Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

He was born January 31st, 1919 in rural Cairo, Georgia. He grew up in Los Angeles and made his mark in Brooklyn. The legacy of Jackie Robinson transcends town and state lines as he decisively proved that all Americans were welcome in America's national pastime. There are many ways Jackie is honored: his #42 was the first to be retired across baseball. Many schools are named for him; the National League's Rookie of the Year award bears his name; and this statue with Jackie and his double play partner Pee Wee Reese stands proudly outside Brooklyn's current ballpark. His talents energized and revitalized baseball -- his speed and daring paved the way for the future success of Lou Brock, Rickey Henderson and Tim Raines, all of whom would one day join him in Cooperstown. Along with Babe Ruth and Marvin Miller, no figure stands taller in baseball history. And to look back at America's 20th century, is he the most important sports figure? Does he belong on a mythica...

After spending 2018 as a Yankee, Neil Walker followed the path many New Yorkers have taken over the decades -- moving to South Florida. His new address won't be Boca Del Vista or West Palm Beach -- but 501 Marlins Way in Miami. A starter during his days with the Pirates and Mets, the 10-year veteran slid into a super utility role last season -- in part, because he failed to supply the offensive punch the Yanks expected. Signed during March, midway through Spring Training, the Pittsburgh native never found his groove, hitting under .200 for much of the first half, before finishing at a career-worst .219. Walker will bring veteran leadership to a young Marlins club entering the second year of Derek Jeter's rebuild. He'll likely backup or fill in at several positions. This year, with a full spring training, Walker won't have to play "catch up," and might also show enough to not only contribute -- but to become a useful July trade chip. ( My image of W...

Whit Merrifield didn't look the typical candidate for a long-term extension. Now 30, this late blooming multi-position player has impressed in his two full Kansas City seasons, twice leading the AL in stolen bases and in '18, having the most hits in the league.  He impressed KC's front office enough to receive a four-year extension that buys out 2019 as well as his three arbitration-eligible seasons. Deals such as this help budget-consciuous teams plan ahead, especially if they don't expect a bump in TV revenue anytime soon. Four years after their second World Series championship, the Royals are in the midst of a rebuild. And Merrifield, who made his big league debut at age 27, will be one of those KC builds around. ( My image of Merrifield is from the Royals/Yankees game on July 26th, 2018 .)

Some riffing on the title of Richard Boone's classic TV series (thanks, Tom Foty) comes to mind, as I touch on Oliver Perez , who just re-upped with the Indians. one of the weekend's free agent signings. Now 37, the long-ago member of the Pirates and Mets starting rotations has built a second career as a bullpen lefty for several clubs over the past decade. And in 2018, he sparkled for Cleveland, posting a 1.39 ERA in 51 appearances. He cashed it in for $2.5 million this season with a vesting option for 2019. And to think that Perez, plagued by injuries and ineffectiveness, was basically booed out of New York. ( My image of Perez is from a 2016 Nationals/Mets game in New York. )

Chris Coste was a real life Rocky Balboa; a baseball doppleganger for Vince Papale. That's perfect for a ballplayer in Philadelphia. The author of  The 33-Year-Old Rookie: How I Finally Made it to the Big Leagues After Eleven Years in the Minors  enjoyed a three-and-year run as the Phils' backup catcher and utilityman. Seen here in a March 2009 Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, Coste later worked as a studio analyst for the Phillies cable channel, coached at Concordia College in Minnesota and last year was on the staff of the indy league Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. But 10 years ago this spring, he was a member of the reigning World Champs. And there probably wasn't a happier player on the field that day at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

The lingering free agent saga of Manny Machado and Bryce Harper has been the ongoing story of this off-season. And ranking just a couple of notches lower is whether or where the Marlins plan to trade catcher J.T. Realmuto . Just two seasons before reaching free agency, this winter is likely the best time for Miami to flip him for young players who'll be ready -- and cheap -- when the team hopes to contend around 2022. Thus, a steady stream of rumors that since November connected Realmuto to the Dodgers, Nationals and most recently, the Padres. With three weeks before pitchers and catchers report to camp, no club wants a disruptive vibe of uncertainly surrounding their players. That goes for both for the Marlins, seeking a big haul of talent in return, but also prospective trade partners. And, come April, the realization that every game Realmuto plays shaves a bit off his value, as the clock keeps ticking towards the date of becoming a free agent. ( My image of Realmuto is...

