout. One of the really "good guys" in the majors, Jones is always a good interview subject and has an almost Jeter-like sense of how to honor baseball tradition. He's also a regular at the BAT Dinner, the annual mid-winter fundraiser than benefits needy former players. While Nelson Cruz and his home run battle with Jose Abreu have grabbed the headlines, Adam Jones has remained one of the Orioles steadiest performers as they've grabbed the lead in the AL East.

Gary Sheffield was a big part of the highest scoring day in L.A. Dodgers history -- July 21st, 2001. Their 22-7 win over the Rockies in Denver featured Sheffield's 300th and 301st career homers. Those 22 runs fell three short of the franchise record 25 which they reached not in the Brooklyn days of sluggers such as Snider, Campanella and Hodges -- but in the "dead ball" era: May 20th, 1896 vs. Pittsburgh and September 23th, 1901 against Cincinnati.

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the day man first landed on the moon. Having never met any of the Apollo astronauts, the closest I've come was catching Wally Moon (far left) at the Dodgers 50th anniversary in LA celebration in 2008. He's here along with fellow '59 Dodgers Carl Erskine (center) and Chuck Essegian (right) flanking Dodger Talk host Ken Levine.

Kyle Blanks of the A's is part of an accelerating trend by players to wear higher and higher numbers. He's far from the only guy to wear a uniform number more apropos to the NFL than baseball. White Sox rookie slugger Jose Abreu wears 79. A few years ago, Manny Ramirez adopted 99 with the Dodgers. Now, their Yasil Puig is making 66 famous. I'll give Yankee rookie standout Dellin Betances a pass. Being 6-foot-8 seems to give him the right to choose 68 -- much as several Hawaiian players over the years, such as Sid Fernandez honor their native state with 50. It used to be cool comparing different players with the same numbers -- 9 was Ted Williams as well Roger Maris. 44 was shared by Willie McCovey, Hank Aaron and, later, Reggie Jackson.  The first "big" number I recall was Jim Bouton's number-56 with the Yankees. If I recall, that was a higher number than the club's 1960s batting practice pitcher Spud Murray wore. But where did breaking convention...

Exactly 40 years ago today at the second Busch Stadium, Bob Gibson became just the second pitcher ever to reach 3000 strikeouts. His historic batter was Reds centerfielder Cesar Geronimo -- who, ironically would also be Nolan Ryan's 3000th strikeout victim! Gibson worked the first seven innings but didn't figure in the decision -- the Reds won the game 6 - 4 in 12 innings. One of the most intimidating pitchers ever, I saw Gibson dozens of times on TV, and a few in person. But this photo, taken in March 2005 when he was a spring training coach, is the only image of him I've shot. Happy anniversary, Bob Gibson!

Mike Trout had a double and triple -- which drove in Derek Jeter with the first run of the night -- and earned game MVP honors, as the American League won last night's All Star Game at Minneapolis. Considered one of the game's top young talents, the New Jersey product is still just 22 -- and appears on his way to his best season yet, with 22 homers and 73 RBI at the break. With Jeter retiring at season's end, is there a better candidate to become the next "Face of Baseball" than Trout? Sure, there are other established stars such as Miguel Cabrera, but he's been around for a decade. Trout, Giancarlo Stanton and Yasiel Puig are still in the early years of what appear to be historic careers. Baseball needs to market a fresh crop of young stars in a world of instant celebrity and worldwide access via the Internet. Trout will clearly be in that conversation. (This image was from a Yankees/Angels game in New York in July 2012.)

Congratulations to the A's Yoenis Cespedes -- last night, he won baseball's Home Run Derby for the second straight year. While some famed power hitters, such as Mike Trout and Jose Abreu, chose not to participate, Oakland's slugging star came to Target Field to defend his title. His prodigious shots made him the event's first back-to-back champ since Ken Griffey Junior in 1998-'99. Averaging 409 feet on his blasts, Cespedes' longest shots traveled 446 and 452 feet, as he edged Cincinnati's Todd Frazier. One of the core of strong hitters assembled by GM Billy Beane of "Moneyball" fame, Cespedes is a big reason Oakland is a favorite to win its third consecutive AL West title.

Now in his third season with the Rangers, the Japanese righthander has been everything expected -- and maybe more. An All Star in each of his three years in Texas, he is a good candidate to lead the American League in strikeouts, now that countryman Masahiro Tanaka is out for at least the next six weeks. After all, Darvish led the AL last year with 277 k's. He certainly among the most intimidating pitchers on the planet.

Baseball's pregame routine tends to be less formal and more relaxed than in the other major pro sports. Players take their swings and do a little schmoozing in the late afternoon sun -- sometimes even with the opposition. Below, Yankee catcher Francisco Cervelli chats with a pal from the Blue Jays. Once the game begins, there's plenty of time to be serious. But an hour before the first pitch, the atmosphere is looser.

Since it's apparently become Patch Week, it's the Braves' turn to continue our theme. Wednesday night at Citi Field, I zoomed in on the right sleeve of the Atlanta uniform, where a patch honors the 40th anniversary of Hank Aaron passing Babe Ruth to become the all-time home run champion. it was April 8th, 1974 when he hit the 715th of his career.  A lot of details went into this design, which features Hank's signature superimposed over the now-venerated number 715, a feather from the Braves' Native American-inspired logo and the words "40th anniversary."

