Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

The Nationals have done a great job this year of promoting players through their minor league system.  Dylan Crews, Andres Chaparro, Yohandy ("Yoyo") Morales and Abimelec Ortiz were in the Rochester lineup when I saw them hosting Buffalo back in April -- all have since played major league games for Washington.  But a former Nats 3rd round draft pick hasn't yet been promoted. Despite slugging 31 homers -- the most for any player that's spent the entire season in AAA -- and batting over .290, Trey Lipscomb has remained with Rochester.  I saw him again last week facing Syracuse where he showcased this impressive swing. A Frederick, Maryland native who played college ball at Tennessee, Lipscomb has struggled his first three minor league seasons and in a pair of short stints in DC (2024 and '25). But his production this year (albeit with 128 strikeouts) should have had him in line for a September call up.  Now 26, one wonders if the organization no longer considers hi...

...you share it with Mike Piazza , the greatest hitting catcher in baseball history.  427 career homers and .308 lifetime average -- topping those of Bench, Berra and Campanella -- punched his ticket to Cooperstown. Drafted by the Dodgers in the 62nd round of baseball's amateur draft as a favor by Tommy Lasorda to Mike's dad, a longtime family friend, the Phoenixville, PA native became the 1993 NL Rookie of the Year, but wasn't able to hammer out a long-term contract to stay in LA.  Instead, he was flipped in 1998 to the Marlins and then the Mets -- leading them to the 2000 pennant and a place alongside the Yankees in the most recent all-New York World Series.  The emotional peak of his career came the following year with a dramatic walk-off homer for the Mets in their first game after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  Mike finished his career with the Padres -- whom he led to a 2005 NL West title and A's before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016, the same year ...

Congratulations to Max Scherzer , who moved into 9th place on the alltime strikeout list when he whiffed Cal Raleigh in Sunday's seventh inning at Rogers Centre.  #3535 not only passed Gaylord Perry -- but gave him his 10th K of the game -- and 115th double-digit strikeout game of his Hall of Fame-bound career. It was a throwback moment for Max: now 42 and working his 19th (and possibly final) big league season, and having missed considerable time with injuries, Scherzer flashed seven innings of one-hit ball, and walked only one in Toronto's 7-0 victory. (My image of Scherzer is from a 2017 game at Nationals Park in Washington.)  

...you share it with two players at the core of the Yankees renaissance of the middle and late 1970s.  Ron Guidry ranks alongside Andy Pettitte and just behind Whitey Ford among the club's greatest lefthanded pitchers.  Louisiana Lightning didn't become a member of the Yanks rotation until 1977, when he broke through with a 16-7 record.  The next season was one for the ages: a 25-3 mark, highlighted by an 18- strikeout effort against the Angels en route to the Cy Young Award and runner-up for the MVP, as the Yankees won their second consecutive World Series.  All told, over 12 full seasons, he won 170 games and, through the lens of today's game, deserved a longer look from Hall of Fame voters. Lou Piniella was a dependable righthanded bat who hit .295 across 11 Yankee seasons. After his playing days, the '86–88 Yankees were the first of five teams he managed . The Reds were his most famous assignment, winning the 1990 World Series in a huge upset of the A's. ...

On this date in 1956, the Yankees release shortstop   Phil Rizzuto to clear a roster spot for veteran outfielder Enos Slaughter.  At age 38, the future Hall of Famer had become a part-time player, no longer the speedy defensive whiz of his peak years.  While it ended his 13 year playing career, the Scooter wouldn't be away from the Yanks for long.  After making a strong impression filling in for Frankie Frisch on the crosstown Giants post-game TV shows during September, Rizzuto would rejoin the Yankees the following spring as a broadcaster, where he would thrive and -- "Holy Cow" -- become even more popular, for the next 40 years! But that's not all... On August 25th, 1976, Mickey Rivers ' walk off single in the bottom of the 19th inning drives in Oscar Gamble as the Yankees outlast the Twins 5-4 in a marathon game that ended at 1:36am!!  The Yanks would go on to win the AL East and snap their 12 year post-season drought. August 25th, 2001: Bernie Williams ...

...you share it with Felix Millan .  The defensive standout won a pair of Gold Gloves in Atlanta and reached the post-season with both the division champion '69 Braves and the pennant winning '73 Mets.  I snapped this photo when he appeared at the 2014 BAT Dinner in New York. JD Martinez also wrapped up his big league career in Queens.  The South Florida native played for six different teams in 14 years, including the 2018 champion Red Sox, where his 130 RBI led the American League and landed him fourth in the MVP voting. Of the 39 position players born on this date, Martinez -- with 331 homers, 1071 RBI and an .863 OPS -- is the statistically most productive (by WAR). Brandon Drury moved around a lot -- seven teams in 10 seasons, including brief runs with both the Mets and Yankees. He started to hit for power late in his career -- smacking 28 homers while splitting 2022 between the Reds and Padres, and 26 as a 2023 Angel. Still not giving up hope of making it back to M...