Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

Aaron Judge crushed Shane Bieber's fourth pitch of the night. 411 feet later, it was bouncing off the floor of the left field seats at Progressive Field. It brought home DJ LeMahieu, who singled leading off the game. An instant 2-0 lead, as the Yankees, behind a 13-strikeout performance from Gerrit Cole, rolled to a 12-3 victory in the opener of their Wild Card round series.  Cole was dominant, while Bieber, the likely AL Cy Young Winner, was shaken. He departed after Gleyber Torres' 5th inning homer, which boosted the score to 7-2. But let's swing back to Judge. The Yankees "face of the franchise" had not looked right after returning from a lingering calf injury, swinging softly and contributing six singles and a double, with just two RBI over his final ten games. Then Tuesday night, the switch flipped and Judge was back to being NUMBER 99. That home run was his only hit of the night. But it made a loud statement, getting  these hot-and-cold Yankees off to the b...

  Luke Voit (above) and DJ LeMahieu of the Yankees closed out the regular season with a noteworthy accomplishment: they're the first teammates to lead a league in home runs (Voit) and batting average (LeMahieu) since Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron of the 1959 Milwaukee Braves. Short season or not, their ability to produce consistently and stay healthy deserves recognition. But -- and you knew there was a "but" coming -- can this predict the future? In 1959, there was a National League playoff. The Braves and Dodgers finished the regular season tied. So, just like 1951, the Dodgers found themselves in a best-of-three game showdown to decide the pennant. The Braves dropped the opening game 3-2 at Milwaukee County Stadium (where both Mathews and Aaron were held hitless); then back at the L.A. Coliseum, game two also went the Dodgers way, 6-5, with Brooklyn legend Carl Furillo delivering the walk off RBI single in the bottom of the 12th. Oddly, 1959 was one of only two seasons ...

...you share it with Eddie Rosario , one of the Twins' deep lineup of power hitters. His 32 home runs in 2019 were part of Minnesota's record-setting season total of 307. Ryan Zimmerman spent 15 seasons with the Nationals, capped by the franchise's 2019 World Series champions. A lifetime .279 hitter, he smacked 270 home runs before deciding to sit out the virus-impacted 2020 season. Manuel Margot , the defense-first center fielder traded last winter from the Padres to the Rays. Slade Heathcott , the Yankees 1st round draft pick in 2009, played just briefly in the majors. While he did belt a couple of home runs, and hit .400 (10-for-25), his big league career lasted only 17 games. Todd Worrell , the Cardinals closer of the mid- and late-1980s, who resumed his career after Tommy John surgery and a rotator cuff tear cost him a pair of seasons. He saved 256 games over 11 years, the final five (1992-'97) with the Dodgers. Grant Jackson spent 18 years in the majors, and asi...

September 25th, 2015:  With over 48,000 at Yankee Stadium for the Captain's final home game, Derek Jeter singles to right field in the bottom of the 9th inning to drive in Antoan Richardson and give the Yankees a walk-off 6-5 win over the arch-rival Red Sox. September 25th, 2010: Bobby Cox , nearing the end of his final season managing the Braves, earns his 2,500th victory as Atlanta blanks Washington 5-0 at Nationals Park. He joins Connie Mack, John McGraw, and Tony La Russa in that select circle. September 25th, 2009: David Wright becomes the Mets' all time leader in games played at 3rd base, when he appears there for the 836th time, passing the previous mark set by Howard Johnson. September 25th, 2008: Roy Halladay reaches 20 wins for the second time in his career as he leads the Blue Jays to an 8-2 victory over the Yankees at Rogers Centre. September 25th, 2007: Prince Fielder of the Brewers homers twice against the  Cardinals to reach 50 for the season -- making him part...

...the Tampa Bays Rays are the American League East champs. Joey Wendle got them rolling with a top of the 2nd inning homer. Randy Arozarena then hit a pair and Brandon Lowe, an 8th inning blast en route to an 8-5 win over the Mets. Fundamentally strong, while financially prudent -- due to chronic low attendance in normal times -- these "no name" Rays dominated the Yankees, winning eight of 10 during the season, and claimed their first division title in a decade. Let's no overlook their pitching: Wednesday night's winner Tyler Glasnow has posted seven or more strikeouts in eight consecutive starts. He teams with veterans Charlie Morton and Blake Snell in an imposing top three; make that four when you add in rookie Josh Fleming, who is 4-0 in his six starts, while walking just six batters over 24 innings. Next week's Wild Card round will include the "big name" clubs, the Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers and Braves. Probably, the surprising Marlins, who remain abov...

