Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

The Cubs 3 - 2 victory in Sunday night's game five extends the World Series and sends it back to Cleveland. In the city that's also home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, this is the corner just beyond the right field wall. Turning around from that notable street sign, here's a view of Progressive Field's glass-walled exterior. Inside, some flag waving in support of the home team. Below, it's a look across the field toward the right field corner: the retired numbers for Bob Lemon (#21), Mel Harder (18), Larry Doby (14), Jackie Robinson (42) and "The Fans," in recognition of the Indians' major league record of 455 consecutive home game sellouts. The place will be packed Tuesday night, as the Tribe has the opportunity to close out the World Series on its home turf.

The World Series shifts tonight from one of the best of the new generation ballparks, Progressive Field, to the classic original, Wrigley Field. The last time baseball's fall classic was played there, there was no Internet, not even TV coverage. And of course, no lights. I don't think that Wrigleyville's apartment buildings were as posh. I'll bet you, none were adorned with statues. There were no scoreboard electronics, baseball had 16 teams, not 30 -- in six divisions. But you can envision that '45 series with the Cubs hosting the Tigers. Care to make a friendly bet how many 82 year olds in the stands tonight were 11 year olds playing hooky from the school the last time the World Series came to Wrigley? I am sure we'll be reading about those die-hard fans over the next three days. Let's just hope the weather warms up and dries out -- and some memorable baseball takes place.

Say hello to the last living member of the Indians 1948 World Champions. I met 1st baseman Eddie Robinson -- who later played for the Yankees -- at this summer's Old Timers Day in the Bronx. With his former team in the World Series, he's popped back in the spotlight and has done interviews with the New York Daily News , Cleveland's channel 5, and Fort Worth's Star Telegram . Robinson also has a connection to the current Indians. In 1957, he was a teammate (on the Orioles) of Tito Francona, whose son Terry -- the current Indians skipper -- was born two years later. Surprisingly, the Indians have yet to invite this link to their last title to this year's World Series. Spry and fit at age 95, Robinson told the Fort Worth paper he'd attend game six or seven if asked. How could they not reach out? Seems like a no-brainer.

It's been 68 years since the Indians were World Series champs. Hall of Famer pitchers Bob Feller and Bob Lemon anchored a terrific staff. Larry Doby   -- a nother Cooperstown inductee --   was their regular centerfielder, batting .318 in their six-game win over the Boston Braves. One of baseball's least publicized trailblazers, the New Jersey product was not just a terrific player -- a seven-time All Star and two-time AL home run champ are just the start -- he's also he player who broke the color barrier in the American League, thanks to the wisdom of Hall of Fame owner Bill Veeck.   But did you realize that Larry and Cleveland teammate Satchell Paige also made history as the first two black players on a World Series winner (keep in mind, Jackie Robinson's only ring with the Dodgers came in 1955). Doby, who passed away in 2003, is one of several Indians honored with a statue outside Progressive Field. His retired #14 is one those proudly displayed along ...

Tonight at Cleveland's Progressive Field, the 113rd World Series gets underway. There'll be plenty of time to compare the Indians and Cubs players and managers, discuss the game-turning plays and the surprises that always emerge from baseball's ultimate stage. Let's get in the mood by zooming in on downtown Cleveland, walking toward Progressive Field, the way I did during my July visit. That sign for the Hard Rock Cafe seems to overwhelm the ballpark. While that's just an optical illusion, Cleveland's revitalization -- also symbolized by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum -- is very real. This city has come a long way from "The Mistake by the Lake," days of the '80s and '90s. Prediction? I've been so far off the mark the last couple of weeks -- not mention buying into the Giants "even year" expectations, that I hardly feel qualified. That being said, I'll pick the Indians in seven games. In this postseason...