The estate of the late Colonel Jacob Ruppert sells the Yankees to Dan Topping, Del Webb, and Larry MacPhail for $2.8 million. Topping and Webb, will buy out MacPhail two years later, and sell control of the Bronx Bombers to CBS for $11.2 million after the 1964 season. Those were two names (and faces) always seen in Yankee Yearbooks when we grew up. Under their ownership, with George Weiss and Casey Stengel and later Roy Hamey and Ralph Houk running day-to-day operations, the Yankees enjoyed their most successful era ever: between 1949 and '64, they won the pennant 14 of 16 years, with 8 World Series titles. Add on another championship in 1947 (with Bucky Harris in the dugout) and it clearly spells Dynasty. Yet, while Colonel Ruppert is in the Hall of Fame and George Steinbrenner -- who restored the sparkle to the franchise after CBS' corporate indifference succeeded Topping and Webb -- should be, this ownership is not honored. You never hear of Topping as a Hall of Fa...

When you saw Roy Halladay during his heyday with the Blue Jays or Phillies, you knew you were watching a future Hall of Famer. Tuesday's news confirmed what so many of felt during that remarkable 10-year peak of his career. Between 2002 and 2011, "Doc" won two Cy Young Awards -- one in each league -- as well as finishing second twice and third once. Five "medal" finishes in a decade. And who can forget his first-ever playoff game? In the opening game of the 2010 NLDS, he pitched just the second post-season no-hitter ever. It's no surprise that athletes love challenges, both in their chosen games and elsewhere. Roy Halladay, like Thurman Munson, found a second passion in flying small airplanes. The exhilaration one feels, the adrenaline rush, must feel like the thrill of competition. But the risk is real, tragically real as we again learned just over a year ago. Thus, a brilliant legacy that fans in Toronto and Philadelphia will celebrate -- but sadly, ...

Mariano Rivera , who wore the Yankee pinstripes with absolute class while helping redefine and elevate the position of closer, is the first unanimous inductee to the Baseball Hall of Fame. His selection was a given: a record 652 saves and unprecedented post-season dominance wrote his ticket to Cooperstown. All thanks to his one and only pitch, a "cut fastball" that baffled batters for 19 seasons. As the voting was conducted, speculation centered around whether Rivera might be the first player ever to draw 100% of the votes. Remarkably, in the 83 years since the Hall was established and the process established, no one, not Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, nor Willie Mays, had appeared on every ballot -- until now. Rivera has a knack for beating the odds. The humble son of a Panamanian fisherman was signed by the Yankees at age 20, late for a non-college player. He spent five years rising through the minors -- and didn't move to the bullpen fulltime unti...

It was no secret that Sonny Gray was on the trade block -- Yankees GM Brian Cashman has been amazingly candid throughout this off-season. And while he never blatantly said, "Gray isn't cut out to play in New York," that was the underlying message. The key 2017 mid-season trade acquisition struggled at Yankee Stadium, with an ERA twice as high as in games pitched on the road. Fans lost their patience; the organization left him off last fall's post-season roster. The Tennessee-born righthander isn't the first to fall into that category. For every David Cone, Keith Hernandez, Rusty Staub and Paul O'Neill that thrive after arriving mid-career in New York, there's a Kevin McReynolds and Ed Whitson. Now Gray heads to Cincinnati, a smaller market with a different vibe and a much smaller local media presence. The Yankees, who'd already traded for James Paxton and re-signed J.A. Happ and C.C. Sabathia, have built the heart of their 2019 rotation. And, ...

...you share it with Brandon Crawford . The San Francisco Giants shortstop on their last two World Series champions is one of lucky guys who plays for team he grew up rooting for. The Northern California native's family even purchased one of the commemorative bricks place outside of AT&T Park. An eight-year veteran, Crawford's goal for 2019 is to approach the numbers from his peak offensive seasons, 2015 and '16. Two other major leaguers not only share the day with Brandon, but also their birth year, 1987: Chase d'Arnaud , the well traveled utility infielder and older brother of Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud. Chase was Brandon's teammate on the 2018 Giants. Jake Diekman ended 2018 in the NL West, but as a Diamondback. Currently a free agent, the lefty reliever is a seven-year veteran. Andy Hawkins pitched for a decade in the majors. His most famous game came as a Yankee on July 1st, 1990, when he worked eight no-hit innings against the White Sox ...