 . ..you share it with  Joba Chamberlain , an instant cult hero and perhaps the most captivating Yankee rookie between Derek Jeter and Gary Sanchez. Nearly unhittable when he first came to the majors during the final two months of the 2007 season -- he posted a microscopic 0.38 ERA in 19 games, while striking out 34 batters in 24 innings as Mariano Rivera's set up man -- he couldn't sustain the success. A bad omen was an ill-fated playoff appearance that October, when swarms of small flying bugs descended on him, shaking his concentration and leading to a Yankee loss. The organization's decision to convert him to a starter led to injuries as a promising career just faded out. Trevor May , now in his sixth year with the Twins, is again preparing for a playoff run. The onetime top Phillies prospect came to Minnesota along with Vance Worley in December 2012 for Ben Revere. Away from baseball, he's an electronic music expert and a "partnered Twitch Streamer." Matt...

The Oakland A's claimed a first for the 2020 season on Monday: they're the first team to clinch a division title. Although the Dodgers have the best record in the majors, and the Rays the top mark in the AL -- and both are headed to the post-season -- they're both pursued by second place teams with strong records. So, the Athletics, with a bigger, and now insurmountable cushion over the Astros, are assured of finishing first in the AL West for the first time since 2013. Long known for executive Billy Beane's Moneyball principles, these A's did it their way. This is no Lumber Company or Murderer's Row. And you would never call them disciples of Whitey Herzog and his 1980s Cardinals. The 2020 A's are all about on-base percentage and home runs -- and few players you'd consider "stars" -- though the slugging 1st baseman Matt Olson  (above) is certainly a big time talent. Hitting just .226 as a team; no Oakland regular is batting even .250. But the...

No, change that to a Sharpie or something more permanent. San Diego has officially ended a 14 year absence from the playoffs. Mitch Moreland -- seen here in his days with the Red Sox -- doubled in another American League expat, Manny Machado  (below) with the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th inning. The Padres 7-4 victory over the Mariners clinch a spot in the Wild Card round. Playing out west and in a smaller media market, San Diego has made a combination of bold and subtle moves to assure themselves of a spot in the tournament. Mid-season pickup Moreland and headline-grabbing 2019 free agent Machado are the perfect contrast. Little moves and big ones finally enabled the Padres recast their image. They did a lot that "under the radar."  With a 34-20 record with six games to go, not only are they heading back to the playoffs for the first time since 2006, they've posted the second best record in the entire National League and will host that Wild Card round series begi...

September 18th, 2019: The Giants beat the Red Sox 11-3 at Fenway Park as Bruce Bochy, finishing up his 25th and final season as a manager, becomes the 11th with 2000 victories. September 18th, 2010: CC Sabathia works the first seven innings and becomes a 20-game winner for the first time as the Yankees beat the Orioles 11-3.    September 18th, 2007: Mike Mussina becomes the first American League pitcher to win at least 10 games in 16 consecutive seasons. He works the first seven innings as the Yankees shut out the Orioles 12-0 in the Bronx. September 18th, 2007: Greg Maddux makes also history, posting his 13th win for the 20th consecutive season, snapping the mark long held by Cy Young. The future Hall of Famer works the first five innings of the Padres 5-3 victory over the Pirates at Petco Park. September 18th, 2006: Jose Valentin belts a pair of home runs, while Steve Trachsel teams with three relievers on a four-hit shutout, as the Mets clinch their first division tit...

 ...you share it with Jose Ramirez , the Indians' sweet swinging 3rd baseman, who has posted some big numbers the last five years -- he hit 56 doubles in 2017 and paired 39 homers with 105 RBIs (and 106 walks) a year later.  Marcus Semien , one of the American League's circle of talented shortstops. He posted career-best numbers in 2019, including 33 homers, when he finished third for American League MVP. Greg Golson was the Phillies 1st round draft pick in 2004, but played just 40 big league games over parts of four seasons, including a pair of brief stints with the Yankees (2010 and '11). John Franco , the Brooklyn, New York native who saved more games than any lefthander ever -- 424 games over 21 seasons, mostly with the Reds and Mets. His 1119 appearances are the most for pitcher in NL history. ( Franco graduated from Lafayette High School, as did Sandy Koufax, Al Ferrara, brothers Bob and Ken Aspromonte, Mike Fiore and fellow former Met Pete Falcone -- all of whom enjo...

St. Louis gives the world Budweiser. And it's given the Bronx some wonderfully productive ballplayers. Two beloved names instantly come to mind, Yogi Berra and Elston Howard. These days, the Show Me state is represented in pinstripes by Luke Voit , who might be on his way to joining them as American League MVP's.  Yes, the kid from suburban Wildwood who couldn't catch on with the Cardinals is having that impressive a year. The one Yankee power source who's remained healthy and productive during this season like no other crushed a pair of home runs in Tuesday night's 20-6 rout of the Blue Jays. He added a run-producing single, to give him five RBIs on the night -- four of which came with two outs. That's clutch, no matter how you look at analytics. Entering play today, Voit leads the American League with 18 home runs. And it's fair to say in a year that almost every other regular has been hurt or underachieved, he's become the team's most indispensabl...

