Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

Baseball's biggest change over the last 50 years is the greatly increased role for the bullpen and the gradual reduction in workload for starting pitchers.  OK, this is not a shock. Still, when we find the occasional moments that underscore the change -- and how drastic it's become -- it's worth noting.  In 1969, Tom Seaver won the NL Cy Young Award with a 25-7 record and 18 complete games out of his 35 starts. Even a losing team, such as the '69 Phillies, let their starters go as far as they could. Top winner Rick Wise won 15 games, with 14 complete games among his 31 starts. That year, the Phils went 63-99. Fast forward to last Sunday, where Zach Eflin made headlines doing something common, and hardly noteworthy "back in the day." He threw a complete game, working all nine innings, using just 107 pitchers (an average of 12 per inning), as the Phillies beat the Marlins 5 - 1.  That performance grabbed headlines -- because, amazingly, it wa...

To quote Slim Pickens in the classic comedy Blazing Saddles , "What in the wide, wide world of sports is a-going on here?" Baseball's weird, early season wave of injuries gobbled up more big names on Sunday. And it's not just the Yankees anymore -- although they lost two productive players -- DJ LeMahieu left their game against the Giants with a knee problem and Gio Urshela, who has done a heck of a Graig Nettles imitation lately as Miguel Andujar's fill in, was smacked on the hand by a pitch. Now, add on Robinson Cano of the Mets, also hit by a pitch; Padres rookie sensation Fernando Tatis Jr, with a hamstring; and reigning National League MVP Christian Yelich with a back issue. Oh, he's only hitting in the .350s with a league leading 14 homers. One after another and another and another... Have training and fitness regimens gone to the extreme? Do we need to go back to Babe Ruth's routine of hot dogs and beer? Come to think of it, neither the Bambin...

Frank Robinson belts his first major league homer. At Crosley Field, the Reds rookie connects off Paul Miner of the Cubs. He'd bang out 585 more on his way to Cooperstown. That journey began in Cincinnati, and was later highlighted by a pair of World Championships in Baltimore. Monday night, as the Orioles took the field at Camden Yards, I captured their display of retired numbers... which honors Frank Robinson, whose plaque is now draped in a black ribbon (highlighted below).

...that the guy wearing #70 in the March 20th exhibition game against the Astros would be Yankees cleanup hitter on April 25th in San Francisco? Non-roster invitee Gio Urshela , hoping for a shot a bench job or more likely, a spot in Scranton, would deliver an RBI single as one of his two hits in that regular season game in San Francisco? No way. Think again, Urshela -- the good field, no hit 3rd baseman who came and went from the Indians and Rays -- has become one of the mainstays of the Yankee Replacements. Ravaged by injuries, with 14 players on the Injured List -- including twin towers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, plus Clint Frazier, who sizzled as one of the early replacements, only to sprain an ankle and join Judge and Stanton on the shelf -- the current Yankee lineup might make fans feel cheated if they saw them in an exhibition game. But this unlikely bunch has now won 7 of 8, including 4 of 5 on their current western road trip. Who coined that phrase, "Nex...

At Yankee Stadium: Alex Rodriguez belts three home runs -- in his first three at-bats -- and drives in 10 runs in the Yankees 12-4 win over the Angels; all three round trippers came with two outs. Only Tony Lazzeri (with 11) ever drove in more runs in a single game for the Yankees (or any American League team). Rodriguez (seen here in 2015) joins Johnny Mize and Dave Kingman as the only players to have three-home-run games with three different teams Mize also did it as a Yankee. Kingman was also a Yankee, albeit briefly. He homered four times in eight September 1977 games in pinstripes -- but never hit multiple homers in any of those games.

This must be how Phillies GM Matt Klentak and President Andy MacPhail envisioned it: Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins bookended the scoring in the Phillies 6 - 0 Wednesday shutout of the Mets. Harper delivered an RBI double in the top of the 1st, while Hoskins, still ticked off after being buzzed the night before by Mets reliever Jacob Rhame, extracted his revenge with a two run 9th inning homer off the same pitcher -- followed by an ultra-slow trot around the bases to reinforce the message. You're going to see a lot of these guys together. The mega-money free agent and the home grown slugger who provide the Phils a two-headed middle of the lineup threat reminiscent of Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski; or perhaps, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Looks like I caught this dugout image on the right night.