Here's another 2009 snapshot from the Grapefruit League: Mark Teixeira , in his first spring as a Yankee, taking a swing against the Astros at Kissimmee. "Tex" would go onto to lead the American League with 39 home runs and 122 RBIs, the most productive of his eight seasons in the Bronx. Oh, one thing more: that fall, the Yankees won their most recent World Series. ( My image is from March 18th, 2009 at Osceola County Stadium .)

From the same game that served up yesterday's images of Jayson Werth, here are a couple of baseball lifers -- and clearly good pals. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel and his Marlins counterpart "Trader Jack" McKeon head toward the dugout sharing a good story or two. Worth noting, these skippers led their franchises to their second -- and most recent -- World Series titles, Manuel in 2008 and McKeon in 2003. ( My images are from the Phillies/Marlins game at Jupiter FL on March 19th, 2009 .)

Looking back through some photos of a Phillies/Marlins exhibition game, I didn't quite recognize this player. Drew enough of a blank that I decided to save time and look up the numbers of the '09 Phils. Wearing 28 was... Jayson Werth . A pre-mountain man Jayson Werth. On his way to a career-best 36 homers and 99 RBIs as the Phils went onto win their second straight pennant -- and carrying his own bag of bats just before a Grapefruit League game 10 years ago this spring. ( My images are from March 19th, 2009 at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. )

Wednesday, while the Mets introduced Jed Lowrie as their new super-utilityman, his Citi Field predecessor signed on with the Diamondbacks. Wilmer Flores , whom the Mets non-tendered several weeks ago, gets a one-year deal for a guaranteed $4.25 million. The likable Flores, known for using the Friends  theme as his walk-up music, hit .267 (.319 on-base %) with 11 homers and 25 doubles. But his defensive limitations kept him from grabbing hold of a fulltime job. I'll admit being surprised Flores didn't sign with an American League club, where he'd be able to DH more often. Now he'll get a fresh start on a rebuilding Arizona team, which recently dealt its longtime 1st baseman Paul Goldschmidt to the Cardinals. And the Mets, under Brodie Van Wagonen, continue to overhaul their roster. ( My image of Wilmer Flores is from the Mets/Nats game last April 17th at Citi Field .)

With Hot Stove League news dwindling to an occasional drip, let's wind the time machine back a decade. We're at the Phillies spring training park in Clearwater. Take note, these are the Defending World Champion Phils. Chase Utley at bat facing Aaron Harang of the Reds. And be sure to take note of the Philadelphia uniforms -- it's March 17th, and the club continues its tradition, credited to the late Tug McGraw, of wearing special green uniforms on this day, and auctioning them after the game for charity. Check out the lineups in the image to the right. How many of those players are still active 10 years later? None of the Phils -- but three of the Reds: Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Edwin Encarnacion. Utley called it quits last fall after a 16-season big league career. A six-time all star, he might have been on the way to the Hall of Fame until injuries sidetracked him at the beginning of this decade. But he left fans, especially in Philadelphia, with a mountain of ...

New York lost a one-of-a-kind baseball legend with the passing of Mel Stottlemyre . We first got to see him in 1964, as the Yankees top young pitching prospect was promoted from the minors to help push an aging and not-quite-as-dominant team to its fifth straight pennant. The soft spoken rookie quickly opened eyes, going 9 - 3 with two shutouts and five complete games in the season's last seven weeks. While he initially joined Whitey Ford at the top of the Yankee rotation, by the middle of that fall's World Series against the Cardinals, after Ford was sidelined by a circulatory issue, he'd become the Yankee ace and held his own against St. Louis's best Bob Gibson. But 1964 became his only post-season as a player. Depending on how you see history, Mel was either born five years too early or five years too late. If he'd arrived in the Bronx up five years earlier, Stottlemyre would have joined Ford and Ralph Terry in a rotation that might have produced five World ...

