Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

I'll be sharing a lot of views of the very impressive AT&T Park in the weeks and months ahead (hey, gotta stock up to get us through the winter, right?). But this one was too good to just archive. The clouds turn red at dusk just over the bay beyond the right field wall.

Friday night belonged to Buster Posey and the Giants, who shredded the Brewers 13 - 2 at AT&T Park.  The all-star who splits his time between 1st base and catching enjoyed the second five-hit game of his career... He helped get things going early with a 1st inning single, coming home on Pablo Sandoval's single as the Giants took an early 3 - 0 lead. That was followed by singles in the 2nd and 4th, a 2-RBI triple in the 5th and another single in the 6th. Between Posey, rookie 2nd baseman Joe Panik (with four hits), Hunter Pence and Angel Pagan (three each), San Francisco stirred up memories of the powerful early '60s teams led by Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Orlando Cepeda. Manager Bruce Bochy then gave Posey the rest of the night off - and began pulling his regulars once the score reached 13. The win moved San Francisco to within 3-1/2 games of Western-leading L.A. -- and pushed them 1/2 game ahead of the slumping Cardinals for the top wild card...

...you share it with Roy Oswalt, who won 163 games in a career spent with the Astros, Phillies, Rangers and Rockies. His best days came in Houston, including back-to-back 20-win seasons -- the second, 2005, marked the Astros first (and still only) trip to the World Series. He's seen here working against the Mets in May 2011, the season things began to come apart for him. After going 7 & 1 in the second half of 2010 after being traded to Philadelphia, Oswalt's effectiveness dropped off markedly in '11 when he took time off to be with his family after tornadoes tore through his home town in Mississippi. Once he returned, he suffered with back problems and finished with a 9 - 10  record -- and a playoff flop against the Cardinals. Starting game four with a chance to eliminate St. Louis in the NLDS, Oswalt was hit hard and took the loss, as the Cardinals grabbed the final pair of games to move on -- and eventually win the World Series.

Yesterday, my pal Ken Levine shared a very funny story about meeting Cubs pitching prospect Jeff Hirsch . It was clever enough for me to reach out and contact Jeff -- who was nice enough to contribute a very special photo to this blog -- his own baseball card. Here's the backstory: "I never wore sleeves. I was the last pitcher cut [by the Cubs] in 1988. Then arm woes ensued; three surgeries later I quit." As for the picture, "It was taken in Iowa where my roommate was Mark Grace. (I answered the phone to tell him he was going to the big leagues.) A 1:30 am call from our manager Pete Mackanin." Though he's an L.A. product (like Ken, a UCLA grad), Jeff told me he follows the Yankees today -- since their manager Joe Girardi was his teammate coming up through the Cubs' farm system. He also counts among his friends former Cubs GM Dallas Green, whom he considers "a great man... like a second dad to me... but still intimidating" and his son John...

If you wondered why the Cardinals didn't mind trading away Allen Craig in late July, here's the reason. Matt Adams , balancing a .300-plus batting average with home run power, became a full time player this season. The Western Pennsylvania native could develop into the kind of slugger the Cards haven't seen since the departure of Albert Pujols.

Besides being Joe Torre Day, I was excited to be at Yankee Stadium last Saturday so I could get my first look at Jose Abreu . The Cuban emigre has led the American League in home runs much of the season -- making him the leading candidate for AL Rookie of the Year.  With 33 home runs and 94 RBIs and still a week to go before it's September, Abreu has already make his mark on the league. Look at those arms, you can see how he generates so much strength in his swing.

No team knows how to stage a day of honor the way the Yankees do. Saturday. Joe Torre became the 18th Yankee to have his number retired by the club. Making the post-season 12 years in a row, six pennants and four World Series titles form a heck of a resume -- a dynasty as impressive as any in Yankee history. I liked seeing the chalked number-six in the shadow of the grandstand. Below, Joe and his wife Ali look over the plaque being added to Monument Park. Torre oversaw sustained success after a decade and a half of turbulence and underachievement in the Yankee organization. George Steinbrenner -- you bet Joe mentioned him prominently in this acceptance speech -- changed managers 20 times in 23 years before Joe's arrival. Torre spent 12 seasons doing nothing but playing in October. Maybe it was fitting that one of the products Joe pitched on TV and radio was green tea. Joe's approach seemed to symbolize the warmth, calm and quality of the product. "Clueless Joe" r...

Martin Prado -- seen here earlier this week against the Astros -- delivered a hard single up the middle with the bases loaded and two men out in the bottom of the 9th to push the club past the White Sox 4 - 3. The former Brave and Diamondback had already put his stamp on the game with a two-run 3rd inning homer -- also coming with two out. All season, the Yankees biggest problem has been their lack of clutch hitting, making Prado's Friday night performance even more impressive.