...you share it with Omar Quintanilla. A utilityman with the Rockies, Rangers, Orioles and Mets, he hit only eight home runs in over 1100 career at-bats; just two of them came during his time with the Mets. I was there for one of them against the Cardinals on June 11th, 2013. Here, he gets a high five from captain David Wright after circling the bases. Quintanilla shares his birthday with another onetime Mets infielder, Ron Gardenhire. But he's far better known for his 13-year run as Minnesota Twins manager. Speaking of the Twins, it's also Gene Larkin's birthday. He earned a place in history with a 10th inning walk-off RBI single in game seven of the 1991 World Series. Want to talk World Series champs? There's Eric Hosmer of the Royals, who earned his ring in 2015. Omar Moreno's got a ring. The speedy centerfielder earned his with the "We Are Family" 1979 Pirates. And Rawly Eastwick has a pair of them, from his days a reliever with Cincinnati's...

...the World Series is returning to Wrigley Field. Let's put that moment into context: in October 1945, not-quite-three year old Ferguson Jenkins might just have picked up his first Spaldeen, five-year-old Ron Santo's hometown team was the Seattle Rainiers, and seven-year-old Billy Williams was a second grade student. Ernie Banks, then 14 (the number he'd make his own with the Cubs) was a year away from entering Booker T. Washington high school in Dallas -- a school that did not field a baseball team! That was 1945, the last Cubs pennant winner until now. Those beloved Cubs never played a World Series game in Chicago. Neither did later-decade favorites Ryne Sandberg, Rick Sutcliffe and Leon Durham. A 71-year drought developed and lingered since the days of Phil Cavaretta, Bill "Swish" Nicholson and Stan Hack. Last night, thanks to Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Hendricks and Aroldis Chapman, the streak was ended and the Cubbies' ticket to the Big Da...

Cubs shortstop Addison Russell delivered the game-changing home run that moved his team within one win of its first trip to the World Series since 1945. That two-run blast in the top of the 6th gave the Cubs the lead to stay in a game that was tight for most of the night. There were other headliners as well: Jon Lester held the Dodgers to a run over seven effective innings; 3rd baseman Javier Baez made a terrific defensive play and added three hits, including a bases-loaded double that broke the game open in the 8th. Let's circle back to Russell, a top propsect ever since he was drafted by the A's. And in one of Billy Beane's bold-but-ultimately unsuccessful trades, he was sent to the Cubs near the deadline in 2014 for pitching help in Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija. That was the Oakland club which, after having the best record in baseball at the All Star Break, faded during the stretch and wound up losing the Wild Card game to Kansas City. The Cubs gave Russell mor...

When the Indians sent four prospects -- including two blue-chippers -- to the Yankees at the trade deadline, they knew he was good. But there's still a difference between even very good and dominant. There's no other term you could use to describe his performance in Cleveland's ALCS victory over the Blue Jays. He worked four of the five games, going 7-2/3 shutout innings, allowing just three hits, and no walks. The big lefty faced 26 Toronto batters, and struck out 14 of them. The way manager Terry Francona used him was notable as well -- he didn't close in the conventional sense. He entered at various points to stop threats dead in their tracks. We saw it again Wednesday, when he came in with one on and one out in the 6th and promptly got the first batter he saw -- 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson -- to ground into a rally-killing double play. He worked 2-2/3 innings and was masterful. That sounds like an automatic series MVP, doesn't it? Now the Indians and their ...

The Dodgers lefthander continued his surprising late-career resurgence Tuesday night with six shutout innings against the Cubs. Ironically, Hill, then a Cub, started and took the loss when Chicago was eliminated in the final game of their 2007 NLDS with Arizona. That was nine years and countless moves ago. 14 months after his last appearance for the independent Long Island Ducks, Hill again proved himself to be one of baseball's best bargains, holding the Cubs in check, only allowing runners to reach scoring position in the 2nd inning -- where he worked out of one-out trouble. Have the Dodger lefties solved the puzzle of the Cubs offense? Have they silenced one of baseball's most potent attacks, the one that tallied 103 regular season wins? Has rookie manager Dave Roberts proven himself to be as smart or smarter than the Cubs' esteemed Joe Maddon? Tune in tonight -- catch the presidential debate on DVR -- and see where the Kid (20 year old Jose Urias) or the old pro (Jo...

