Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

For my final post of 2014, I'll salute the best player in the game -- who just happens to play on the team with the best regular season record. American League MVP Mike Trout . No doubt about it. Of course, with baseball's expanded post-season, the secret is getting hot at the right time, which is what the Royals did. The Angels 98 victories didn't mean much when they ran into that KC buzzsaw. The Royals swept L.A. of Anaheim, and then knocked off the Tigers to grab the AL pennant. But come the first week in April, everyone starts with a clean sheet of paper. And would it surprise you with Trout, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton (should he regain his health) to see the Angels right back in the post-season next October?

Watch the feet on and near the base: from last July, Adrian Beltre is out by the thinner of margins. Mets 1st baseman Lucas Duda squeezes the ball inside his glove, while his rear leg makes contact with the base just a fraction before Beltre arrives.

I love the way the Phillies mascot just sparkles in the stadium lights from a game last March in Clearwater.

How many yearbooks have you held onto over the years? Not just for your hometown teams, but for the visitors who came in your ballpark, or from games you saw on vacation? I always placed extra significance on anniversaries, those big round numbers -- such as the Giants 1983 Yearbook. This one marked the 100th anniversary of one of baseball's iconic franchises -- spanning New York and San Franciso. Pictured on the cover are Jim Murtrie, who became the manager in 1885, when the Gothams were renamed the Giants, and Frank Robinson, the skipper as the club began its second century. So if you're a packrat -- or should I say "collector" -- as I am, what's the rarest yearbook or program you've held onto? Let's just count the ones you bought yourself. Something acquired second-hand, from a collectibles shop or eBay, doesn't count. But it's a lot of fun, especially around this time of year, to look through those dusty old boxes (well, mine are) and redisc...

More than 60 major leaguers over the years were born on December 25th . Two of them became Hall of Famers: Nellie Fox, the hustling second baseman best known for leading the 1959 White Sox to the club's first pennant in 40 years; and then there's Rickey Henderson, simply the best leadoff hitter of all time. His 1406 steals could be as hard a record to catch as Cy Young's 511 victories. Known for always been in superb shape, Henderson played in the majors til he was 44. He still looked ready last June when I caught him in action at the Yankees' Old Timers Day.

Unlike many other days on the calendar, we don't have any huge baseball stars born on Christmas Eve . There are some familiar names such as Kevin Millwood and Frank Taveras -- and there's "the other" Victor Cruz, who pitched for several teams in the late '70s and early '80. We've also got a pair of current major leaguers: Giants outfielder Gregor Blanco, and Andrew Romine, the older brother of Yankee catching prospect Austin Romine, and son of former the Angels outfielder Kevin Romine. I caught them both in action last August.

Word yesterday was that Giants 2nd baseman Marco Scutaro , who missed almost all the 2014 season with back problems, had undergone spinal fusion surgery in Miami. One of the sparkplugs of San Francisco's 2012 World Championship team, Scuatro was voted 2012 NLCS MVP. He was enjoying another big season in 2013, where he was named to the All Star Team, before a broken finger cut his year short (he was on the shelf when I caught this picture in the visitor's dugout at Citi Field in September '13). But 2014 was a disaster: he played in just five games -- and while he was on the disabled list, watched rookie Joe Panik more than just fill in, but take a firm grip on the 2nd base job as the Giants won their third title in five years. Now 39, Scutaro's contract has another guaranteed season. But with a six-month recovery time from the surgery, I wouldn't expect him to be much more than bench strength if he's able to get back on the field.

When I shot this picture at Citi Field last September 16th, I had no idea that both pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and 1st baseman Garrett Jones would become Yankees three months later. The deal, announced Friday, sent Eovaldi, Jones and prospect Domingo German to New York for Martin Prado, David Phelps and cash. Just 24, the Yankees clearly see Eovaldi -- who grew up in the same Texas town as Nolan Ryan, Alvin, as having tremendous untapped potential. We'll see how much of an impact Yankee pitching coach Larry Rothschild can have on Eovaldi -- who sported a good 3:1 strikeout to walk ratio last year, but also led the National League in hits allowed. Heading to Miami, Prado  (below), a .290 career hitter adept at several positions, has long been known as a great teammate, a good clubhouse influence and clutch player. Numbers don't lie, he played better after leaving an awful Arizona club and joining a Yankee team fighting for a playoff spot. Frankly, I prefer what he had to offe...

To cap off the week, here's a very easy going image. A cool evening in early May 2014, Trenton visiting New Britain in the Eastern League. The sky, the clouds, the low key atmosphere in a small, cozy ballpark. Stress-free and calm. Baseball back at its small town roots.

