Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

Ian Happ started the 2018 season with a bang on Thursday. When he crushed a Jose Urena fastball on the very first pitch in the top of the 1st inning in the very first game of the season for a home run, he became the second player to do so in over 100 years of tracking stats. The first was Dwight Evans of the 1986 Red Sox. Talk about tall odds: while all major league teams started the season on the same day, only one game began first. That was the Cubs/Marlins. And there's only one first pitch. That's the one Happ connected on. Coming off a 24-homer rookie season, the U of Cincinnati product is part of the Cubs' bumper crop of young power hitters. But the's one who made history on opening day. ( This image of Ian Happ is from a Cubs/Mets game at Citi Field in June 2017. )

What a bombastic Yankee debut for Giancarlo Stanton! A home run on the second pitch he saw in the top of the 1st inning. With Brett Gardner on base, it's an instant 2 - 0 Yankee lead over the Blue Jays. Then, to bookend things, he crushed the last pitch he saw in the 9th inning for his second home run of the day, No, it won't always be this easy. Stanton homered twice and added a double, Aaron Judge had two hits (including an RBI double) plus a walk, and budding ace Luis Severino held Toronto scoreless and allowed just one hit in 5-2/3 innings while posting the victory. But drawing the most buzz was the Yankees big off-season aquisition. Stanton's swing looked effortless as he kept making contact. And with Gary Sanchez hitting behind him, Stanton is going to get his share of good pitches to crush. ( This image is from the Yankees/Mets exhibition game in Tampa on March 10th ,)

Six weeks of training camp. 32 exhibition games. Good weather suggesting summer while the home fans are shivering through a winter that won't let go. But now, preparation and practice are over. The games will count. No nine- or ten-inning ties. Now, everything is based on the goal of playing in October and November. It's opening day. All 30 teams enter tied. It won't be the same by this time tomorrow. And by the first week in October, only ten teams will still be playing. Which brings me to m y predictions for 2018: American League Divisions: Yankees, Twins, Astros Wild Card: Red Sox, Indians Pennant: Yankees over Astros National League Divisions: Nationals, Cubs, Dodgers Wild Card: Brewers, Rockies Pennant: Nationals over Cubs World Series: Yankees over Nationals How did I do a year ago? Here's what I said in this space for 2017. And I'm honest enough to admit I was more wrong than right: American League :  Boston/Cleveland/Housto...

On this day between spring training and the regular season opener, here are some more images from the very impressive Fenway South. (Below), unlike the original Green Monster in Boston, there are seats in the middle of the wall. How cool is this to be right above the action in not so deep left field?  The image below is from atop the wall looking back toward home plate. The building housing the indoor batting cages is decorated with logos depicting each of the Sox seven World Series championships. Outside the ballpark on the third base side is Boston counterpart to the Yankees' Monument Park, which itself has a counterpart outside Steinbrenner Field. But this display is bolder and more substantial with sculpted numbers honoring the Red Sox legends. Look at how they pop out at you looking in the distance.  ...such as Carl Yastrzemski and Ted Williams... On the side of the number scultures, are the biographies for each of those whose numbers were retired. ...

Third time's the charm? Don't tell that to Greg Bird. The Yankees power-hitting first baseman is booked for his third surgery in three years -- although this one appears to be relatively minor. After reporting pain in his right foot, the one that was operated on last year, Bird saw a noted New York foot specialist Monday. Doctor Martin O'Malley identified a bone spur as the source of the pain that forced him out of action. It's estimated Bird will miss six to eight weeks, putting him on track to return by Memorial Day. But it's troubling that this promising player, after impressing during last fall's playoffs, won't be ready opening day. All of a sudden, GM Brian Cashman's bargain signing of Neil Walker for just $4 million (plus incentives) looks like a stroke of genius.

Don't worry about Brian Dozier batting just .190 in Grapefruit League play. The Twins second baseman is ready to help lead his team back to the post-season. Coming off seasons of 42 and 34 homers, and adding strong middle inning defense, the 30 year old is a key player as the Twins expect to battle the Indians this summer in the AL Central. ( This image of Dozier is from March 7th against the Red Sox at Fenway South. )

...you share it with Starlin Castro . The first major leaguer born in the 1990s, he joined the Cubs at age 20 and homered in his first time at bat. A three-time all star during his Wrigley days, he was traded to the Yankees in the winter of 2016 and turned in a couple of very productive seasons filling the spot once occupied by Robinson Cano. But he had to call the moving vans again over the winter. He was the "name" player highlighting the package the Yanks sent to the Marlins for Giancarlo Stanton. So Castro enters 2018 on another rebuilding club -- while the team he just left contends for a title. And with the Marlins looking to shed big salaries and accumulate more prospects, don't be surprised if he's filling out another change-of-address card at the Post Office before long. Who else gets their cake and candles on March 24th? Corey Hart , the power-hitting infielder who spent parts of 11 seasons in the majors, mainly with the Brewers. Garry Templeton , w...