...you share it with Mets sluger Yoenis Cespedes -- seen here about to round 3rd base after homering July 1st against the Cubs. That's one of the 31 he belted during 2016. He shares the day with someone whose big home run output came as more of a surprise -- the Rays 1st baseman Brad Miller. A highly touted prospect with the Mariners, he disappointed over three Seattle seasons, but things seemed to fall into place once he moved to the west coast of Florida. He hit the "big 3-0," as in 30 home runs this past season. Who else is on today's cake and candles list: Ed Farmer, a longtime relief pitcher who's now the White Sox radio voice. A pair of utility players who enjoyed lengthy careers -- Jerry Royster and Alex Cora. Power hitting Willie Horton, who smacked 262 home runs in parts of 15 seasons with the Tigers. Fittingly, his most biggest total, 36, came in Detroit's World Championship year, 1968. Charlie Berry, a catcher with the A's, White Sox...

Adrian Gonzalez was the Dodgers' offensive source Sunday night. Leading off the 2nd inning at Wrigley Field, A-Gon parked a Kyle Hendricks pitch in Wrigley's left field bleachers. That was the all scoring in a 1-0 win over the Cubs. Of course, it took the talent of Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen to make that skinny lead hold up. After a day off, the two clubs with roots stretching back to the 19th century head to L.A. to continue the NLCS. This image came from the Dodgers September 12th game at Yankee Stadium.

Here's a look at the same kind of swing Miguel Montero used to crush the Dodgers in Saturday night's opener of the NLCS. Talk about being in rare company: it was just the third pinch-hit grand slam in post-season history! Perhaps it's the nature of coming off the bench, but the first two to do so were far from immortals... Mark Lewis of the 1995 Reds and Ricky Ledee of the '99 Yankees. Now Miguel Montero, the Cubs veteran catcher, joins them after snapping a three-all tie and causing Wrigley Field to vibrate so strongly that some on hand said it felt like an earthquake. Seeing it on TV, it was clear that Montero knew the ball was gone the moment it left the bat. And the Wrigley faithful -- with celebs such as Bill Murray and John Cusack on hand -- erupted in joy. To paraphrase the late  What's My Line  host John Charles Daly, "One down and seven to go." This image comes from the Cubs/Mets game at Citi Field on July 1st, 2015.

Last night, that swing belonged to Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor . One of the American League's rising stars, Lindor's two-run homer in the bottom of the 6th broke up a great pitching duel between Toronto's Marco Estrada and Cleveland's Corey Kluber. Estrada continued on for the first complete game of his career, while Indians skipper Terry Francona soon turned it over to his bullpen twins Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. But the story at Progressive Field in game one of the ALCS was Lindor, who in just his second season, is giving Indians fans reason to believe their 68-year drought without a Championship might be nearing an end. I got this first-hand look at Lindor's sweet swing when the Indians hosted the Yankees on July 8th.

A tip of the hat this morning to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, whose unconventional decisions helped his club beat the Nationals 4-3 last night in the fifth and deciding game of their Division Series. How many other skippers would bring in their closer Kenley Jansen in the 7th inning and leave him in to get seven outs? Then, to finish the game after a weary Jansen walked a pair in the 9th, he summoned his ace -- and the team's emotional leader -- Clayton Kershaw. This after Kershaw started the first and fourth game of the series. It was the classic example of "all hands on deck." Working with the tieing and winning runs on, Kershaw delivered: getting post-season sensation Daniel Murphy to pop up harmlessly. He finished it off striking out pinch hitter Wilmer Difo. A Bumgarner-esque effort, locking down the Dodgers ticket to Wrigley Field and Saturday's NLCS opener with the Cubs. Let's not forget that four-run rally that put the Dodgers in position to ...

After covering the home games of that classic battle between the Mets and Red Sox, I held onto my copy of the 1986 World Series Media Guide. And while I didn't pick either of the teams to make it to this year's Fall Classic, you have to admit pairing New York and Boston once again would have been fun. MLB's promotion staff certainly was hoping to see it again -- you must have noticed those commercials featuring Mookie Wilson and Bill Buckner, who, like Thomson and Branca, are forever linked in baseball history. But reality has a way of overtaking emotion. Like it or not, the 2016 Mets and Red Sox just weren't better than the teams they faced this post-season. Tonight, before moving onto the each league's Championship Series, the Nationals and Dodgers give us a winner-take-all game five showdown in Washington. Perhaps, hours from now, two players from that game will come to share an epic moment. And the Mets, past and present, along with the Red Sox of a...

