Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

The Mets made it a fabulous free agent foursome on Monday, agreeing to terms with Max Scherzer on a three-year, $130 million contract -- the highest average annual value ever for a player. And what a player! A near-lock for the Hall of Fame, the three-time Cy Young Award winner enters was a top three finisher this year and enters 2022 10 victories shy of 3000. It's more than a bit ironic that I snapped this image at Citi Field a couple of years ago. Once baseball achieves labor peace, that park will be home, though Max will be spending his time in the dugout along the 1st base line. Thanks to his being traded last year at mid-season, Scherzer comes without a Qualifying Offer; he costs the Mets only money (yes, lots of it), but no penalty in future draft picks. Along with Friday's trio of Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha, he upgrades the club while allowing it to re-stock its farm system -- especially with the Mets having two of the top 20 picks in next spring...

New Mets GM Billy Eppler made it an Orange and Blue Friday, signing three free agents -- a parade of veteran talent led by center fielder Starling Marte  and infielder Eduardo Escobar . Marte will be flanked in the outfield by a 2020 teammate (below) Mark Canha . And an even bigger name may be in the on-deck circle... numerous reports have Max Scherzer close to a deal with the Mets. This week's Wayback : Max didn't pitch in the Tigers-Phillies exhibition game on March 9th, 2011, the day I snapped these images outside Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida.  

...you share it with the mystery player pictured above. Don't worry, I'll identify him at the end of this post. But first, some names you'll recognize: Ben McDonald , a first-overall draft pick who pitched well for the Orioles during the '90s, but never quite became a star. His career was cut short early by shoulder problems. Dave Hansen , the backup infielder who spent parts of 16 seasons in the majors, mainly with the Dodgers. Randy Velarde , who had a career similar to Hansen's, but with several stretches as a regular with the Yankees, A's and Angels. For those who like nice round numbers, he finished his 16 years in the majors with exactly 100 home runs. Steve Yeager   spent 15 years in the majors, all but one with the Dodgers. He's a familiar face from the team's winning era of the late '70s and early '80s -- highlighted by sharing MVP honors with Ron Cey and Pedro Guerrero in the 1981 World Series. Yet to many -- especially non-baseball fan...

...without a plane or two flying over the ballpark.  

The most surprising move so far this free agent season was the Angels'  deal with Noah Syndergaard . After 2020 Tommy John surgery, an extended rehab process, testing COVID positive, and pitching just two innings (while not throwing his curveball) at the end of September, the shaggy-haired righthander was hoping the Mets would extend him a Qualifying Offer. The shock was his spurning it and quickly signing with the Angels for one year and $21 million. Capitalism is wonderful, isn't it? But, between us, Thor looks like a pricey Lotto ticket, with a potentially great payoff -- against greater odds. At the other end of the Jersey Turnpike, and over the Walt Whitman Bridge, Bryce Harpe r had the kind of season Phillies fans were waiting for. He joined Barry Bonds as only the second player ever to be named National League MVP for two different teams before turning 30.   Did you notice that the Phanatic looked a bit different the last couple of years? The Phillies made subtle c...

November 19th, 2018: The Yankees and Mariners swing a four-player deal with James Paxton coming to New York for package of prospects led by Justus Sheffield . The deal initially went well for New York, with Paxton going 15 - 6 in 2019. But injuries derailed his 2020 campaign. Things got worse after rejoining Seattle as a free agent last winter: he appeared in just one game as a Mariner before needing season-ending surgery. Considered the Yankees best lefty prospect, Sheffield pitched well in the 60-game season before posting an ERA last year just under 7 over 15 starts. I'm featuring his photo because -- and this is rare for someone who goes to as many games as I do -- I've never seen Paxton pitch in person! November 19th, 1993:  The Expos acquire starting pitcher Pedro Martinez from the Dodgers for infielder Delino DeShields.  November 19th, 1986: Mike Schmidt, after leading the National League with 37 homers and 119 RBI, joins Stan Musial and Roy Campanella as three time wi...