Matt Duffy first drew attention as the youngest member of the Giants 2014 World Champions. After contributing to the team's third title of the decade, he took over the following year as the club's regular 3rd baseman a year later. He looked to be a star-on-the-rise, hitting close to .300 and driving in 77 runs. But midway through 2016, as San Francisco bid for its fourth title of the '10s, he was traded to the Rays for pitcher Matt Moore. Tampa Bay has gotten the short end of that deal up till now. A month after joining the Rays, he underwent Achilles surgery -- a slow-healing injury that cost him almost all of 2017. But he now looks ready to replace Evan Longoria at the hot corner. Matt's hitting over .300 in Grapefruit League play and appears fully recovered. After shedding many of its veterans, Duffy is expected to be a significant player for the younger (and less pricey) Rays.

Here's another keeper from a Spring Training trip. It's 2005, the Dodgers are fresh off their first NL West title in nine years and the Holman Stadium program celebrates the achievement. Inside, there's a paper insert with rosters for both teams on the field this day: the Dogers and the Marlins. Scroll down this roster, and see how many current major leaguers you can find. Keep in mind, we're 13 years later... that 22 year old rookie is now 35 -- if he's even still active! Who have you found that might see action in 2018? There's two: Jayson Werth, still an unsigned free agent, was a spare outfielder on the Dodgers. His career would take off two years later, after joining the Phillies. The Marlins' Miguel Cabrera, not yet 22, was already a star and over the next 13 seasons in Florida and Detroit, would make the case that he's a future Hall of Famer. But as time moves on, much more has changed. Both teams have been sold -- the Dodgers h...

Gabe Kapler takes over the Phillies' core of promising young players in 2018. Beefed up by the addition of free agents Carlos Santana and Jake Arrieta, the organization believes he can be a cataylist to return the team to contention after a half-dozen very lean years. A dramatic contrast to his predecessor Pete Mackanin, the outspoken Kapler is a believer in modern nutrition and motivation, as reflected in his personal motto, "Be Bold." Check out his website -- not the typical page for a sports figure. He's also just the sixth fulltime Jewish manager in major league history, following (alphabetically) Brad Ausmus, Bob Melvin, Jeff Newmann, Lipman Pike, and Norm Sherry. Kapler is the second Jewish-American to serve as Phillies skipper. The first was a "temp": Andy Cohen , a coach under Eddie Sawyer, managed one game in 1960 -- a victory over the Braves the day after Sawyer quit, just before his replacement Gene Mauch arrived. Cohen's undefeated reco...

Kennys Vargas never quite developed into the power threat the Twins organization expected. Over parts of four seasons, he totaled just 35 home runs, with a batting average hovering around .250 and strikeout rate a touch under 30%. The arrival of free agent Logan Morrison and trade for outfield prospect Jake Cave likely sealed his fate. Minnesota DFA'd Vargas a few days ago. ( This image came from the March 7th Twins/Red Sox game in Fort Myers. )

Aaron Boone swapped the comfort of a broadcasting career for the stress of being a big league manager. Not just any job, but the highest profile position in his new profession, as he replaces Joe Girardi with the Yankees. While he's spent his life in an around baseball, it's a challenge like none he's ever encountered. Sitting behind a screen during the March 8th with the Phillies, you don't see the pressure. Handed a ballclub with such high-profile names as Judge, Stanton, Sanchez, Severino and Chapman, he's probably feeling some of that even in an exhibition. It's a high-wire act, making stretegic decisions, massaging egos and dealing with unexpected obstacles. And no skipper will receive more scrutiny than the man who delivered one of the Yankees' greatest post-season home runs -- but until now has never managed a game on a pro level. There's also a new man running the Yanks' forever arch-rival. Alex Cora is in a similar situation to ...

From March 8th against the Yankees in Tampa: top infield prospect Scott Kingery (above) looks ready for the majors now. His spring training numbers have been impressive: a .364 batting average with three home runs (this swing resulted in a booming double). But his path to everyday status is currently blocked by incumbent 2nd baseman Cesar Hernandez. (Below) minor league slugger Dylan Cozens struggled in 2017. Promoted to AAA Lehigh Valley, his home run count dropping from 40 to 27, while his batting average plunged from .276 to .210. Not yet 24, the Arizona product still has time to cut down on his strikeouts (he's averaged 190 a year the last two seasons) and make enough contact to regain his top prospect status. But "repeating" AAA in 2018 might be his last chance to claim a place with the next core of Phillies.