You share it with the first Mets player synonymous with the number 50, Sid Fernandez. The Hawaiian born lefty came up through the Dodgers farm system, but enjoyed his most productive years in Flushing, winning 12 or more games five times. His best season was 1986, when he went 16-6 for the Mets club that went on to win the World Series. There's another familiar New York baseball name on our October 12th list -- Tony Kubek. The 1957 American League Rookie of the Year played on seven pennant-winning clubs, including five straight during the Mantle-Maris dyansty from 1960 to '64. A neck injury sustained while on military service in '62 cut his playing career short. But he remained a fixture in the game for three more decades as a broadcaster with NBC, the Yankees and Blue Jays. That second career proved to be his ticket to Cooperstown, as he received the Ford Frick Award in 2009. Rounding out today's cake and candle list: Ketel Marte, the Mariners regular shortst...

Tyler Naquin's 4th inning home run gave the Indians the lead they held onto all night as they held off the Red Sox 4-3 to sweep their ALDS matchup. The rookie homered the first time I saw him play, back on July 7th against the Yankees at Progressive Field. While AL Rookie of the Year chat revolves around Gary Sanchez and the Tigers Michael Fullmer, Naquin will likely receive some support. He did something those other two didn't -- the young Indian was named the league's Rookie of the Month for both June and July.

  What a memorable ending to the Blue Jays - Rangers series! Bottom of the 10th with one out, Josh Donaldson leaves 2nd base as Russell Wilson hits an infield grounder. While the Rangers try to pull off a double play, Donaldson kept running, rounding 3rd and headed home. His gutsy sprint beat Moreland's desperate relay to Jonathan Lucroy for the winning run, as Toronto capped a three-game sweep. A 7-6 victory that sends the Blue Jays onto the championship series against the Indians/Red Sox survivor. October baseball eaves enduring memories -- Derek Jeter's "flip play," Dave Roberts' stolen base for the '04 Red Sox, Mookie Wilson's grounder "gets through Buckner." Donaldson's mad dash will join them in video highlight history.

From April 16th: Mariners batting coach and broadcaster Dave Valle get a good look at Seattle hitters getting ready to play the Yankees. And below, the best of those batters, Robbie Cano enters the cage.

That's the name everyone in baseball is talking about right now. Friday night at Wrigley Field, he broke up what had been a superb pitching duel between Jon Lester and Johnny Cueto with an 8th inning home run. That left field blast was the only run of the night... as the Cubs took opener of their Division Series, 1-0. Aroldis Chapman worked the 9th and despite a two-out double by Giants mainstay Buster Posey, the Cubs had their victory -- the first of the 11 they'll need to end their 108-year championship drought.

This was the date in 2001 that Barry Bonds belted his 73rd home run of the season, establishing a new single-season record. (It came off Dennis Springer of the Dodgers.) But is that really the number you or most fans identify with? Doesn't Roger Maris' 61 still ring truer? While the MLB hierarchy has never objected to Bonds' puffed up single-season or career totals, we have a right to be skeptical about their legitmacy or credibility. Yes, Bonds and 73 are officially in the record books. Still, I retain the right to place a personal asterisk next to that entry and instead, honor the achievement of Roger Maris. Where do you stand on Bonds? Feel free to comment at the bottom of today's page.

After last night's results, I'm still on target for the Giants continuing their even-year semi-dynasty. Moving forward: In the NL, I'll take the Giants over the Cubs and Dodgers over the Nationals. San Francisco advances to the World Series -- after all, don't the Giants always seem to beat their forever rivals in the playoffs? In the AL, the Blue Jays should outslug the Rangers, while the Terry Francona's old club knocks off his current one. And Boston grabs its fourth pennant in a dozen years. The Giants have too much starting pitching, and with their bullpen solidifying of late, should have enough to hold off the Red Sox.