. ..you share it with Jameson Taillon . The former Pirate -- and good pal of Yankees ace Gerrit Cole -- enjoyed a fairly productive first season in the Bronx, going 8-6 and joined Jordan Montgomery as an effective middle of the rotation starter. Logan Webb emerged as the ace of the Giants staff in 2021, notching 11 victories for the team that won a best-in-the-majors 107. David Ortiz ,  the most charismatic Red Sox sta r since Tony Conigliaro. A promising lefty power hitter who didn't convince the Twins he was part of their future, he was released after the 2002 season. Signing with the Red Sox, he quickly blossomed into "Big Papi," a clutch hitter, team leader and connecting thread between three Boston World Series champs. His 485 home runs as a DH are the most ever as are his 2192 hits. After launching a second career in TV, Ortiz is a lock for Cooperstown when the Class of 2022 is announced this winter. Also on today's list... three recent players whose sons have...

From April 28th at Citi Field, Pete Alonso inadvertently practices to Chubby Checker's "Limbo Rock," while trying to get out of the way of an inside pitch. The King of '60s Dances broke into the Top 10 with that classic single this week in 1962.  

Luis Rojas will swap one set of New York pinstripes for another in 2022. After the Mets declined to pick up his option for a third season as manager, he was named the Yankees new 3rd base coach on Monday. He'll bring a strong background in teaching and analytics to a Yankee team criticized for being plodding and unathletic, too prone to strikeouts and lacking in the art of clutch hitting. Of course, those same criticisms applied to his 2019-'20 Mets. Coming from a solid baseball family, Luis' new home office will right across the street from the original Yankee Stadium, where his father Felipe Alou and his uncle Matty were teammates in 1973 .

Let's hope we never see this again: the cardboard cutouts outnumbering flesh and blood fans when the Blue Jays hosted the Phillies last May in Dunedin. Another 2021 travel stop was Syracuse, where I caught a July 29th minor league counterpart of the Subway Series with the Triple A Mets hosting the Yankees' Scranton-Wilkes Barre RailRiders. Over the weekend, news broke that the Braves were trying to sign franchise mainstay Freddie Freeman to a new contract before the December 1st deadline. Of course, the hangup is money. According to USA Today, the 12 year veteran is looking for a $200 million deal; the Braves latest offer was about $65 million less... And our Wayback of the Week : From late September 1981, the Yankees host the Orioles at the original/renovated Stadium just a month after action resumed after the mid-season strike. This was clearly a bad time for baseball. Even though the Yankees were guaranteed a spot in the expanded playoffs by finishing first in the AL East b...

November 12th, 2013: Clint Hurdle, who guided the Pirates to their first winning record in 21 years and pushed the Cardinals to the limit in the Division Series, is named the National League Manager of the Year. November 12th, 2001: Albert Pujols, after hitting .329 with 37 home runs and 130 RBI, is named the National League Rookie of the Year. November 12th, 1986: Roger Clemens, after going  24-4 record with 238 strikeouts and a 2.48 ERA, becomes the second unanimous winner of the AL Cy Young Award. He joins Denny McLain, who earned it for winning 31 games in 1968. November 12th, 1956: Mickey Mantle, off his Triple Crown season (.353 BA, 52 HR, 130 RBI), is unanimously named the American League MVP. The Mick would also win the MVP award in 1962. His greatest game in that famous '56 season came on May 24th , an 11-4 Yankees win in Detroit. Mantle went 5-for-5, including a home run, and raised his batting average to .421. November 12th, 1920: Federal judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis is...

