Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

I first saw Dustin Fowler in 2016 with the Yankees farm club in Trenton. His combination of speed, power and good defense put him on the fast track to the Bronx. With the rash of recent Yankee injuries -- along with a first half of the Triple A season with 40 extra-base hits, including 13 home runs -- he was the latest top prospect summoned from the minors. Joe Girardi wasted no time to write his name in the lineup. Batting sixth and playing right field, he was on the field in Thursday night's rain-delayed game in Chicago. And then, in a flash, Fowler's season was over -- chasing down a fly ball, he crashed into a wall-mounted electrical box , suffering a devastating knee injury that left Girardi in tears and Fowler's career in jeopardy. A ruptured patella tendon, the same injury that ruined Victor Cruz' career with the Football Giants, will take six months of recovery and rehab. And there's no guarantee that Fowler will have quite the same speed or mobility on...

In a Yankee season brimming with impressive home grown talent such as Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery, Miguel Andujar made a debut for the Bronx Bombers like no one had in the club's 115 year history. Two weeks and a day after I saw him playing (darned well) for the Double A Trenton Thunder, the Dominican native became the first Yankee ever to have three hits and four RBIs in his first major league game. Those 4 RBI set a debut game record -- erasing the old record of three held by Marv Throneberry and Billy Martin. Run down the list of the retired numbers -- the home grown guys. You know the names from Gehrig to DiMaggio, Rizzuto, Berra, Mantle, Munson and Jeter. None of those beloved players broke in quite the way Andujar did. Of course, he was hardly alone in a 12-3 putdown of the White Sox. Aaron Judge continues to be the Leader of this Pack with a laser shot for his 27th home run (and we're still in June). Tyler Wade, no longer the Ne...

Kenta Maeda (seen stretching before a 2016 game at Citi Field) was one of the Dodgers heroes in Tuesday night's "Freeway Series" win over the Angels. He threw seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits (and walking no one) as he returned to the rotation after working recently out of the bullpen. Joc Pederson belted a three-run home and rookie standout Cody Bellinger added an RBI single as Dave Roberts' crew made it 10 wins in their last 11 games. After paying a lot of attention to the Yankees and Astros the first half of this season, I'll be keeping closer tabs on the Dodgers, who're now just a half-game back of Houston for the best record in all of baseball. One of the more unsung Dodgers, Maeda has now won 22 games in a season-and-half in the U.S; he's 6-3 so far this year and has actually lowered his WHIP (for me, the best measure of a pitcher's effectiveness) to 1.125.

I first saw Tyler Wade a year ago, when he was playing for the Yankees farm club in Trenton. And while he didn't come with the built-in buzz that other prospects carried, everything I read labeled him as a player with a strong future. I got another look at Wade in March, while he was in Spring Training with the Yankees. A stretch just before his at bat -- and a nice looking bunt in a game at Orlando against the Braves. Wade was expected to spend all season in the minors -- before a hamstring injury to Starlin Castro on Monday night left the Yankees an infielder short. With Castro leaving the game against the White Sox in the 3rd inning, Rob Refsnyder took over in the field. But defense is the weakest part of his game. So Wade, batting .313 got "the call," news that the broadcast team shared with fans at home. He's expected in Chicago tonight and will likely fill in for Castro for at least a few days. The injury bug has bitten the Yankees hard in the last coupl...

...you share it with Derek Jeter . The captain of the most recent dynasty and the greatest shortshop to call the Bronx his home. You know the accomplishments for the 1996 AL Rookie of the Year, 14-time All Star and five-time World Series champion: Mister November -- for hitting baseball's first home run ever in that month; reaching  the 3000 hit milestone by going 5-for-5; and becoming the first player with a 200 career post-season hits. What I remember is his presence -- the instinctive baseball knowledge, the leadership, the mental focus, the uncanny sense that by the middle of his rookie year with the Yankees, he was the best player on the field. The lifelong Yankee fan with New Jersey grandparents exuded the cool, calm demeanor with a hint of a Di Maggio. Along with another uncommonly well-grounded legend, Mariano Rivera, Jeter personified his Yankee era.  Without a doubt the greatest player ever born on June 26th, Jeter will become the first player with his bi...