The Giants used that classic recipe of pitching and power to move past the Mets in Wednesday night's NL Wild Card Game. Reminding everyone once again why he's the best big game pitcher on the planet, Madison Bumgarner threw a complete game four-hit shutout -- extending his personal post-season scoreless streak to 23 consecutive innings. He kept most of the Mets hitters off stride -- we saw a mix of weak ground balls and pop ups. Yoenis Cespedes went 0 for 5; the man who enters to The Lion King theme, played more like a meercat. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera was the only Met who appeared to make good contact. Watching him from just off the field was like being at a concert by a world-class musician. He was so consistently effective. No tailing off in the later innings, no apparent exhaustion -- unlike his Mets rival Noah Syndergaard, who, despite throwing two-hit ball, clearly faded his final inning. "Mad Bum" threw 119 pitches, and was as dominant in the 9th as h...

Edwin Encarnacion punched the Blue Jays ticket to the ALDS last night. With two on and one out in the bottom of the 11th, he absolutely crushed the first pitch Ubaldo Jiminez threw him. It was as hard hit a ball as I've seen all season -- it rocketed toward the left field seats of Rogers Center and unleashed a huge on-field celebration. After 42 regular season home runs -- and a league leading 127 RBI, this was clearly Encarnacion's biggest moment of the year. Maybe Toronto's biggest post-season hit since Joe Carter's blast that ended the 1993 World Series. So the playoffs start with a tense game ending in a walk off homer. Let's see what the Mets and Giants come up with tonight to top that! Luckily,  I got a good look at Encarnacion and his powerful swing several times during the season, most recently September 7th at Yankee Stadium.

As the post-season begins, you could say that I'm batting .600. Six of the ten teams I picked for the post-season made it. I missed on the Astros, Tigers, Royals and Diamondbacks (I ought to accept double demerits for choosing them!)... But four of my five NL clubs are still in the running, along with the Red Sox and Blue Jays from the American League. AL: Boston/ Toronto (Wild Card)/ KC/ Detroit (WC)/ Houston  Pennant: KC NL: Washington/ Mets(WC)/ Chicago/ San Francisco/ Arizona(WC)  Pennant:  San Francisco World Series Winner: San Francisco       mikemccann.blogspot.com/2016/04/prediction-time.html The playoffs begin tonight with Blue Jays hosting the Orioles.... Toronto goes with its Long Island-born standout Marcus Stroman. I'll hold off on any more predictions until we're ready for the Division Series.

Ryan Howard played his final game for the Phillies on Sunday. In just over a dozen seasons, the onetime National League Rookie of the Year and MVP banged out 382 home runs in Philadelphia red and white.  He was "the Big Piece," the slugger who joined Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz in the most productive era in Phillies history. The last remaining player from the clubs that won five consecutive NL East titles, Howard's career and Phillies history changed forever five years when he snapped his Achilles in making the final out of the 2011 Division Series against the Cardinals. The injury took a tremendous toll on his agility and performance: the big man was a shadow of himself when he finally returned to action. So it was hardly a shock when the club informed him that it would not pick up his contract option for next season. Some might believe the disappointing years at the end of his tenure -- at $25 million a season -- tarnish Howard's image. But I...

...that Jose Reyes, TJ Rivera and James Loney would drive in the Mets first four runs in the game they clinched a post-season spot, you'd say, "No way!" Let's run the "tape" back to the beginning of April. Reyes was a Colorado Rockie, about to start a lengthy suspension after a spousal abuse incident. Rivera was a little-known second- or third-tier Mets prospect, already way past his 25th birthday and buried behind newly acquired Neil Walker and fan favorite Wilmer Flores. And Loney had just been cut by the Rays at the end of spring training. Yet, those three guys all played vital roles as the Mets punched their ticket to the playoffs. Reyes , the catalyst and exuberant lead off man, whose agents landed him a huge 2012 free agent contract with the Marlins -- who in typical fashion traded him a year later to the Blue Jays. Toronto and its artificial turf weren't an ideal home for the speedster, whose numbers fell off and eventually found himself sh...