I was delighted be on hand to see Manny Banuelos as the White Sox starting pitcher Monday night at Camden Yards. Eight years ago, he won the James P. Dawson Award as the Yankees top rookie in spring training, and looked like he was in line for stardom. But as John Lennon -- whom I understand took a liking to baseball while living in New York -- famously said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." Instead of being "the next Guidry," it was a struggle to overcome injuries and ineffectiveness as Manny moved onto the Braves, Angels and Dodgers organizations. Now in 2019, the lefthander may have found a home in Chicago. Monday night 's line was four innings of shutout ball with four strikeouts, a walk and five hits allowed. Not stellar, but effective enough. Once the ChiSox scored four times in the top of the 5th, manager Rick Renteria went to the bullpen, leaving Banuelos with a no-decision. But for a pitcher once rated...

First time back at Camden Yards since 2013 -- as I saw the Orioles host the young and talented White Sox. Even more impressive than when I saw them play a few weeks ago at Yankee Stadium, the ChiSox did all their scoring from the 5th inning on. En route to a 12-2 win over the O's, I caught both Chicago home runs. The first I saw from section 16, row 3. Catcher James McCann sends one soaring off Baltimore's David Hess. Below, fans in the right field seats wait to be the lucky one who takes home a souvenir. After driving up from the Outer Banks of North Carolina that day, I was running out of steam as the 7th inning arrived. Watching the action from the deck above right field, I zoomed in on 1st baseman Jose Abreu as he connected off Tanner Scott. It took an opposite field route -- look carefully at the stairs just behind Abreu and you'll see this home run as it starts to soar toward right field. Here's the scramble as fans chase the ball down. Not a lot of folks...

During the 1990s when almost all Braves games were televised nationally on TBS, a ton of former Richmond Braves became big league stars. From Chipper and Andruw Jones, to Mark Lemke, David Justice and legendary pitchers Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, their final step before the majors was stamped "Richmond." And the productive tradition has continued since the Giants became the part club. Take note of the sign to the right which pays tribute to the starting lineup of the 2016 Giants. All four players were former Richmond Flying Squirrels. The sign above the Diamond's inside concourse: "Road to the Show," displays both famous Braves and Giants who prepared for future success while playing in Richmond.

While driving to spend the holiday with my daughter who lives in Raleigh, I stopped by the Diamond. Home for nearly a quarter century to the Braves Triple A team (until '08), it welcomed  its current tenants, the Giants Double A (Eastern League) Flying Squirrels in 2010. Not only does a giant sized replica welcome you at the main entrance, but the there are puns galore referencing the team's image. While the timing didn't work to see a game -- I was there around noon, the Flying Squirrels were playing at home that night, I managed to park and walk around around outside and capture these images. The one below really works, a view of the stadium seen "through" the batting cage that's stored in the left field bullpen. Then, I got lucky. While the outfield fence was solid and provided no knotholes for my camera, I noted the driveway and service entrance along the right field line were open. A few steps brought me onto the warning track and a fuller view of...

To commemorate the 1869 launch of the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first all-professional baseball team, all 30 teams are wearing this patch. It's clear and simple -- but tiny. You have to be close to a player to really notice it. Pull back the camera from a player (such as the Nationals' Patrick Corbin) and it becomes difficult to see. Baseball has a big anniversary, one worth celebrating and marketing. So why the understated marker every player, manager and coach will sport all season?

One of my photographic goals this season is capture the moments when bat meets ball. From Sunday April 14th, here's just such a point of contact. Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres puts wood to horsehide. The result, however, is a a disappointment. It was a foul ball into the seats about a third of the way behind home plate and 1st base. A backwards bloop. Yet, if Torres had made impact a fraction of a inch differently, that ball might have been soaring toward the bleachers. The wonder and precision of baseball... truly a game of inches -- or even less.