Beginning his second full season with the Pirates, I snapped this image of Ivan Nova  at bat during Wednesday's game against the Rays in Bradenton. With Gerrit Cole now an Astro, the big righthander, 11 - 14 a year ago, has become the Pirates de facto ace. Manager Clint Hurdle has already named him the team's opening day starter. But will he finish the season in Pittsburgh? Now 31, Nova looks more like a mid-summer trade chip, a seasoned veteran who could land the rebuilding Bucs a good prospect or two from a contending team seeking to bolster its rotation. He's certainly affordable -- making a relatively modest $8.5 million annually through 2019.

Wednesday was my getaway day from Florida: the sixth game in eight days and third first-time visit to a Stadium. This is Lecom Park in Bradenton, which is marking its 50th anniversary as the Pirates pre-season home. The name is new, thanks to a sponsorship deal tied to its most recent renovation. You probably know it better by its original name, McKechnie Field. Hall of Fame manager and Pennsylvania native Bill McKechnie retired to Bradenton, where the Braves trained for 15 years, then the Kansas City A's from 1965-'68. Bill's former team, the Pirates, took over as in 1969 -- this year marks the Bucco's 50th spring in Bradenton. Among the recent enhancements: a center field tiki bar and a boardwalk encircling the outfield. Below: maybe there is such a thing as too much sun. There covered bleachers, beyond the left field fence, a design hinting at the Pavilion area of Dodger Stadium. And while the ballpark is one of Florida's oldest, it doesn...

From March 2009: a shot from the upper reaches of Steinbrenner Field's seating bowl over-exaggerates the proximity of the Yankees spring training home and Raymond James Stadium. Actually, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers field is on the other side of the very wide Dale Mabry Boulevard.

Here's some 7th inning stretch fun from Sunday night's Orioles/Phillies game in Sarasota. The Oriole Bird is dancing with Mrs. Maryland atop the Baltimore dugout while "Thank God, I'm a Country Boy" plays on the public address system. That John Denver song has been a staple of Orioles home games since it became a hit single in 1975 -- and clearly, what works at Camden Yards is just fine for Ed Smith Stadium.

The Yankees made a low-risk and relatively low-cost move on Monday, signing veteran infielder Neil Walker . Already familiar to New York fans from his year-and-a-half with the Mets, the eight-year veteran should solidify second base for 2018. With top prospect Gleyber Torres having a difficult spring and Tyler Wade projected more as a Ben Zobrist-type supersub than a starter at one position, the Pittsburgh native checks off a lot of boxes for Brian Cashman, without pushing the team past the luxury tax threshold or making a long term commitment. The switch hitter -- who has averaged 16 homers a season -- should enjoy taking the majority of his swings as a lefty and aiming for the right field porch. And he'll lengthen an already potent lineup brimming with hard hitters Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Giancarlo Stanton and Didi Gregorius. Of course, Walker's arrival also brings some questions about durability. Keep in mind, he had hamstring problems last year and a bad back...

Sunday night, just after sunset at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota as the Orioles host the Phillies. That's Baltimore's Trey Mancini at bat. Let's concentrate on the setting: that royal blue sky, the palm trees, and just enough light to frame the scene. In a word: Perfection.

The most beloved college football player in Florida history came to visit the Yankees on Saturday. Tim Tebow was the Mets DH on Saturday afternoon and received the biggest cheers at Steinbrenner Field. That despite going 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. The blast of the day was delivered by Giancarlo Stanton -- his first in a Yankee uniform. The Mets Jose Reyes watches it soar toward the right centerfield seats in a game the Mets lost to their crosstown rivals, 10-3.

Miguel Sano looks ready to rake in 2018. The Twins' slugging 3rd baseman crushed a pair of home runs Friday against the Rays in Port Charlotte. Both were bombs that soared over the fence in left center field, no-doubt-about-em shots. These had to be incredibly encouraging signs to Minnesota fans, after Sano missed a third of last season with a stress injury to his left leg that required off-season surgery where a rod was inserted to strenghten the shin bone. Above: congratulations after his second homer from teammate Byron Buxton. Below, a look at that powerful swing from Wednesday's game against the Red Sox. I first saw Sano play in 2013 for Double A New Britain  and it was clear he was on the fast track to the majors.  A Wild Card team in 2017, Minnesota looks ready to contend again this year. With a strong lineup and a pitching rotation that added Jake Odorizzi, the Twins could well keep pace with the favored Indians, especially if Sano again becomes that middl...