After spending two months on the disabled list, Dillon Gee had a heck of a return performance last night. Facing the second place Braves, a team with such powerful hitters as Freddy Freeman, Justin Upton and Jason Hayward, the righthander faced the minimum number of batters (15) through the first five innings and lasted into the 8th giving up just a run and four hits. He and Atlanta starter Ervin Santana each looked like they might make a run at a rare two-hour game. Both not only kept the other side in check, but did it quickly. The Mets finally got the offense going in the bottom of the 7th as David Wright drove in the tie-breaking run and catcher Travis d'Arnaud belted a two-run homer for a 4 - 1 New York victory. But the story was Gee, who five nights after throwing a rehab game for Single-A Brooklyn proved he was recovered from the lat muscle injury and ready help the Mets move closer to the .500 mark.

Continuing on the topic from a couple days ago, the Orioles honor their 60th anniversary in Baltimore this year, as well as the passing of hometown author Tom Clancy on their uniform sleeves. Modeling it for us is rookie infielder Jonathan Schoop. Does your favorite team have a special patch this year -- for an anniversary, a former member, or an event its hosting? Would the presence of that patch lead you to buying a replica uniform top? Click on the comment tab below and share your thoughts.

Back on March 6th, Masahiro Tanaka made his Grapefruit League debut for the Yankees against the Phillies in Clearwater. Heavy rains... hey, I'm being modest... a monsoon a few hours before game-time , followed by lingering clouds and dampness, held down the crowd. And it was in a smaller spring training park to begin with. You won't see that many empty seats on his day to pitch anytime soon, as Tanaka has become a real drawing card. So think for a moment about those fans who chose not to come, to stay home and go elsewhere on that soggy Thursday in March. I wonder how many of those absentees would reconsider, knowing what they know now? It'll be a bit different tonight when the Yankees visit the Indians -- and Cleveland-area fans get their only chance this year to watch Tanaka in person.

In recent years, ball clubs have moved beyond attaching black arm bands to honor important members of their organizations who have passed away. The Mets' right sleeves show their love for the beloved Ralph Kiner, who broadcast their games for 52 years and just below, a new patch has been  added for Frank Cashen, architect of the their successful 1980s teams, who died a week ago today. Shooting from the photo well just yards away from 3rd base coach Tim Teufel, I got a good look at both patches during Sunday's game.   The Pirates are also honoring Ralph Kiner -- with his retired number-4 on their right sleeves saluting his seven-and-a-half seasons at Forbes Field where he reigned as baseball's most feared slugger. 

Nelson Cruz (seen here June 22nd against the Yankees) has been a difference maker since joining the Orioles. After a 50-game suspension during his "walk year" for the Rangers, he found few nibbles on the free agent market. In fact, the Mets -- to their ongoing regret -- snapped the offensively challenged Chris Young long before Cruz landed a deal with Baltimore. Bashing the skeptics, Cruz has delivered one big hit after another -- yesterday, he went 5-for-5 including his 27th home run as the 1st place O's defeated the Red Sox at Fenway Park. 27 homers, ties him for the league lead, as do his 70 RBIs. Sure, Cruz will be under a cloud of suspicion the rest of his career. But in a time of increased testing for banned substances, he has shined so far. And that's still the bottom line, helping your team to win.

...you don't expect to be in the major leagues by the Fourth of July. But that's Zelous Wheeler 's story. Invited to Yankee camp on a minor league deal, he impressed the organization, perhaps not as much as Yangervis Solarte did, but clearly he opened some eyes. And he kept on impressing for three months at Scranton, hitting .299 with 20 doubles and 7 homers, while showing his versatility by playing several positions. Here, he's late-inning substitute, batting (and running hard to 1st) against the Nationals.  This is why I love coming to spring training. Wheeler (as well as Solarte, who was optioned to Triple A to make room for Wheeler) saw a lot of action, proved their value and jumped ahead of former top prospect Eduardo Nunez. Last night, making his major league debut (wearing #45), Wheeler belted a homer for his first hit as a Yankee. I've got not idea of how Wheeler will do long term -- remember that at the end of April, a then-sizzling Solarte looked like ...

One of the most feared swings in baseball belongs to Edwin Encarnacion of the Blue Jays. Wednesday, he came through in the clutch with a three-run walk off homer in the bottom of the 9th to lift AL East-leading Toronto to a 7 - 4 win over the Brewers. Encarnacion's 26th home run is a big part of why the Blue Jays are in first place -- teamming with fellow sluggers such as Jose Bautista and Brett Lawrie, Toronto leads the majors with 113 homers.

With the Northeast dealing with its first heat wave of the summer -- accompanied by excessive humidity -- I thought I'd share something from one of the many unusually cold nights we dealt with at the beginning of the season. Is our operative word "layering?" Here's Cardinals 1st base coach Chris Maloney, who was clearly not excited about working outside on a night more fitting for an NHL Winter Classic.

July 1st, 2004 is the game most Yankee fans recall for one of Derek Jeter's classic moments: diving into the 3rd base seats at full blast to make a memorable catch and snuff out a 12th inning Boston threat. Jeter was left bruised and bloody but emerged holding the ball!  Now quick... who had the game-winning hit in the 13th?? Backup catcher John Flaherty. The Rockland County product's RBI double pushed the Yanks past the Red Sox 5 - 4. Now a Yankee broadcaster, "Flash" was back in uniform 10 days ago, when he took part in the Old Timers Game.