On this date in 1954 -- can you believe this was 65 years ago?? -- the sports and entertainment worlds walked down the aisle. Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe were married at San Francisco City Hall. The couple were mobbed by adoring fans, who were apparently tipped to the news by her movie studio. Clearly not destined to be a long or happy union, the couple's honeymoon in Japan was interrupted when Marilyn flew off to Korea to entertain U.S. troops. There were other pressure points: Joe was jolted by the now-iconic photo of Marilyn's skirt being blown upward up by a gust of air from a subway grate while filming  The Seven Year Itch . Eventually, she filed for a divorce on grounds of mental cruelty. But they remained connected for the rest of her life. Joe was always hoping to win her back; after her death in 1962, he had a rose delivered to her grave twice a week. The marriage lasted all of 274 days -- not much longer than a baseball season when you tack on spring trai...

OK, it's a bit misleading -- but only slightly. After all, you will hear (about) him on the radio.  D.J. LeMahieu wrapped up a seven-year run with the Rockies and signed Friday with the Yankees. GM Brian Cashman's expectation is that the 2016 NL batting champion will become a Bronx version of Ben Zobrist, the versalitile super utilityman with skills more like a regular than a benchwarmer. Taking the place of last year's top reserve Neil Walker, LeMahieu seems to fill out the roster in a way that, without trades, appears to block the chance for the Yanks to sign Manny Machado. Cashman and owner Hal Steinbrenner always seemed lukewarm to the idea of signing a mega-priced free agent. And the two-year, $24 million deal for the DJ pushes the Yankees up against the luxury tax threshold. He's certainly effective insurance against a sophomore slump from Gleyber Torres or Miguel Andujar -- not to mention the inevitable injuries that every team endures. So welcome to New Y...

I had to use the Canadian spelling of the synonym for saluting. Here's the Rogers Centre overhead display spotlighting Blue Jays inducted into the Hall of Fame (Pat Gillick and Roberto Alomar), a soon-to-be Hall of Famer (that's 34 on the far right for Roy Halladay) as well as the franchise's division winners -- and of course, the 1992-'93 World Champions. That's a pretty impressive four decades and change! ( My image is from the Blue Jays/Braves game on June 20th, 2018 .)

I'm starting to wonder if Brodie Van Wagonen or George Allen is running the Mets. The legendary coach/GM of "The Over the Hill Gang" Washington Redskins, Allen famously assembled talented 1970s teams of players past 30 whom their previous teams felt had peaked. How else would you explain Thursday's move, signing soon-to-turn 35-year-old Jed Lowrie ? A late bloomer coming off a career year, the Mets apparently believe the next two years at $10 million per will see similar production to 2018. In Oakland, Lowrie played mainly 2nd base last season -- en route to 23 homers, 99 RBIs and a second straight year of over-.800 OPS, he made the All Star team for the first time. But wait! Isn't 2nd base where the newly acquired Robinson Cano (age 36) plays? OK, slide Lowery over to 3rd. So what becomes of incumbent Todd Frazier (33 next month)? Or last season's August and September standout Jeff McNeil? Or the organization's other intriguing young farm system ba...

Catcher Yasmani Grandal has signed a one-year deal with the Brewers. After not being pleased with the Mets offer of four years somewhere in the $55-60 million range, the 30 year-old bets on himself for 2019. One year at $18 million, with the expectation that playing on a strong Milwaukee team will raise his value when he re-enters free agency a year from now. ( My image of Grandal is from the August 5th, 2017 Dodgers/Mets game in New York .)

Carlos Beltran signed with Mets. On the heels of a tremendous post-season where he brought the Astros to within a game of a National League pennant, the switch hitter came to New York for seven years and $119 million. A year later, his team would again reach the NLCS -- and again, despite playing very well, fall one game short. Unfortunately, his signature Mets moment would be that final at-bat of the 2006 NLCS: when he took a called strike three with two out, the bases loaded and the Mets down by two.  ( My image of Beltran is from the Mets/Marlins game on April 29th, 2009 .)

You share it with Elvis Presley, whom I'm sorry to say was not much of a baseball fan. Football, horseback riding and the martial arts were his sports. But that doesn't mean there isn't anyone of note (or sport) sharing January 8th with the King of Rock and Roll. For starters, there's Jason Giambi , who rocked 440 home runs over 20 major league seasons, seven as a Yankee. There's also Hall of Fame relief pitcher Bruce Sutter, 1940s star Walker Cooper, the well-traveled Jeff Francoeur, original Met John DeMerit, smooth fielding Mike Cameron and the often injured Carl Pavano. But can any of them sing "Hound Dog" or "Viva Las Vegas?" And some trivia for you: Who is the first major league ballplayer ever with the first name, Elvis? That's Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus (below, right). But his birthday is August 26th, not the 8th of January.

