Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

At the Freeway Series game last March in Anaheim, I got the chance to watch the longtime Angels outfielder Garrett Anderson. Zooming in from the upper deck, here's his classic batting stance. That talent will be on display this season in Atlanta, where Anderson recently signed after 14 years with the Angels.

I've spent so much times talking about the Mets homes, old and new, the appropriate way to prep for the upcoming season is to focus on their Florida home, Tradition Field in Port Saint Lucie. It's March 2007 and batting practice time for the Orioles, who've made the drive up 95 for a night game. And we're underway... with Mets leadoff man Jose Reyes lining one up the middle.

Following the "de-construction" of Shea Stadium has turned into a serial drama (working 10 minutes away in Astoria doesn't hurt). Now the remnant of the grandstand is down to just one section -- and the view from the highways and surrounding roads is dominated by Citi Field. Every week, there's less and less of Shea to catch your eye. The circular structure is reduced to its girders and stripped of flooring, of seats, of anything of value except to a steel recycler (did you see the 60 MINUTES segment tonight on Nucor, the company that specializes in reusing old metal?) Peering at the perimeter I walked so many times, my gaze focused on an entrance, the old ticket windows, the ramps leading to the upper decks. Look closer, beneath the awning... Zooming in on what I believe may have been the press and Diamond Club gate, I was struck how the entrance I used countless times now opens to -- a view of the future. The final segment came down on Wednesday, February 18th...

Sunday, with temperatures soaring into the 50s, I had the chance to return to the construction site in Queens for more views of the new Citi Field and the gradual demise of Shea Stadium. When seen from the perimeter of the parking lot, it's clear that the Mets' goal of evoking the image of the hallowed Ebbets Field has succeeded. Below, an old versus new comparison, from just beyond the elevated number-7 subway line. Above: From a certain angle, the two ballarks almost seem as one. In this visual illusion, Citi Field appears to grow out of the remnants of Shea. This shot certainly evokes the classic Frank Sinatra song "There Used to Be a Ballpark."

Driving past Shea Stadium in recent weeks, I've seen a unique process -- the de-constuction of a ballpark. With its replacement Citi Field nearing completion, the Mets have decided to dismantle their old home, instead of knocking it down -- implosion, the controlled explosion process, is apparently not permitted in New York. ( CLICK ON ANY PICTURE to view it full sized .) So while the Mets said "Goodbye Shea" last September, those driving up the Whitestone Expressway have had a longer time to say farewell -- step-by-step, girder-by-girder. Thus, a rather unique chapter in this baseball gallery. While Shea slowly fades from view, Mets fans can already see their impressive new home. This New York Times story offers more details on what you've just seen: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/sports/baseball/29mets.html?ref=baseball http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/nyregion/01shea.html?ref=basebal l

Last summer when baseball's All Star Week Fan Fest came to New York, it included a feature display on Bill Werber, a truly fascinating baseball character. He celebrated his 100th birthday last summer -- and was still doing interviews during which he reminisced about breaking into the majors on the team commonly known as Murderer's Row. As baseball focused on Yankees history that week, Werber, the last surviving teammate of Babe Ruth -- and later a standout player on the Cincinnati Reds -- was honored, as well. (Click on the picture to read the text from the exhibit.) One of those people any fan would enjoy having the chance to chat with over a round of cold beer. Imagine, this man played with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Bill Dickey!! He and Dickey, both crafty guys, had the rare distinction of being able to beat the Yankees' legendary numbers 3 and 4 -- albeit in card games on the mammoth train rides that were a part of 1930s baseball. Last year he marked his 100th birthda...

Let's hope a few glimpses of spring training make you smile. We're less than six weeks from when pitchers and catchers report. In the case of the Cardinals and Marlins, it's to Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. There's nothing like a ballpark entrance decorated with palm trees. Yes, in March 2005, we really did sit right behind the foul screen -- as Cardinals superstar Albert Pujols completes his home run trot.