Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

That's the call on Marlins 2nd baseman Dee Gordon, who received an 80-game suspension for PED use. The reigning National League batting and stolen base champ (and Gold Glove winner) signed a five-year $50-million extension over the winter and seemed primed to take his place as one of Miami's rising stars alongside Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Fernandez and Christian Yelich. But that's now on hold until July 29th -- after exogenous Testosterone and Clostebol were found in his system. How do Marlins fans feel in this wake of this news? How about manager Don Mattingly and owner Jeffrey Loria? Dee-ceived? These images were taken March 8th at the Marlins/Yankees exhibition in Jupiter, FL.

I couldn't resist capturing Robinson Cano and his championship caliber bubble. It was April 16th, right after batting practice before the Yankees/Mariners game in the Bronx. By the way, that's Seattle quality control coach Chris Prieto to Cano's left. ( h/t: Mariners broadcaster Dave Sims. ) (Below) Cano takes a more familiar pose, in the batting cage. Cano is off to a solid start this year in the power department. He enters the weekend when April flips to May with 8 homers and 24 RBI. Healthy again after off-season hernia surgery, he's helped to lift the Mariners near the top of the AL West. Seattle expected that when they lured him away from the Yankees, he could be the player that restored them to contender status. While that wasn't the case in 2014 and '15, with just over 20 games played so far, Cano has been a key cog on a revitalized roster.

Let's journey back to those beloved days of old... the days of artificial turf and dot-matrix message boards in multi-purpose stadiums. We're at the Vet in Philadelphia on August 30th, 1984. The opener of a twi-night doubleheader; bottom of the 3rd inning... Von Hayes has just belted a two-run homer pulling the Phillies to within 3 - 2. The game wouldn't end well -- Al Holland, a bullpen hero a year earlier for the Phils' pennant winners, surrendered a two-run homer to Jeffrey Leonard in the top of the 9th as the Giants came from behind for a 6 - 5 victory. Between games, Tug McGraw was honored on his 40th birthday.

Down by three entering the bottom of the 7th inning, Yoenis Cesedes and David Wright -- the Mets two highest-paid regulars -- delivered the key hits igniting a four-run rally and a 4 - 3 victory over the Reds. Sidelined by a badly bruised leg, Cespedes smacked a three-run pinch homer to tie the score. Curtis Granderson followed with a single. One batter later, up stepped Wright, who singled to left to bring home the go-ahead run. From three down to a run up, relievers Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia sealed the victory. And after scuffling early, the Mets have now won five straight and (thanks to the Phillies win in Washington) have closed to within two games of the 1st place Nats. The image of Cespedes came from the March 9th spring training game against the Yankees; Wright was snapped April 10th against the Phillies at Citi Field.

Bottom of the 1st inning Saturday at the Stadium: Alex Rodriguez sends a scorching fly to left field. Desmond Jennings runs out of room and leaps against the left field wall. The fans just behind him are jumping and stretching -- one of them expects to come away with the most coveted of ballpark souvenirs. But the ball winds up in Jennings' glove and the Yankees are turned away for the moment.

Needing a fill-in starter for Saturday's game against the Yankees, the Rays recalled top pitching prospect Blake Snell. Above, he finishes his walk from the bullpen to the Tampa Bay dugout. They had to be pleased with the results. While the baby faced lefty only lasted five innings, he gave the Yankees just a run, two hits and a walk, while striking out six. Impressive but not perfect -- as witnessed by a pair of wild pitches, one of which brought home the Yankees 1st inning run. Back in the dugout, pitching coach Jim Hickey met with Snell and catcher Hank Conger to help settle the rookie down. That pep talk helped. So did Snell's abundant talent. He kept the Yanks scoreless for the rest of his five innings. He left with the lead, and had the Tampa Bay bullpen not surrendered a pair of late inning runs, he might have ended the day with a victory. Having succeeded in his debut, the Rays immediately optioned him to the minors. Surprising? For a small market f...

Yankee pitchers Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka sit together on the front row of dugout seats. What you don't see here is the playful peanut shell fight the guys were having about two minutes before I snapped this one Wednesday night.  After a rough first couple of starts, Severino pitched six innings of two-run ball Thursday, before the Yankee bullpen let their game with Oakland slip away.

There weren't too many good plays by the Yankees Wednesday night, but this is clearly one of them. In the top of the 4th inning, with the A's already up 3-1, Josh Reddick's fly ball (center) to left field appeared deep enough to score Danny Valencia. But a terrific throw by Aaron Hicks (bottom) to Brian McCann resulted in the third out of the inning. I had a great angle to capture it all -- from the photo well just past the Yankee dugout.

Michael Jack Schmidt. The greatest player in Phillies history (seen here in August 2015) owns a pair of milestones on this date: He smacked the 100th home run of his career on this date in 1976 -- it came off John Candelaria of the Pirates. It was also the sizzling Schmitty's seventh home runs in seven games -- in a season he'd lead the National League in that stat for the third year in a row. The Phils went onto win the game 5-1. He became the Phillies all-time leader in hits on this date in 1989. And again the highlight takes place against the Pirates. Weeks away from retiring, his 6th inning double off Mike Dunne breaks Richie Ashburn's longstanding club record for career hits. There are several other important names with a chunk of April 20th baseball history: 1983: George Brett of the Royals blasts three home runs, including a three-run shot in the top of the 9th that pushes Kansas City past the Tigers 8 - 7. 1980: Rickey Henderson of the A's ste...