Mike Tauchman had the game of his life on Tuesday night. The backup outfielder who came to the Yankees just before opening day, had an RBI double off Boston's Chris Sale in the 4th and then crushed his first major league homer, a three-run blast, two innings later off Erasmo Ramirez. And crushed is the right term -- it soared in the second deck of Yankee Stadium's right field stands. At age 28, and getting playing time due to the absence of Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks, it's hard to predict how long Tauchman's tenure in pinstripes will last. This could well have been his Jack Reed moment. But he'll always have the sweet memory of April 16th, 2019 -- when he drove in half the Yankee runs to back James Paxton in an 8-0 whitewash of the Red Sox. ( These images of Tauchman came from the Yanks' April 14th game against the White Sox .)

Steven Matz came into Tuesday night's Mets/Phillies game with some respectable 2019 numbers. Over his first three starts, his ERA was 1.50. And while he averaged a far-from-efficient 20 pitches an inning his last two starts -- including April 6th against the Nats in the image above -- he was doing fine for a number-three starter. But the wheels came off at Citizens Bank Park -- in epic fashion. According to ESPN Stats and Info , Matz became just the sixth starting pitcher since 1893 to give up at least eight runs while failing to record an out in the first inning. Ironically, the last pitcher with such ugliness was a former Met: Paul Wilson put up similar lines with the Reds TWICE, in 2003 and 2005. Even after Matz was pulled -- after being tagged by Mikael Franco for the Phils second three-run homer of the evening -- the hits kept on coming in the city that produced Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell and Teddy Pendergrass. JT Realmuto doubled in Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutche...

Tim Anderson flashes power along with strong glovework: 20 home runs last season, 17 the year before. The White Sox shortstop delivered Sunday's biggest hit. Here's the swing off Masahiro Tanaka that produced the game-changing grand slam as Chicago came from behind to beat the Yankees.

Late in Sunday's Yankees/White Sox game, some visitors arrived at the Stadium. Flying visitors not usually seen at a ballpark. Flying visitors in formation, circling around the upper deck, far above the action. At times, they flew toward the fans, but always turned before reaching the seats. Sitting in section 327 of the upper deck, I had a good, clear view of these birds. Only Rod Taylor and Tippi Hedren were missing. And that annoying guy walking his dogs out of a pet store.

Dave Winfield , seen here with fellow Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven at a 2011 memorabilia show, owns a pair of personal highlights on this date. In 1976, while with the Padres, he belted the first grand slam of his career. It came against Stan Wall, in an 8-5 win over the Dodgers. In 1991, as an Angel, he enjoyed the biggest offensive game of his career. Going 5-for-6 against the Twins, he smacked three home runs -- two off Mark Guthrie and the other off Larry Casian. All told, he drove in six, in the halos' 15-6 victory.

When you think of Mariners power hitters, you might think Jay Bruce, Mitch Haniger or Edwin Encarnacion. Maybe the rising star Domingo Santana. But not Dee Gordon , the skinny 2nd baseman-turned-centerfielder-turned 2nd baseman. 5'11 and 170 pounds after a fast food run, the slender speedster homered in the 6th inning Thursday night against the Royals -- giving the M's a home run in each of the first 15 games of a season. That's a brand new record, erasing the 14 set by the 2002 Indians. Just check "the back of his baseball card" (OK, nowadays, baseball-reference.com). This is a player who has more than three times the amount of career triples as home runs. An outlier in today's game. 15 career homers in previous eight seasons. Yet, Gordon was the player who helped write some unlikely history Thursday night as the Mariners' magic carpet ride rolls on with now 13 wins in their first 15 games. ( My images of Gordon are from an August 2016 Marlins...

That would have to be the Mariners, who instead of looking like a rebuilding team, have  raced out to a 12-2 start. I t's not just the impressive record, but the power this club has flashed. Seattle has smacked hit 34 homers so far -- tied with the 2000 Cardinals for the most by any team in its first 14 games. Last night's hero, was Mitch Haniger , who went yard with two out in the top of the 9th to push the Mariners past the Royals in KC. One more surprising stat: Seattle has scored six or more runs in 12 of its first 14 games, the first team to do that since 1908. Think about that year: Babe Ruth was then bar-mitzah age; Lou Gehrig was a few months shy of starting kindergarten. Of course, a start this hot does not guarantee anything. Just ask the 2018 Mets, who roared out of the gate but collapsed later in the spring and finished shy of the .500 mark. The Mariners also have to keep an eye on their rear-view mirror. The Astros, who started slowly, have kick...