Have you ever been bugged by knowing you'd taken some photos -- but had no idea what became of them? Last weekend, I finally found the photos from my August 1989 visit to the original Comiskey Park. The South Side Chicago ballpark had a distinctive look -- take note of the openings all around the rear of the lower grandstand. Check out that upper grandstand. Thanks to the pillars, fans who sat upstairs were close to the action -- almost as cozy as the view from Tiger Stadium's upper deck. Comiskey was known for his pinwheel-decorated "exploding scoreboard," one of many innovations brought in during Bill Veeck's first stint as owner in the late 1950s). Much like the Mets did when they replaced Shea Stadium, the successor to Comiskey was built adjacent to it. Here's a one-of-a-kind look at how things looked 20 months before new Comiskey (now U.S. Cellular Field) opened. It's mostly concrete foundation and rebar; when I first found the snapshot, I h...

The sports bar nearest AT&T Park in San Francisco pays tribute to the Giants east coast roots. Yes, it's called the Polo Grounds, after the iconic ballpark that Carl Hubbell, Johnny Mize and Bill Terry called home -- as did the young Willie Mays. We never went inside -- choosing to spend time before the game exploring the ballpark. After the game, the place was absolutely mobbed. Just curious if you've been there: How strong is its baseball motif? Are there any mementos from the team's New York era inside? Let me know by clicking on "comments" and adding yours.

The Yankees took a liking to Chase Headley when he came to New York in a mid-season trade. His above average defense and no-nonsense personality helped him fit into the club right away. He seemed to embody a lot of the subtle qualities that made Scott Brosius such a fondly remembered member of the last Yankee Dynasty. Plus, Alex Rodriguez less than a sure bet at 3rd base.. While it was clear Brian Cashman wanted to re-sign him, the massive deal Pablo Sandoval landed in Boston pushed Headley's pricetag up. The result? A .surprisingly long and expensive -- 4 years, $52 -million -- deal

...on this date in 1980. That headline-grabbing 10-year contract, initially valued at 18-million dollars -- though the payout became greater, from a cost-of-living clause -- and was the richest contract in baseball up to that point. Despite posting impressive numbers for much of his tenure in the Bronx, Yankee fans never embraced Winfield all that warmly, and he doesn't return there all that often. Of course, the Yankees just won one pennant while he was there -- and then blew a lead to lose the '81 World Series to the Dodgers -- which didn't help endear him to the Yankee faithful. Worse, they never won another division title during his New York years or even made the post-season while he was there. Then there remain lingering hard feelings over the Howie Spira incident. The Yankees never retired Winfield's number 31 -- and his Hall of Fame plaque pictures him in a Padres cap. That's why I was pleasantly surprised to see him take part in the Derek Jeter Day cere...

...which aired last night on MLB Network, I decided on a spring training image from last March to cap off this hectic week.

After 15 seasons with the Phillies, five straight division titles and in 2008, just the second Worlds Series championship in club history, the Jimmy Rollins era has ended in Philadelphia. Now 36, but with good baseball still left in the tank, his trade to the Dodgers represents a line in the sand. The Phils are officially in rebuild mode, while L.A. fills the void left by the departure of Hanley Ramirez. The 2007 National League MVP, when he set the tone for a season when he called the Phillies "the team to beat" and watched them come from behind to topple the Mets in the NL East, Rollins was the longest-tenured Phillie. Only Mike Schmidt has played more games in the red pinstripes. If you go by the numbers, he ranks as the Phils greatest shortstop ever. More importantly, he was the sparkplug for the Phillies greatest era. Ryne Sandberg will most likely pencil Freddy Galvis into the lineup next year. And much like Didi Gregorius at the other end of the Jersey Turnpike...

From August 24th against the Phillies, Matt Holliday of the Cardinals shows the intensity of his swing -- uncoiled, he appears to wind up in a knot.

2015 will mark the the 10th anniversary since the White Sox last worlds championship. Clearly, the organization felt it needed to bring in more talent. Monday, two important names were locked in. The White Sox traded for veteran starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija and signed free agent closer David Robertson away from the Yankees. Add that to a club that features slugger Jose Abreu, the now-reigning Rookie of the Year -- plus newly signed power-hitter Adam LaRoche. I'll admit being surprised the Yanks didn't work harder to hold onto Robertson, who did a generally effective job of closing following Mariano Rivera's retirement. Sure, there were some bumps in the road -- you wonder how long a June meltdown against the Twins lingered in Brian Cashman's memory -- but 39 saves in 44 chances is the mark of someone effective. Plus, on a club where so many pitchers have medical issues, Robertson never had a hint of an arm issue in his six years in the Bronx. Is that a sign of du...