You truly appreciate the grit and talent of Felix Hernandez when you watch him work on a day like last Saturday. He struggled through five innings, not having his best stuff, yet he got the big outs when needed. Throwing 106 pitches in five innings, he gave the Yankees plenty of scoring chances, allowing five hits and walking six. Still, he held New York to just a run -- Carlos Beltran's RBI double in the 3rd. Otherwise, 10 base runners stranded with no damage. When Seattle rallied for three 5th inning runs and grabbed the lead to stay, he was on his way to a victory. It was also an historic day -- King Felix's four strikeouts raised his career total to 2162, tying him with Randy Johnson for the most in Mariners history. Having just turned 30 a couple of weeks ago, it wouldn't be surprising to find him joining Johnson in Cooperstown one day.

What one word would you use to describe CC Sabathia's expression during Saturday's game? This proud man, once -- and for a very long time -- considered among baseball's best pitchers, struggles to succeed. At times it appears to be a battle just to remain competitive. The skills he once used so boldly have faded, his body has aged; he feels the frustration of not being able to dial it up and control a game as he once did. But the big man is not giving up. Far from it.. facing a Mariners lineup with such talented hitters as Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz, he threw four scoreless innings, before running into 5th inning trouble. Leonys Martin broke the ice with a solo homer, Cano and Cruz drove in the other runs and ended Sabathia's day. Joe Girardi still has faith in CC. So does GM Brian Cashman. Fans are more skeptical. We're still in April, the weather is finally warming, and the big man likely has more wins remaining in his left arm. But it will never come easy...

I was in Times Square on Monday for an event honoring the legacy of Jackie Robinson. The Collector's Cafe displayed Jackie's 1946 contract with the Montreal Royals and his historic 1947 pact with the Dodgers, the one that caused Major League Baseball's color barrier to finally fall. While today, April 15th will be celebrated as Jackie Robinson Day across baseball, with every player wearing his number-42 on their backs, these documents add an additional dimension to his historic achievements. Celebrities ranging from rapper-actor Master P and former Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz to civil rights activist Al Sharpton, talk show icon -- and lifelong Dodger fan -- Larry King and actor Paul Sorvino shared memories of Jackie, his impact on baseball and American society. As baseball Sorvino, who grew up a Brooklyn Dodger fan, is not only a respected actor, but a gifted sculptor. He created the image of Jackie commissioned for this event.  I asked him what Rob...

The Yankees -- who lost 1st base prospect Greg Bird before spring training began -- finally filled that "insurance policy" role by bringing back an old friend. Fan favorite Nick Swisher, cut late last month by the Braves, inked a minor league contract with the Yanks Wednesday. He'll report to Scranton today and fill in at DH, 1st base and the outfield. It's not the easiest position to handle. Swisher, now 35, spent four productive years with the Yankees -- including the 2009 World Champs. But they chose not to hold onto him as a free agent. Nick left for Cleveland, and was traded to Atlanta last summer. Slowed by bad knees, the rebuilding Braves didn't think he was a good match for their club. He returns to the Yankee organization "just in case" something happens to Mark Teixeira, Carlos Beltran or Alex Rodriguez. A veteran who can step in should one of the veteran regulars be sidelined for an extended period. These images were taken during bat...

Heading into the season, most of the "experts" picked the Blue Jays or Red Sox to grab the American League East. The Yankees got some attention as well. Some SABR-metric number-crunchers thought the Rays were a savvy choice. Not much love was shown the Orioles. Of course, Baltimore's bunch has started the season hotter than anyone. Shortstop J.J. Hardy (seen here at Camden Yards against the Yankees in 2013) was the batting star Tuesday night. He paced the O's attack with a pair of home run in a 9 - 5 win over the Sox at Fenway Park. Off-season pickup Mark Trumbo also grabbed a headline with a game tying blast off Clay Buchholz. But Hardy's big night is number-one on my chart: his first multi-homer game since August 8th, 2014 -- helped fuel the Orioles best start in their 63-year history! Maybe their spring training was a good barometer; after starting 0-10, they finished the pre-season going 7-1-1. That's 14-1-1 in a 16-game stretch. In a word, sizzling!

I first saw Mallex Smith in spring training just over a year ago. The highly touted Braves prospect -- who hit .303 with 56 steals in 2015 -- offers blazing speed and capable defense -- but he wasn't quite ready for the majors a year ago. Wearing #83 was my first clue. Summoned to the big club a week into this season, Smith made his debut on Monday night at Nationals Park in Washington. Unfortunately, it only lasted four innings. He suffered a deep, bloody cut over his left eye, after being struck by his batting helmet while attempting to steal 2nd base (he'd reached base on a fielder's choice play). Bottom line: Smith went 1-for-3, with an infield single in the 2nd inning. He's one of the building blocks the Braves are eager to prepare for their debut next year at their new suburban ballpark.