The weekend's baseball headlines had a New York connection, with reliever Zach Britton re-upping with the Yankees, while the Mets traded backup catcher Kevin Plawecki to the Indians for a trio of prospects. The Yanks and Britton seemed like a logical deal -- especially after David Robertson moved onto the Phillies. With 139 saves in his 3-1/2 seasons the Orioles closer, he made a good impression on Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone. And, as you've heard me say before, lefties have more value in Yankee Stadium. Now a full year past his achilles injury, and still just 31, he joins Dellin Betances, Chad Green and fellow southpaw Aroldis Chapman in what should still be one of the most intimidating bullpens in baseball. Plawecki is a different story. You knew that after the signing of free agent Wilson Ramos, either Plawecki or Travis d'Aranud would be leaving Flushing. The Mets still have a lot of faith in the flashes of talent d'Araud shows on occasion and valued that mo...

I caught this image of Noah Syndergaard between innings of the Mets June 1st, 2018 game against the Cubs.

Welcome to Charlotte Sports Park, the Rays' Grapefruit League home. From April through Labor Day, it's where the team's Florida State League club, the Stone Crabs -- gotta love that name! -- plays. Like many of the Florida and Arizona parks, there's a berm for fans who prefer a more casual seating experience; except here, it's located down the outfield line and not beyond the outfield. The area beyond the outfield fence is occupied by those not likely to make the opening day roster.  ( My Port Charlotte images are from March 9th, 2018 .)

David Robertson made baseball's biggest free agent splash on Thursday, leaving the Yankees, where he'd spent 8-1/2 of his 11 big league seasons. His new home, is just over the bridge from the other end of the Jersey Turnpike. As a Phillie, he'll bring veteran leadership and plenty of post-season experience to a group of mostly young and promising arms such as Seranthony Dominguez. The Phillies didn't throw stupid money at the Alabama native, who wanted to stay in the northeast near his adopted home state of Rhode Island. A two-year, $23 million guarantee sounds about right for someone with 654 appearances on his right arm and a 2.88 career ERA. There was some slippage in 2018 -- but that was almost to be expected after he threw lights-out relief after being traded back to the Yanks in the middle of the previous season. While the Yankees seemed to have too many relievers to choose from, he seems ideal for the Phils: a veteran who has shown the knack of gettin...

Matt Tuiasosopo never quite lived up to the expectations of being a 3rd round draft choice by the Mariners. The Seattle-area native appeared in parts of three seasons for the Mariners, but never came close to landing a starting position, before moving onto the Tigers -- where I caught him in spring training 2013 against the Mets. This home run was one of four in Grapefruit League action that year. Matt went onto play a career high 81 games for Detroit, but didn't hit enough to grab an everyday spot. He briefly surfaced once again with the 2016 Braves, before returning to the minors. Now 32, he turned the page on Wednesday when he was named the manager of Atlanta's single-A farm team in Rome, Georgia.

Late Tuesday night after the buffet of bowl games neared its end, baseball jumped back onto the sports wife. Word broke that the Yankees had signed Troy Tulowitzki . A free agent this winter after being cut by the Blue Jays after playing just 66 games in 2017 and none last season, he was once one of baseball's best middle infielders. But age and injury took their toll after he was traded to Toronto for Jose Reyes. "Tulo" long expressed his admiration for Derek Jeter and wore number-two in his honor. That number won't be available when he suits up for the Yanks, where he's projected as the fill in while shortstop Didi Gregorius recovers from Tommy John surgery. It's a low-risk move for the Yankees -- Tulowitzki will only cost them the major league minimum salary. Assuming he's got something left in the tank, he's probably the best available short-term fix. The signing hardly prevents the Yankees seeking Manny Machado this winter -- though it appea...

Ian Desmond of the Rockies and ex-Met Jay Bruce team up to wish you more hits and fewer errors in 2019. And on a personal note, thanks for stopping by my online home, and sharing your passion for the visual delights of baseball.