  When a group of my friends decided to see the Brooklyn Cyclones hosting the Staten Island Yankees, we knew we'd see some future major leaguers. But our biggest surprise came a few hours before the game when someone who could be back in the National League in the next week was announced as Brooklyn's starting pitcher. Daisuke Matsuzaka, recovering from elbow inflamation, worked the first five innings tonight -- and looked ready to return to the Mets. An impressive line, no runs, seven strikeouts, and just two walks. After escaping a bases loaded situation in the top of the 1st inning, the onetime Red Sox sensation hit his groove -- and wasn't threatened for the rest of his time on the mound.  Below, "Dice-K" works from the mound, with the impressively lit parachute jump from Coney Island looming over MCU Park. What's the most unusual or distinctive ballpark attraction you can think of? You'd be hard-pressed to find anything that tops thi...

  It may have been delayed by two-and-a-half years, but Michael Pineda is beginning to give the Yankees proof that he could one day be an anchor of their rotation. Impressive in several April starts -- which were tainted by his blatant doctoring of balls with pine tar -- Pineda was first suspended, then shelved by yet another shoulder injury, Finally healthy in August, he's been impressive in his first two starts, though the Yankee bats haven't exactly been supportive. Working a batter into the 7th inning last night, he allowed two runs and kept a talented Houston lineup in check. Most importantly, he is showing some of the form from his rookie year in Seattle -- talent that impressed the Yankees enough to swap their then-top prospect Jesus Montero for him in the winter of 2012. Is he a tease? A mirage? Or someone ready to join Masahiro Tanaka in the Yanks' post-Jeter (and post-Sabathia) era?

Turning around what had been a frustrating night -- where he'd struck out all four times at bat -- Chris Carter smacked a three-run home run in the top of the 9th to push the Astros past the Yankees 7 - 4 in the Bronx. Carter's been hot during the second half of the season. Just named American League Player of the Week, he leads the majors with 17 home runs since July 1st. And Yankee closer David Robertson had already backed himself into a corner, walking two straight batters and then fell behind 3 balls, no strikes before delivering the decisive pitch to Carter. (This image is from July 2013 against the Orioles in Baltimore.) Odd thing about last night's game -- Robertson wasn't in a save situation. The game was tied 4 - 4 after eight innings. How many times have you noticed a closer being off his form working when they wouldn't be able to save a game -- only keep it even?

Seldom used backup catcher Eric Kratz (seen here with the Phillies in 2013), playing in just his sixth game this month, made the difference in the Royals' 6 - 4 win Monday night over the Twins. Entering the game after starting catcher Salvador Perez left with a sore knee, Kratz homered in the 7th and 9th innings. The runs provided the margin of victory for surging Kansas City, who remains atop the AL Central.

Justin Upton's two-run homer in the bottom of the 4th gave the Braves the lead for keeps, as they completed a weekend sweep of the Oakland A's with a 4 - 3 victory on Sunday. By far, the more productive of the siblings the Braves brought in last year to anchor their outfield, Justin raised his home run total to 23 as Atlanta remained six back of division-leading Washington and just a game-and-a-half behind the Giants for the second NL wild card. What surprised you more -- that the Braves are so far behind the Nationals or that the Athletics had such trouble in this inter-league series? ( This image came from April 17th, when the Braves visited the Phillies. )

Despite countless rumors -- always denied by ownership -- the Colorado Rockies won't be trading power-hitting outfielder Carlos "Car-go" Gonzalez before the end of this season. The reason is simple: he needs knee surgery that will sideline him for the rest of the year. Even with drastic differences between their Coors Field productivity and how they do on the road, both Gonzalez (seen here against the Mets in 2011) and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki were considered the "missing pieces" that might have helped a contender grab a playoff spot. But their brittleness squashed whatever plans the Rockies front office might have had.

With Derek Jeter winding through his final major league season, many of his greatest moments are being saluted: the "flip" play against the A's in the 2001 playoffs; the dive into the stands to make an unbelievable catch against the Red Sox; his opening day home run as a rookie against the Indians. When the Yankees hosted the Nationals in a spring training game on March 3rd, we had a less publicized reunion -- as The Captain gave a warm hug to Tony Tarasco, who was coaching 1st base for Washington. They will always be connected by game one of the 1996 ALCS. Of course that game is known to many for the spectator who became part of the action -- Jeffrey Maier . Leaning forward out of the right field stands at Yankee Stadium, Maier snagged the fly ball that appeared to be on its way... to Tarasco's glove. The Orioles right fielder that night, Tarasco went back to the wall preparing to catch the ball that never came down. Despite his protests, the play was ruled a...

On this date in 1986, Pete Rose caps a three-hit game against the Giants, with a single off relief pitcher Greg Minton. It's the 4256th and final hit of his career -- setting the record for most hits all time in the major leagues. Baseball-reference.com has the box score of what became a landmark game. The Reds player-manager would make his final appearance as a player three days later, but 4256 became "the number" on August 14 th, 1986 for the man who proudly wore 14 for the Reds, Phillies and Expos -- but whose gambling activities led to his lifetime suspension from the majors three years later. And the same tenacity and stubbornness that served Pete so well as a player, was likely the greatest stumbling block to his admitting to a problem and seeking a way to earn his way back into the game he so dearly loves.