When the Yankees signed Chris Carter just before Spring Training, they had no illusions. This was an all-or-nothing righty power bat, who averaged 32 home runs in the last four seasons with the Astros and Brewers, as well as 187 strikeouts. And he was no Keith Hernandez or Don Mattingly as a fielder. Let's put it this way: there was a reason the Brewers weren't excited about re-signing him. And for $3.5 million -- cheaper than most middle relievers -- he was worth bringing aboard as "insurance." Carter wasn't expected to be a regular. Then fate intervened: injuries to Greg Bird and Tyler Austin left Carter as Joe Girardi's best short-term solution. But the Yankees saw far more of the strikeout-prone weak-gloved Carter than the man who led the National League in home runs last year. During the club's recent slump, the manager didn't exactly offer a ringing endorsement. Friday night might have been the last straw -- with the game against the Rangers ...

Friday was David Ortiz Day in Boston -- and not just around Fenway Park. Big Papi, who wore 34 -- in honor of his former Twins teammate Kirby Puckett -- had his number retired after 500 Boston home runs, and, more important, three World Series titles. Boston's Logan Airport jumped on the bandwagon, too -- Jet Blue renamed its  Gate C34  in honor of the Red Sox legend.   To remember his fierce swing and larger-than-life presence, here are a couple of glimpses of Ortiz facing the Yankees in New York during May 2016.

From May 31st: the Mets TJ Rivera, teammate Michael Conforto (waiting on deck) and fans in the box seats don't get what they hoped for, in a game where the home team trails Milwaukee.

With Greg Bird missing almost the entire season, Chris Carter struggling and Tyler Austin still rehabbing from a broken bone in his foot, 1st base has been the lone Yankee problem area. Hey, with the team back in first place -- thanks to last night's win combined with the Red Sox loss to KC -- it's not that big an issue. Still, before the Yanks consider dealing for a replacement, might they be willing to try another minor leaguer at the position? In this case, it's not a former top draft pick or premiuim international signee. It's an undrafted free agent, the former Princeton standout Mike Ford . Haven't heard of this Ivy League product? If you haven't been to a Trenton Thunder game, you likely haven't. But that might be about to change. In a parallel to TJ Rivera, undrafted and overlooked in the Mets farm system until he was promoted to the big club, Ford has been a good, not great, but good player. And this year, spent mostly at Double-A, he's begu...

Here's a great dugout shot of Brewers coach Carlos Subero focused on the field as the Brewers play the Mets on May 31st.

When a pro sports league has been around for almost 150 years, you don't expect to see much that's never happened before. But Sunday, we had such a case when the Rockies' Nolan Arenado hit a three-run walk off homer that not only brought his team to victory after being down a run -- but made it the hit that gave him a cycle. Put that combination together: a single, double, triple and a walk-off home run, with his team trailing in its final time at bat. Home runs certainly aren't surprising for Arenado, who led the NL in round-trippers the last couple of years. Only when you slot it in and realize what other chips had to fall "just so," do you appreciate the intricacy of what was accomplished. Chalk it up to the beauty of baseball: always something ready to surprise you when you assume you've seen everything.

  From Saturday's Nationals win over the Mets: Anthony Rendon touches (and passes) home plate before Rene Rivera's tag. Washington took the first three in that series between division rivals; even after the Mets won on Sunday, the Nats left town with a 10-1/2 game lead in the NL East.

Here's a good look at the special patch the Phillies are wearing this season in memory of franchise icon Dallas Green. Look closely at Cesar Hernandez' right sleeve in the image above. It's a D with a smaller 1970s-'80s styled Phillies P -- the logo in use when Green managed the club to its first pennant since 1950 and first-ever World Series championship -- tastefully placed in a dark circle. You can see more of the details in this close-up. I'm posting this today to honor the anniversary of Dallas Green's debut in the major leagues. It was June 18th, 1960 as the Phils -- with Green working the first 5-2/3 innings -- lost to the Giants 7 - 4 at Candlestick Park.

The Royals' Alcides Escobar consults with head trainer Nick Kenney after being hit on the wrist by a pitch during the Royals-Yankees game on May 23rd.

I got a nice bonus Tuesday night. When I went to Hartford to catch the Yard Goats game with the Yankees' AA team from Trenton, I got my first look at Justus Sheffield. The lefty pitching prospect was part of the impressive haul for Andrew Miller last July. While fans have heard a lot about Clint Frazier and already seen reliever Ben Heller play for the Yanks, Sheffield (should his nickname be "Not related to Gary?") could be the important piece. A short, powerful lefthander (listed at 5'11, but looking closer to 5'9), he was in command for eight innings -- his only blemish being a home run to Rockies prospect Max White -- Sheffield struck out eight and gave up just five hits and two walks. He was efficient, needing just 87 pitches to work through seven innings. I'd circle his name for future reference -- he could be the next farm system product to join young Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery in the rotation by this time next season.

