Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

Gary Sanchez 's first 29 games this season produced unacceptable results. Along with his usual problems handling pitchers in the dirt, the Yankee catcher was batting .130 -- low enough that it would take a scorching week just to reach the Mendoza Line -- with just 10 hits in 77 at bats. Maybe it reached a low point Saturday, when with a runner on 3rd and in the last of the 9th inning, manager Aaron Boone stuck with 40-year old backup Erik Kratz -- a move that paid off when the backup catcher squared to bunt and Mets reliever Dellin Betances fired a walk pitch allowing the winning run to score. Sunday, Sanchez got his chance. In the nightcap of a Yankee Stadium doubleheader (a makeup for a postponed Citi Field game), it was Kratz's turn to hit when the Yankees loaded the bases in the top of 8th. But this time, Boone rolled the dice with Sanchez, who turned a Drew Smith's fastball into 453 feet of home run -- and history: it was the first extra innings pinch hit grand slam in...

August 28th, 2005: Jason Giambi belts three- and two-run homers and adds a two-run single in the Yankees 10-3 win over the Royals. His 7 RBI ties a career high. Each of the blasts helped him reach a milestone -- the first gave him 1000 career RBI, while the second was the 1500th hit of his career.  August 28th, 2004: Tony Clark has the first three-homer-game of his career -- the last of which follows Ruben Sierra's 300th career homer (a grand slam!) in the Yankees 18-6 win over the Blue Jays in Toronto.  August 28th, 2003: Jose Reyes becomes the youngest player ever to hit a home run from each side of the plate in the same game. The 20 year-old shortstop accounts for all the Mets runs, homering off Mike Hampton righthanded in the fifth inning; then, hitting lefty in the ninth, connects for a two run shot off Trey Hodges for 3-1 victory over the Braves at Turner Field.  August 28th, 1992: The Brewers crush the Blue Jays 22-2 at SkyDome. The Toronto pitching staff yields 31...

Several future major leaguers were on display June 17th, 2015, when I caught Trenton hosting Reading in the Eastern League. The Yankees offered former 1st round draft pick Aaron Judge, the Phillies had their top prospect J.P. Crawford. The next two players also made their way to the majors: Aaron Altherr and Greg Bird.

  ...you share it with   Elvis Andrus , now in his 12th season as the Rangers everyday shortstop. While never posting the eye-catching numbers of a Lindor or Correia, the runner up for 2009 AL Rookie of the Year been a consistent performer, providing speed and reliable defense. A skilled bunter, he's led the league in sacrifices  three times. Maikel Franco , who remains an enigma after five-and-a-half years as an everyday player. He flashes power, doesn't strike out much (only once topping 100 in a year), but his fielding was inconsistent and too often gave the impression that he didn't care about the game. But even with three seasons of 22 or more homers on the back of his card, the Phillies ran out of patience last season and let him go over the winter. He's now with the Royals. David Price , the talented lefthander who's starred mainly for the Rays and Red Sox -- winning 15 or more games six times -- but until 2018, had struggled mightily in the post-season. Sent...

Albert Pujols ' RBI single in Monday night's Angels-Astros game made history. The 2087th run he's driven in over his 20 year career moved him past Alex Rodriguez on the game's all time list -- he's now second only to Henry Aaron in that still vital statistic. While no longer the offensive force during his prime with the Cardinals, the best 13th round draft pick in history remains a solid run producer. Pro-rate his 12 RBI in 80 plate appearances to a typical year where he'd come to the plate 600 times -- and Albert would be on target for 90 RBIs. That's no fluke. But is Pujols really second alltime? That's where a quirk in "official" stats comes into play. As I noted in May 2019  when Pujols reached 2000 RBI, " Because Runs Batted In didn't become an official statistic until 1920, the 224 runs Babe Ruth drove in during the first six years of his career (1914-'19) don't 'count.'  That leaves the Bambino with 1992 offici...

Alec Bohm looks like someone who was born to hit.  His first big leage home run in Sunday night's win over the Braves was proof of that. The Phillies first round draft pick (third overall) in 2018 hit well while climbing the minor league ladder -- I caught him last August at Double-A Reading. But there's a clear flaw in his game: his defense. His awkward, erratic play at 3rd base in a game last week with the Braves was painful to watch. He could easily have wound up charged with three errors in the same inning. And he's no Keith Hernandez or John Olerud at 1st, either. Besides, the Phils have another of their young cornerstones Rhys Hoskins stationed there (and after the ill-fated signing of Carlos Santana a few years back, they learned that Hoskins can't play the outfield). And this is no isolated incident. His career minor league fielding average at 3rd was an ugly .920; but that's better than the .810 from the 2019 Arizona Fall League. While he could grow into a...