  ...you share it with  P.J. Conlon . The first native of Belfast, Northern Ireland to play in the majors this century (h/t Kevin Kernan of the  NY Post ), he moved with his family to California when he was just two. Conlon pitched in three games for the 2018 Mets. I caught him on the last of them, July 10th. Also on our cake and candles list: Jason Grilli , who pitched 15 years in the majors. While he attended Seton Hall University, just outside New York City, the well-traveled righty appeared for nine different teams, but never played for either New York club. Damion Easley  reached his peak as the Tigers 2nd baseman in the late ''90s. The native New Yorker, who lived in suburban Mount Vernon until he was 11, finished his career with the Mets, where his highlight was an August 2nd, 2007 inside-the-park home run. Mike Bacsik , whose namesake father pitched for several teams in the mid and late 1970s, played the same position with the Indians, Mets, Rangers and Nats ...

There are batting champs, but that only measures averages and home run champs, determined by power. The Hank Aaron Award, established in 1999, but receiving more attention these days, is a better barometer of "best overall offensive player." Your 2021 winners are: Bryce Harper , seen here rounding 3rd and heading home after an August 12th home run... and Vladimir Guerrero Junior chatting with Jean Segura before the Blue Jays/Phillies game in Dunedin on May 15th. In winning the Award for the second time (after earning it with the 2015 Nats), Harper led MLB with a .615 slugging percentage and a 1.044 OPS while batting .309. Tack on 35 home runs and a best-in-the-majors 42 doubles. Talk about "putting a team on his back," Harper did his best work during August and September, slashing .330/.458/.736 with 19 homers, 21 doubles, 46 RBIs and 48 walks in his final 58 games as the Phillies battled for a postseason spot until the season's final week. How's this for a...

Spending last week at our upstate New York place, I knew I had to make a visit to Cooperstown. Turns out that Friday was the ideal day as the Hall of Fame museum held a press preview of their new acquisitions from the just-concluded World Series. Soon, these items, donated by the players and other personnel will go on display -- but you're getting a sneak peak here and now.  These shoes were worn by Braves starter Max Fried when he threw six shutout innings to earn the win in the clinching game six. Take note of his motto sewn into the tongues: "Play Hard." Above: the Braves caps paid tribute to the club's Hall of Famers Hank Aaron and Phil Neikro, both of whom passed during the year leading to Atlanta's second Championship. Below : a ball thrown by Ian Anderson during his five no-hit innings of game three. Above : the glove worn by Braves left fielder Eddie Rosario when he made a spectacular catch heading toward Truist Park's left field wall in game four. Be...

A special congratulations to Braves 3rd base coach Ron Washington. Known for his positive personality and precise infield drills, he just earned his first ring after 50 years in baseball. A golden year, indeed. Is this it for the longest-tenured Yankee -- and last active pinstriper to have played in the original Yankee Stadium? Brett Gardner parted company for now, after both he and the club failed to activate separate options for 2022. Clayton Kershaw is another franchise fixture now a free agent. After 14 seasons, 185 victories, but too many injuries in recent years, the three-time Cy Young Winner (and 2014 NL MVP) didn't receive a Qualifying Offer by the deadline. J.D. Martinez isn't calling the movers. He chose not to opt-out of his multi-year contract with the Red Sox. Off a good, but not exceptional 2021 season, the veteran DH decided not to gamble on finding a new and better deal. The decision belongs to Michael Conforto. His walk year with the Mets proved to be a disapp...

November 5th, 1996: Derek Jeter is the unanimous selection for American League Rookie of the Year. The 22-year-old  shortstop helped lead the Yankees to their first World Series championship in 18 years and becomes the club's eighth to be so honored -- ending a 15 year gap since Dave Righetti in 1981. November 5th, 1976: Jim Palmer, with 22 victories with an ERA of 2.51, wins his second consecutive AL Cy Young Award. The future Hall of Famer gets 19 of the 24 votes, with he others going to Tigers rookie standout Mark Fidrych. November 5th, 1940: Walter Johnson's bid to build a political career fizzles out. The Senators longtime ace loses to incumbent William D. Byron in the election for  Maryland's sixth congressional district. November 6th, 2007: Greg Maddux wins a record 17th Gold Glove, breaking a tie with Brooks Robinson and veteran Jim Kaat for the most in a career. The future Hall of Famer, had been named the top fielding pitcher in the National League every year sinc...