Reaching a career milestone is nice -- but it when it makes the difference in a game, that's special. Hats off to Curtis Granderson, who crushed the 300th home run of his career Wednesday night. Leading off the bottom of the 8th inning in a 4-4 tie, his laser down the right field line put the Mets ahead for keeps, as they went on to beat the Cubs 9-4 at Citi Field. The Grandy Man has been hitting better after a slow start in 2017. And that milestone blast -- almost psychically predicted by TV broadcaster Gary Cohen going into the middle of the 8th commercial break -- could be the key to more playing time on a club where two-thirds of the starting outfield (Michael Conforto and Yoenis Cespedes) are at less than 100% health.

Good friend of this blog, Rob Dewey visited Cleveland Sunday and sent me this image of the recently dedicated Frank Robinson statue outside Progressive Field. Cleveland was where, in 1975, Robinson broke another baseball color barrier, as he became the first African-American to manage a major league team. And while he never attained the success as a manager that he did during his playing days, Robinson's talent and character helped make ours a more American pastime. The Indians dedicated his statue earlier this season -- adding to their park's celebration of Cleveland baseball history.

John Lackey was hit hard by the Mets on Monday night. The veteran right hander was scorched for a pair of Asdrubal Cabrera homers and another from Jay Bruce. So in the bottom of the 5th, manager Joe Maddon walked over to let Lackey know his night's work was over after giving up four runs. Maddon tried to remain positive... by Lackey clearly felt otherwise, as judged from the expression below, moments after his conversion with the skipper ended.

While it's unfair to get too far ahead of where stand, my WFAN colleague Sweeny Murti pointed out a fascinating coincidence involving June 11th and a pair of beloved Yankees. On June 11th, 1927, Babe Ruth hit a pair of home runs -- including his 20th of the season -- en route to his then-record of 60 homers in a season. On June 11th, 1961, Roger Maris hit a pair of home runs -- including his 20th of the season -- en route to his then record of 61 homers in a season. Now... ponder this: On June 11th, 2017, Aaron Judge hit a pair of home runs -- including his 20th of the season.

...you share it with a player who clearly loves New York. Notice the socks Jose Reyes is wearing -- and how they depict the Manhattan skyline. They likely represent his feelings about getting a second chance in New York. After winning a National League batting title with the Mets, he left as a free agent for the Marlins, was traded to the Blue Jays and then the Rockies, where his career and life hit rock bottom after a domestic violence incident. The Mets brought him back during 2016, following his suspension from and release by Colorado. Taking over at 3rd base for the injured David Wright, Reyes provided speed at the top of the Mets batting order as they earned a wild card last October. 2017 hasn't gone as well -- two months into the season, Reyes has yet to hit his stride. It could be that the speed which defined him as a player, has begun to fade as it does when one approaches his mid-30s. The first Met ever to win a batting title is again playing before the fans who adored ...

Aaron Hicks looks like a ballplayer. And the Twins thought he was going to be a terrific one. Minnesota's first round draft pick (#14 overall) in 2008 was expected to become a franchise mainstay alongside Joe Mauer. But things didn't go as planned for the switch hitter. Never showing much consistency in parts of three major league seasons, the Twins finally tired of waiting and swapped Hicks to the Yankees in the winter of '16 for backup catcher J.R. Murphy. Neither player impressed last year, Murphy failed to live up to expectations in Minnesota, while Hicks was at best a fourth outfielder, with a strong throwing arm best used as a defensive replacement with the Yankees. But this spring, someone else showed up at Yankee camp. It wasn't the tentative hitter and under achiever. It was a dynamic player who almost beat out Aaron Judge for the regular job in right field. He played so impressively, he forced himself into a rotation with Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbu...

Yankee players have some of the most distinctive nicknames in sports: the Bambino, the Iron Horse, Chairman of the Board, Louisiana Lightning, Mr. October and Mr. November are just some of the legends who've called 161st Street and River(a) Avenue in the Bronx home. In less than a full year in the majors, Gary Sanchez has already drawn a ton of attention, but the 2016 runner-up for American League Rookie of the Year hasn't yet claimed a nickname. We've heard the Sanchise; broadcaster John Sterling likes the Sanchino. But after crushing two home runs on Thursday June 1st against the Blue Jays and two more last night -- yes, another Thursday -- versus the Red Sox, may I suggest Mr. Thursday? Above, a good look at the swing on his three run 3rd inning shot off Boston's David Price. And below, watch that ball land in the left field seats. Nickname or not, Sanchez, who missed almost a month with a right biceps injury, seems to be finding his power stroke again. Not the ne...