Sunday at Citi Field, Yoenis Cespedes of the Mets ended Jeremy Hellickson's day in the bottom of the 6th inning. He crushed a pitch that screamed "hit me," and boy, did he! That two-run shot pulled the Mets within 3 - 2. Even though the Phils extended their lead later and eventually won 5 - 2, that Cespedes blast to left field was the most impressive moment of the afternoon. You have to be take note of the way his body powerfully uncoils just as bat meets ball. Sunday's game marked the first time the Mets wore their '86 Throwback uniforms -- famous for its racing stripe atop the shoulders and dwon the sides -- saluting their World Championship team from 30 years ago.

April 8th, 1982 : Rickey Henderson stole the first of what would become his single-season record total of 130 stolen bases. He didn't wait long to pull off his first heist -- it came in the bottom of the first inning against the Angels battery of Mike Witt and Bob Boone. Not surprisingly, Henderson wasn't done. He stole another in the bottom of the 14th, when Oakland was trying to rally after falling behind by four. The Angels had plenty of reasons to fear Rickey and his speed: he reached base seven of the eight times he came up -- tallying a pair of hits and walking five times. Do you consider Henderson the most feared baserunner of all time? Or was it Maury Wills? Lou Brock? Or today's top speedster, the Reds' Billy Hamilton? This image is from the Yankees 2013 Old Timers Day celebration in New York.

With temperatures in the low 40s and a wintry breeze adding to the bite, it was hardly an ideal night for baseball in the Bronx. Just look at how Yankee 2nd baseman was bundled up -- and that pales in comparison to the face covering worn by 3rd base coach Joe Espada. Conditions like that might stir up visions of a 2-1 game with the pitchers totally in control. NOT! Castro was one of the Yankees batting stars, with 4 hits including a double and a home run in a 16 - 6 pummeling of the Astros. But while we're talking standout performers, Carlos Correia (below) has to join the conversation. The reigning American League Rookie of the Year laughed off the chilly conditions, blasting a pair of Houston home runs. In just his second season in the majors, he's already considered to be one of baseball's exceptional talents.

Congratulations to Neil Walker, whose two-run 4th inning homer pushed the Mets past the Royals 2 - 0. The former Pirate has to fill some big shoes this season, after Daniel Murphy was encouraged to leave as a free agent. That home run off Chris Young -- especially after their opening night loss to the team that beat them in the 2015 World Series -- could be the first step in Walker winning over the fans in Flushing. You know the expression: the 162 game season is a marathon, not a sprint... even the greatest teams of all time will lose 50 games. So, there'll be plenty of ups and down for Walker as he settles in at Citi Field. But he's at least given Mets fans something to cheer about.

The Yankees and Astros were washed out on Monday. Same story for the Indians and Red Sox in Cleveland. After an unusually mild winter -- and temperatures last week reaching the 70s in the New York area -- rain and suburban snow turned opening day in the Bronx into a chilly, soggy mess. All that anticipation built up through six weeks of spring training has to be put on hold for at least 24 hours. This rainy day photo comes from July 2012 at Yankee Stadium.

...Tommy John, beginning his 26th season in the majors, allows the Twins just two runs over seven innings, leading the Yankees to a 4 - 2 win at the Metrodome. Roberto Kelly goes 4-for-4 for New York, including the game's only homer. At age 45, Tommy is the oldest player in the majors! ( This image came from the 2014 BAT Dinner in New York .)

My crystal ball says the World Series Trophy is heading here: AT&T Park, the home of the Giants is already home to three previous champions this decade (2010, 2012 and 2014). So those who like mathematical patterns feel another title is already in the air. But there's a lot more behind my prediction. Great starting pitching, as 2014 hero Madison Bumgarner is joined by free agent signees Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. The balanced lineup built around Buster Posey, Brandon Belt. Hunter Pence and rising stars Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik, is productive in a Royals-ish sense. When healthy Angel Pagan and Denard Span can be igniters. And manager Bruce Bochy, already on track for Cooperstown, has been the steady hand behind three titles. Their beautiful -- and pitching-friendly ballpark helps, too. The Royals held onto a key cog in Alex Gordon. Much like the Giants, they play in a park that makes good pitchers more effective and downplays the home run. Once they get t...

Slept last night from 10-3... Having nodded off to the Mets and Cubs exhibition on MLB network, I was pleasantly awakened to Vin Scully about to call the first pitch of the Freeway Series game. WOW. Between his amazing talent to introduce a player with depth and humanity, he just keeps delivering brilliance. On a little roller down the 3rd base line that became a hit: "unlike when you're fishing, you don't have to throw the little ones back." Or just after a botched play, he recalled a Red Barber radio broadcast of Pee Wee Reese dropping a short pop fly -- and then bringing it into the present, saying he was going to have to tell Corey Seeger that his hallowed predecessor once committed the same muff. While my mind tells me I need to try and get some sleep, my heart says this is too good to turn off and roll back over. Fortunately, there are about 75 of these broadcasts left. ( My photo of Vin was snapped from the scoreboard at the L.A. Coliseum during the 5...