After a long, methodical rebuild, the White Sox and their collection of young talent have made big strides forward in 2020. Monday night's 3-1 victory over the Twins extended their division lead to two full games. That extends Chicago's winning streak to five, and combined with Sunday's loss by the Rays, gives the White Sox the best record in the American League. Monday night's biggest hit came from one of their lesser names. Outfielder Adam Engel 's 8th inning pinch single gave them the lead for keeps.  Much like the Padres, the Sox haven't been a serious contender for years. Now, big bats such as Jose Abreu -- who had that ridiculous game Saturday night where he homered twice, drove in seven and scored five runs -- along with fellow Cuban expats Luis Robert and Joan Moncada and Dominican product Eloy Jiminez -- and a rotation led by 24-year old Lucas Giolito are generating a buzz from the South Side of Chicago.

The Padres are flexing their muscle and giving notice that they'll be a team to reckon with in October. Sunday, Jurickson Profar -- above, from 2018 when he was with the Rangers -- delivering the go-ahead RBI single -- they completed a weekend sweep of the Giants to stretch their winning streak to seven and improve their record to 31 - 17. That's the second best in the National League, but still 2-1/2 games back of the Western Division leading Dodgers. And guess who's next on the schedule starting tonight? San Diego's combination of dynamic kids, especially Fernando Tatis Junior, solid veterans such as Will Myers, Eric Hosmer and the resurgent Manny Machado, plus mid-season trade acquisition Mike Clevenger looks like the biggest threat to the Dodgers march to a title.  

September 11th, 2010: Jim Thome passes Frank Robinson on the all time home run list. The Indians slugger's 587th is the only score of the game, as Cleveland holds off the Twins 1-0. September 11th, 2009: Derek Jeter 's 3rd inning single off the Orioles' Chris Tillman is the 2722nd of his career, breaking Lou Gehrig's Yankee record for most career hits (which had stood for 70 years!). The rest of the game proved forgettable, as Baltimore pounded relievers Damaso Marte and Edwar Ramirez for seven runs en route to a 10-4 victory. September 11th, 2006: Frank Thomas homers for the sixth consecutive game. His blast off Minnesota's Carlos Silva, is the A's big moment in a 9-4 loss at the Oakland Coliseum. September 11th, 2002: Whitey Ford and Phil Rizzuto unveil a Yankee Stadium monument dedicated to the September 11th terrorist victims. The team also has a ceremonial tree planting in Monument Park in honor of the heroes and victims of the previous year's horrific ...

...you share it with Phillip Evans , who blossomed as a hitter after several years in the Mets farm system, but was never considered a top prospect. After playing 34 games -- and being passed by Jeff McNeil among infield prospects -- he spent 2019 in the minors. Moving onto the Pirates this year, his season ended early after a broken jaw and concussion in an outfield colission with teammate Gregory Polanco. Neil Walker , the Pennsylvania native who has now played for both Pennsylvania's teams and both of New York's (as well as the Brewers and Marlins). The switch-hitting 2nd baseman -- who homered from both sides of the plate in a 2018 game with the Yankees -- has reinvented himself as an effective utility player, even pitching in a game last month for his current club, the Phillies. Paul Goldschmidt spent eight impressive seasons with the Diamondbacks, making six All Star teams, before being deemed too pricey as his walk year approached. Traded to the Cardinals before the 201...

Big changes are coming to minor league baseball. After a summer when the pandemic forced the season to be cancelled, with some parks redeployed as alternate training sites, the picture will be different again in 2021. The resignation of MiLB president Pat O'Conner likely means that the strongest obstacle to Rob Manfred's plan to reduce affiliated clubs from 162 to 120 will disappear. There's no question that the economy of sports has taken a huge hit in 2020. With businesses closing in many places, we shouldn't be surprised to see ballclubs fall by the wayside. There's no way to sugarcoat the pain in places such as Hudson Valley (above) and Binghamton, New York (below), who are expected to be sliced from the current farm system. That will take away the chance for fans to see such attractions as Tim Tebow -- seen playing for the Mets' Binghamton club in 2018 -- and weaken connections between The National Pastime and smaller cities. The news isn't all negative...

While the highlight of the Blue Jays stunning 10-run inning against the Yankees was Danny Jansen's grand slam, let's cast the spotlight on the player whose hit put Toronto ahead in that big Monday night game. That was Travis Shaw . The former Red Sox and Brewer (seen here in 2017) faced Adam Ottavino with the bases loaded and the game tied in the bottom of the 6th. He delivered the single that drove in the go-ahead and first insurance run for Toronto. Joe Panik walked, to set the stage for Danny Jansen's "dagger," as Kevin Harlan might say, but Shaw's hit was the real momentum changer. That 12-7 victory not only gave the Blue Jays a leg up in their first of 10 games this month against the Yankees, but firmed their hold on second place in the AL East. They're two games up for that guaranteed post-season spot, while the Yanks -- now eighth in the league and just a game over .500 -- can look in their rear-view mirror and see the young and revitalized Mariners...