Baseball's 2014 Winter Meetings are being held in San Diego. My only baseball trip there came in 1991 -- when the Padres still called Jack Murphy (now Quallcom) Stadium home.

Shane Greene showed promise as a Yankee rookie, going 5 - 4 in 14 starts during 2014. He's the price that Brian Cashman paid to obtain shortstop Didi Gregorius, who he'd long been eyeing. These images are from the July 27th game against Torotono. While trading young pitchers, heck, any young player, is always risky, Greene never profiled out as a top prospect or future mainstay. A good minor league season in 2013 elevated his profile; a good start in 2014 led to his promotion from Scranton. But should Dave Phelps return to the rotation fulltime, CC Sabathia make it through a full season on creaky knees and either Ivan Nova (recovering from Tommy John Surgery) or Masahiro Tanaka (hoping to avoid it) return to form in 2015, Greene could be considered surplus. And with a glaring hole at shortstop -- and Stephen Drew not looking like a viable alternative -- gambling on Gregorius-for-Greene made sense.

With Derek Jeter retiring and Stephen Drew not deemed a suitable fill-in, here's a trade that makes sense for the Yankees. They pick up 24 year old Didi Gregorius , a lefty hitter they've had their eye on for a couple of years. My WFAN colleague Sweeny Murti broke the story this morning -- it's part of what amounts to a three-way deal also involving the Tigers. The price isn't especially steep -- pitcher Shane Green, 5 - 4 as a 2014 rookie starter, but never considered one of the Yankees top prospects. He goes to Detroit, which sends another hurler Robby Ray onto Arizona. Now the question is how easily he acclimates to the bright lights (or harsh spotlight) of New York -- and deals with playing the position that belonged to Derek Jeter for the past 19 years, That could be a bigger challenge than any curveball.

...you share it with Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock. The Connecticut native attended Notre Dame and ws Arizona's 1st round draft pick in 2009. In 2014, he got off to a strong start before being hit on the hand -- an injury that needed surgery and cost him three months on the DL. With the ballclub making whole changes under new CEO Tony LaRussa, Pollock will be playing alongside Cuban import (and pricey free agent) Yosmany Tomas at Chase Field next season.

Nick Markakis became the second member of the Orioles this week to leave as a free agent. The earlier departure of Nelson Cruz wasn't as much of a shock -- the O's got him cheap, on a one-year deal after a PED suspension. An MLB-best 40 homers later, he's on his way to Seattle on a four-year deal worth close to $60-million. Long a favorite of Orioles owner Peter Angelos, Markakis seemed on track to playing his whole career in Baltimore. But his slowly declining offensive numbers since his superb seasons of 2007 and '09 -- apparently priced him out of the Orioles range. Instead, he's on his way to Atlanta, where he grew up and still maintains a home. With a third hard hitting outfielder Torii Hunter signing with Minnesota, the Twins are left with two big holes in their offense and no sure fire way to fill them for '15.

The outer plaza at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium displays the current Blue Jays stars: Edwin Encarnacion (closest) and Jose Bautista. Clever how the banners are tapered so they fit nicely beneath the overhang. One of the older Grapefruit League ballparks, Toronto's pre-season home brings you amazingly close to the action. And even though it's a little cloudier than the chamber of commerce would prefer, it's still warmer and greener than the cold misty early-December conditions we've got up north.

Here's something a little different: from July at Citizens Bank Park, a look at the stacked bullpens at the beginning of a Phillies/Giants game. And below, pulling back the zoom, you see how both are tucked into right-center field.

From 1975 - '81, there were few National League hitters more feared than George Foster . Playing alongside Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez and the hits-king Pete Rose, Foster was a five-time all star who hit for average and power. The pinnacle was 1977, when he was named National League MVP. But things were never the same after a 1982 trade to the Mets. Maybe expectations were too high playing on a weak club as he aged into his mid 30s. It's clear he never connected with the New York fans. And as his caliber of play diminished, younger stars such as Daryl Strawberry, Mookie Wilson and Lenny Dykstra found the affection of the Shea faithful in a way he never did. Released halfway through the 1986 season -- as Kevin Mitchell took his place in the lineup -- Foster wound up down his career playing a few games with the White Sox. He never drew much support for the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, though he was named to the Reds Hall of Fame. Given the distance ...