Jacob de Grom came into Tuesday night's start owning a remarkable and historic streak:  not allowing more than three runs in 26 consecutive starts. That tied him with Hall of Famer Bob Gibson for such a run of excellence. Yet, it was clear as he struggled during the top of the 1st inning on a damp and chilly Citi Field night that the Mets ace didn't have his A-game. He worked in and out of trouble. An inning later, his consecutive-inning scoreless streak ended at 27 when catcher Mitch Garver homered. Just one run, not a crisis. But the 3rd inning appeared to be scripted by Rod Serling -- with de Grom wandering into his own Twilight Zone. Bill Mumy or Bill Shatner weren't the co-stars, Instead, with one out, Jorge Polanco tripled and quickly scored on a wild pitch with Williams Astudillo at bat. He singled; Eddie Rosario followed with a stunning home run (the follow through on that swing is atop this page), the second of the game -- something that never happened durin...

Let's hope that Rhys Hoskins is humming that golden oldie this morning. Just look at his production the last two days: Sunday, down a run to the Twins' Jose Berrios in the bottom of the 6th, his two-run homer powered the Phils past Minnesota. Monday night, it was double the fun with solo blasts in the 6th and 8th innings that gave the Phils their winning margin as they held off the Nationals 4-3. How happy do you think the third-year slugger feels being back at his natural position, 1st base? With his heavily rebuilt club having won seven of its first nine, Hoskins has joined new teammate Bryce Harper in the performance penthouse. Five homers, 15 RBIs, and an on-base percentage of .535. Nine games is just five percent of a season. The Phillies aren't selling playoff tickets yet. After all, this is a team that was in 1st place early last August -- and ended the season under the .500 mark. But you have to like the early signs: better starting pitching bolstered by a ...

A Notable Mets Opener   On the day the Mets held their final opener at Shea, it's only fitting to flash back to the first season opener I ever attended. It's April 8th, 1969, and the Mets, who'd never won an opening day game, seemed to have a strong chance to notch one -- their opponent was the newly minted expansion team, the Montreal Expos. The day started bright, if a bit cool. Just five years old, Shea was still considered modern and streamlined. For Montreal, long home to a Dodgers farm club, this was a momentous day, with more than a few fans coming down to New York for the Expos' debut. $1.30 for an upper deck non-reserved ticket, and seats available the day of the game. Perfect timing, too -- it was school vacation week. The pomp and circumstance of opening day meant a marching band on the field to perform the national anthem. This is it (below): the first pitch ever thrown in a game played by the Montreal Expos. Maury Wills was the batter. Tom Se...

After the Mets belted five solo home runs on Saturday afternoon, they still found themselves tied in the bottom of the 8th inning. So, Keon Broxton brought home the go-ahead run the old fashioned (Wee Willie Keeler) way: an RBI single to right-center. It brought Michael Conforto home, the winning margin in a 6-5 victory over the Nationals. Sure, GM Brodie Van Wagonen made headlines importing big names such as Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz and Wilson Ramos over the winter. But on a perfect spring day for baseball, the little known Broxton proved to be the game-changer. Can I swing back to one of those homers before wrapping up business for today? Below, J.D. Davis  shows off a leaping elbow bump with teammate Michael Conforto after the first of his two Saturday home runs. Gotta love the personification of Roy Campanella's iconic line, "You gotta be a man to play baseball for a living, but you gotta have a lot of little boy in you, too."

A huge individual game Friday night for Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco , who hit for the cycle in the opener of an inter-league series at Philadelphia. He's the first player to do it during 2019; the 11th in Minnesota franchise history and first in a decade since Michael Cuddyer. And he did it on a rainy, chilly night, conditions usually not conducive to a lot of offense. For history buffs, Hall of Famer Rod Carew had Twins' first cycle, in May 1970.  But I've got a hunch Polanco would give it back in exchange for a more positive outcome. The Phillies jumped on Jake Odorizzi for five 1st inning runs and led all the way, winning 10-4. Proof of baseball being the ultimate team game. ( My image of Polanco is from a  September 2017 Twins/Yankees game in the Bronx .)