August 21st, 2013: Ichiro Suzuki singles off Toronto's RA Dickey in the bottom of the 1st inning and becomes just the 3rd player to reach 4000 career hits. Combining his totals between the Japanese and American major leagues, he achieves the milestone previously reached by Ty Cobb and Pete Rose. Ichiro shares the spotlight with Alfonso Soriano, whose two-run home run off Dickey in the bottom of the 8th inning pushes the Yankees to a 4 - 2 victory. August 21st, 2007: Garret Anderson drives in 10 runs -- with a grand slam, a three-run homer and a pair of run-scoring doubles -- to set an Angels club record in their 18-9 pounding of the Yankees. August 21st, 2006: The Yankees wrap up a five-game series sweep at Fenway Park, holding off the Red Sox 2-1. Nick Green scores what turns out to be the deciding run, coming home on an 8th inning wild pitch by Boston's Keith Foulke. It's the Yanks' first five game sweep at Fenway since 1943. August 21st, 2005: Mike Jacobs becomes the...

Here's another of the cups I've held onto but didn't box up for the move. It's from the 2010 season at Yankee Stadium, celebrating the franchise's 27th title -- but first in the new Stadium. While the colors have faded a bit from a few too many trips through the dishwasher, it symbolizes an enjoyable season for Yankee fans.  Do you hold onto "collectible" stadium cups? Have any that tell a story or connect to a moment in time? If so, click on the comment button below and tell us about it.  

 ...you share it with Bobby Richardson , the South Carolina native who made his mark in the Bronx during dozen seasons with the Yankees. The club's regular second baseman during its five-consecutive pennant winners at the start of the season, his video highlight was snaring Willie McCovey's line drive with runners on 2nd and 3rd that ended the 1960 World Series. A frequent visitor to Yankee Old Timers games, his baseball resume also includes two decades coaching at South Carolina, Coastal Carolina and Liberty Universities. Gary Gaetti , whose greatest Baseball thrill has to be been that game winning homer in the opening game of the 1996 National League playoffs. Growing up a Cardinals fan in nearby Centralia, IL, the 3rd baseman played 14 big league seasons (most notably with the Twins where he earned MVP Honors in the '87 ALCS) before returning home as a 1996 free agent. J.J. Hardy , the power-hitting shortstop who played 13 seasons in the majors, mainly with the Brewers a...

Having called Fairfield, Connecticut home for the past 24 years, this display at a local wine story is a "refreshing" representation of what it means to live on the border of the New York and New England baseball fandoms.

Say hello to another of the Yankees "Next Man Up" crew, Mike Ford . The player I dubbed the " Jerseyest Yankee Ever " back in April has stepped up with Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge sidelined, grabbing the spotlight in Sunday night's victory over the Red Sox. A booming two-run homer and RBI single produced 3/4 of the Yankees scoring. Ford remains the underdog: almost 28 and a graduate of hardly-a-baseball-power Princeton University, he's one of the few Yankees who hit lefthanded. And his strengths fit the current stadium perfectly. Frankly, this chunky non-matinee idol more resembles someone who from the 1950s or '30s Yankees. And like those from decades past, he just does his job. I'll admit, I naturally tend to root for guys who share my first name. And it's all too rare when someone who grew up within an easy drive of Yankee Stadium don the pinstripes. I was happy to focus on Mike Ford in what turned out to the Spring Training swan song in...

Aug. 14th, 2019: Gary Sanchez's three run homer and Mike Ford's two-RBI single are the big hits in the Yankees 6-5 win over the Orioles. Aug. 14th, 2006: Matt Diaz ties a National League record and sets a Braves mark by getting a hit in 10 consecutive at-bats. He goes 4-for-5 a 10-4 victory over the Nationals at RFK Stadium. Aug. 14th, 2003: The Mets - Giants game at Shea Stadium is postponed due to a power blackout across the northeast. Aug. 14th, 1999: Ivan Rodriguez becomes the first catcher ever to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season. After a leadoff single in the 3rd inning, he steals 2nd base and later comes around to score, in the Rangers-White Sox game at Comiskey Park. Aug. 14th, 1993: The Yankees retire Reggie Jackson's number 44. Aug. 14th, 1991: Dave Winfield hits his 400th career home run off David West in the Angels 7 -4 win over the Twins at the Metrodome. Aug. 14th, 1987: Mark McGwire's 39th home run snaps the rookie record shared by Wally...

He's the been odd man out in the Yankees outfield almost since the moment he arrived in the Andrew Miller trade. Injuries, defensive glitches, attitude questions -- all have held Clint Frazier back from what might be expected from the 5th overall pick in the 2013 draft. Wednesday night in his first game action of 2020, Frazier flashed that promise again -- with his hits his first three times up, including a home run -- as he filled in for Aaron Judge. Yet, he mostly remains trade bait; as a righthanded hitter on an unusually righty-heavy Yankee club, his path is not only blocked by Judge and the ever-brittle Giancarlo Stanton, but by longtime Yankee Brett Gardner and toolsy Mike Tauchman. Is he in line to be the next Jay Buhner, whom George Steibrenner happily sacrificed for Ken Phelps? Or is he destined to be Ricky Ledee or Ruben Rivera, who never lived up to their hype either in New York or elsewhere? Or does he wait his turn on a team where injuries always shake up the roster.