Brewers 3rd base coach Ed Sedar gives us a good look at the classic Milwaukee ball-in-glove logo seen on the hats, helmets and sleeves of their uniforms. It makes a bolder statement compared to the M seen in previous years. That one was just too close a copy of the first letter in the logo for Miller Beer, the Brewers ballpark naming rights holder.

If you started your day learning that a player had a four-home-run game last night, whose name would come to mind? Bryce Harper? Albert Pujols? Maybe the Yankee rookie standout Aaron Judge? Any of those guesses would be 100% wrong. The newest member of the Four Homer Game club is a 5'10 middle infielder named Scooter. Yes, it's Scooter Gennett , the player cut by the Brewers at the end of spring training, who crushed a grand slam, a pair of two-run shots and a solo blast -- plus an RBI single. A player who came into the game with three homers on the season and just 38 in his four-and-a-half year, becomes the 17th player with a four homer game. Back to the surprise factor, check out his little factoid from the esteemed Jayson Stark: Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Reggie Jackson never had a four home run game. On June 6th, 2017, Scooter Gennett did. Don't you love baseball? ( This image of Scooter comes from August 2014, when he was pla...

His 40 game run for the 1963 Mets was short, and among the five major league teams he played for, clearly the least productive. Just weeks after this story was published in the New York World Telegram and Sun , Jimmy was released. You've been reminded of the incident where he ran the bases facing backward after his 100th career home run. I believe the line attributed to Casey Stengel when Piersall was let go was "there's only room for one clown on this franchise." That obscures what he really accomplished as a player, as a broadcaster and a mental health advocate. And timing has a lot to do with it -- being born in 1954, I never saw him with the Red Sox and only recall his reputation as a former star when he came to the Mets. And if you check his stats, he didn't show much with the Amazin's -- hitting under .200. So, like a lot of other ex-somethings, he was appeared to be just another old guy (this is from the perspective of a nine-year old kid) whose t...

Tyler Pill got off to a strong 2017 start in the Mets farm system. Between AA Binghamton and AAA Las Vegas, he posted a 4-1 record with an ERA just above three. With the Mets missing such rotation mainstays as Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz, the unheralded righthander made his debut during May. His first relief appearance was shaky; his first start last week was better. But Sunday's outing against the Pirates was a failure -- his pitches must have looked like grapefruits to the Pittsburgh batters, who hit him hard in over the first few innings. Now what? Does Pill go back to the minors, where he'd spent six-and-a-half years? To the bullpen?  We're all aware that the Mets have again been thinned -- make that decimated -- by injuries, But are they becoming vampires? Including Sunday's 11-1 loss, they are 3 - 11 in day games this season. It's so often said the biggest leap is the gap between AAA and the majors. The contrast between Tyler Pill's minor and...

From Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford, a between-innings opportunity to display and promote the sponsor's product. While Milwaukee features sausages and Washington employs caricatures of former presidents, the Rockies' Eastern League club stages a race depicting various Dunkin products. On opening night, the donut won!

Before the May 31st game against the Mets, Travis Shaw of the Brewers hands a Citi Field fan the cap he's just autographed. And below, his teammate Keon Braxton asks for a pen so he can sign the ball he's holding.

Eric Thames of the Brewers ranks with the biggest surprises of the year. The outfielder spent parts of 2011 and '12 with the Blue Jays and Mariners, but never gave the impression he was star in the making. But after spending the last four seasons in Korea, Thames returned to the states and is making a strong statement. Wednesday night against the Mets, he blasted a Jacob de Grom pitch well past the left-center field fence for his 14th home run. He later added a double. If the first third of 2017 is any indication, that cold stare might be a menacing sight to pitchers for years to come.

Lou Gehrig pinch hits for shortstop Pee Wee Wanninger in the Yankees 5 - 3 loss to the Senators in the Bronx -- the first of his 2130 consecutive game appearances. Gehrig starts in place of Wally Pipp the next day, after the 1st baseman arrived at the ballpark with an apparent hangover. And then Gehrig started the next day... and the day after... and after... for nearly 14 years. Along with Cal Ripken, who eclipsed his record in the modern era, Gehrig remains a symbol of integrity and dedication. A man who showed up for his job every day and went about his business without excuses. He just happened to be one of the greatest ever to set foot on a baseball field. And compared to his teammate Babe Ruth, he preferred to do it in a low key way -- if Lou played today, he would not be living his life in the tabloids. While he played his final game 78 years ago, Lou Gehrig remains a revered Yankee, a man of courage whose image is among the parade of pinstriped heroes seen at the top o...