In a hugely disappointing season for the Texas Rangers, Adrian Beltre has stood out as the team's lone offensive force. Batting well over .320, with team highs in home runs and RBIs, the veteran 3rd baseman shows no sign of dropping off at age 35. Back in July against the Mets, I caught him being called out on a close play. Look carefully at the cropped image below -- Mets 1st baseman Lucas Duda is already squeezing the ball in his glove before Beltre's foot touches first base. A split second call that the umpire got right.

Brandon Nimmo , drafted in the first round in 2011 has moved up to double-A Binghamton this season in the Mets system. I liked what I saw of him July 24th against Trenton, when he had three hits, two against top Yankees prospect Luis Severino.

 ...you share it with Pablo Sandoval. The Giants 3rd baseman has already made his mark on World Series history. On October 24, 2012, the native of Venezuela hit three home runs in the first five innings of game one against the Tigers. He joined Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, and Albert Pujols as the only players in MLB history to hit three home runs in a World Series game, and is the first ever to hit those home runs in his first three at bats (in the 1st, 3rd, & 5th innings).

There were several Dodger heroes in last night's 7 - 0 domination of the Angels.  Hyun-Jin Ryu fired seven innings of two-hit ball. Backup shortstop Miguel Rojas had a pair of hits, as he gave the usual occupant of the position a half-night off. Hanley Ramirez   at DH swung the most productive L.A. bat with three hits, including a third inning single that drove in the first two runs of the night. We learned one more thing this week -- Ramirez will remain a Dodger the rest of the season. The club tried to pass him through waivers, but pulled him back after he was claimed by another team. How much beyond that remains a mystery. The 30-year former batting champ and Rookie of the Year becomes a free agent in November. These images of Ramirez came from back in May against the Mets in New York.

When Derek Jeter came up in the bottom of the 4th inning last night, I thought it might be a good idea to back off the zoom so I could capture both Jeter and Tigers starter Justin Verlander in the same image. I had no idea it would also feature a broken bat. Look carefully below, as Jeter is holding just a nub in his hands, while most of the bat is heading toward Verlander -- as is the ball Jeter just hit. It wound up being caught by 2nd baseman Ian Kinsler. The Yankees went onto a 5 - 1 win over Detroit.

Going way, way back for this installment of Today in Baseball History: August 6th, 1890, 22 year old rookie Cy Young leads his Cleveland Spiders past the Chicago Colts 8-1... it's the first of 511 career victories for the winningest pitcher of all time, and the namesake of the Cy Young Award. Only five men have won the Cy Young Award in each league -- the most recent was Roy Halladay, when he won it with the 2010 Phillies, after doing so with the 2003 Blue Jays. Who were the others? Gaylord Perry was the first (with the '72 Indians and '78 Padres), followed in order by Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens.

I always appreciate the chance to shoot a game from the photo well next to the dugout. Thanks to Thunder media relations director Bill Cook, I was able to capture these images a couple weeks ago at Trenton's Arm & Hammer Park. Above, it's Yankees catching prospect Gary Sanchez. Below, it's (since-traded) 1st baseman Peter O'Brien heading back to the dugout after a third out. Shooting upward, I enjoy the way he cuts a profile against the sky. And below, a confident Luis Severino taking a breather between innings.

The Mets have built up quite a stable of impressive young pitchers over the last few years. Former 1st round draft pick Matt Harvey gained plenty of attention when he earned the honor of being the National League starting pitcher in the 2013 All Star Game in his home park, Citi Field. Zack Wheeler, arriving a year after Harvey, has sparkled at times. Noah Syndergaard, who came to New York as part of the haul for RA Dickey, impressed almost everyone in this year during Spring Training. But quietly, another young New York arm has been drawing raves. Jacob De Grom . Winner of his last five starts, he's looked ready for the majors ever since his major league debut in May. Saturday night, he took a no-hitter into the 7th inning, before Pablo Sandoval broke through with a double. Working into the 8th, he earned the victory as the Mets held off the Giants 4 - 2. And in this Y2K edition of The Year of the Pitcher, can you name a more impressive rookie hurler in the National League?

Some of the big names changing teams at the deadline: Martin Prado, moving from the Diamondbacks to the Yankees; Jonny Gomes, heading from the Red Sox to the A's I was surprised that I didn't have one of David Price -- the biggest name in a Thursday deal. But two-time Home Run Derby champ Yoenis Cespedes is -- as his mail is forwarded from Oakland to Boston, Which of these players will likely have the most impact on the pennant races? Is it a big name, or an unheralded rookie or bench player going on an unexpected tear? Power-hitting but strikeout-prone Peter O'Brien was the price the Yankees paid for Prado. Glad I caught him in a game last week at Trenton. And below, the A's brought back Sam Fuld (who was with Tampa Bay in 2013) after losing Coco Crisp to a neck injury. And which "player to be named later" or prospect makes the dynamics of a deal look different two or more years down the line? Does anyone here have the makings of a Jay Buehner...