 ...you share it with Ian Happ , the Cubs centerfielder, who has reclaimed his job after spending most of 2019 in the minors. So far this 60-game season, the U of Cincinnati product is hitting close to .300 and reaching base more than 40 percent of the time.  Chris Owings , the utilityman is in his first Colorado season, after spending most of the last decade with the Diamondbacks. Jose Tabata is a poster child for a "can't miss" prospect who missed. Highly touted as he rose through the Yankees farm system, he came to the Pirates as the key piece in a 2008 deal for Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady. But after a promising 2010 Pittsburgh debut, he failed to hold onto a regular job. After a 2015 mid-season trade to the Dodgers, he was sent to the minors, and never made it back to the show. Michel Hernandez , who caught 45 major leagues games over three seasons with the Yankees and Rays. He's back with the Yankee organization, as a minor league catching instructor. Odds are ...

Fans of the TV classic The Honeymooners are well aware of how frequently Ralph Kramden threatened to sent his wife Alice, "To the moon!" Monday night at Citi Field, a few miles from the fictional couple's Brooklyn apartment, Juan Soto sent a baseball almost as far -- his 3rd inning home run off Steven Matz soared past the ballpark's home run Apple, well beyond the center field fence, an estimated 463 feet.

Fernando Tatis, Jr . was already one of baseball's rising stars. Had he been able to play more than 84 games a year ago -- when he smacked 22 home runs and hit .317 -- he'd have given Pete Alonso a strong run for NL Rookie of the Year. This past weekend, the Padres shortstop pushed things to another level. Five home runs in his past four games: Sunday's against the Diamondbacks gave him 30 in his first 100 major league games, and the first shortstop to pull that off! That home run didn't come off some player pool fill-in, it came against likely future Hall of Famer Madison Bumgarner, and it traveled 418 feet. That gave him eight on the season and tied Tatis with Aaron Judge for the most in the majors.  In a sport that needs to develop as many dynamic young stars as possible, Tatis is well on the way to being one of the ascending faces of the game. Not playing on a glamour team, and calling mid-sized market San Diego his home, we'll see how long it takes for his tale...

Aug. 7th, 1999: Wade Boggs homers off the Indians' Chris Haney in the bottom of the 6th to become the 23rd member of the 3000 hit club -- but the first to reach that milestone with a home run. After circling the bases, Boggs kissed home plate at Tropicana Field. It was the future Hall of Famer's third hit of the game -- a great day for Boggs, not so much for the Devil Rays, who lose a 15-10 slugfest to Cleveland. Aug. 7th, 1983: The Yankees stage Bobby Murcer Day at Yankee Stadium, honoring the longtime outfielder as he's about to begin a new career as a broadcaster for the team. Aug. 7th, 1983: The Phillies cap a three-game weekend sweep at Busch Stadium with a 5-2 victory over the division rival Cardinals. Ivan DeJesus puts the Phils on top with a 7th inning infield single that scores Joe Lefebvre. Aug. 7th, 1978: Mel Allen and Red Barber are the first recipients of the Ford C. Frick Award, as the Baseball Hall of Fame begins honoring legendary broadcasters. Aug. 7th, 196...

Over the years, the Mets spring training home in Port St. Lucie, originally Thomas J. White Stadium, has gone through several names. The shortest lived was Digital Domain Park, which was changed a year later after the company merged with a competitor. It’s now Clover Park. The artwork featured a nice blend of colors — enough to convince me to bring it home after my vacation. But with our upcoming move, I needed to thin out some of the semi collectibles, so it’s time to say goodbye to Digital Domain Park.

I was at Citi Field on May 1st, 2018, watching Mike Soroka make his major league debut against the Mets. And he was Impressive. Six innings of one-run ball as he earned the victory. While shoulder issues limiting to just five Atlanta starts that year, it was clear his future was bright. It all came together in 2019 for the Calgary native. A 13-4 record, a spot to the All Star Game while finishing second to Pete Alonso for NL Rookie of the Year.  Then, in a flash, it's halted. Landing awkwardly after delivering a pitch against the Mets, Soroka had torn his achilles. One moment, he's the Braves young ace and the next, his season is over and six-month rehab lies ahead. Baseball, or any sport, can impose all the health and safety protocols it wants and needs. Yet, moments such as what happened to Mike Soroka can prove even more destructive to an organization's plans.

All rise! Aaron Judge just wrapped up quite a week. Sunday night's tie-breaking 8th inning home run -- which soared 468 feet -- put the Yankees ahead to stay as they completed a weekend sweep of the Red Sox. His second blast of the night was his sixth in the last five games giving him the American League lead. And most of them have either tied a game or put the Yanks ahead. While no one would dare say wiping out the four months of the schedule was beneficial -- the long pause gave Judge the chance to heal completely from last September's injury, where he broke a rib and partially collapsed a lung making a diving catch.  So, instead of starting the season on the Injured List, and watching Clint Frazier fill in, Yankee fans have seen a healthy Judge in peak form over the first three series. There's never been a doubt about #99's talent or desire -- keeping him healthy remains the challenge, and the one thing you just can't predict. But if Judge stays on the field, th...