Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

If your birthday is July 19th , you share it with Patrick Corbin .  The upstate New York native jumped from the D'backs to the Nationals as a big money free agent in 2019.  Things couldn't have gone better the first season: after 14 regular season victories, he was the starting and winning pitcher in game seven as Washington won its first World Series in 95 years.  But since then, things couldn't have gone worse, with losing records and bloated ERAs. (Below:) Sharing the day:  Rick Ankiel ,  a two-way player -- just not at the same time.  After a promising start as a Cardinals pitcher (going 11-7 in 2000 with 194 k's in 175 innings), he lost control of the strike zone  and, following time in the minors, returned as a power hitting outfielder.  He's the first player since Babe Ruth to win at least 10 games as a pitcher and hit at least 70 home runs.  Ankiel is also the only player other than Ruth to both start a postseason game as a pitcher and hit a home run in the

July 17th, 1987:   Don Mattingly becomes the first American League player ever to homer in seven consecutive game.  The historic blast, a solo shot off Texas reliever Paul Kilgus in the top of the 6th, extends the Yankees lead in what becomes an 8-4 win over the Rangers at Arlington Stadium.  The following night, Donnie Baseball would extend that streak to eight, connecting off Jose Guzman.  Mattingly would finish the season with 30 home runs and 115 RBI, his fourth straight year driving in 100 or more runs. ( My image was taken at the 2011 Pinstripe Pride autograph and collectibles show in New Jersey. )

A disappointing first half of the season for the Mets ended on a very encouraging note: staff ace Kodai Senga  turned in a pair of impressive rehab starts this week with their Syracuse farm club.    Sunday, in what might be his final tune before returning to the Mets, the righthander threw 66 pitches — 40 of them, strikes — while giving up a run on two hits and two walks, and striking out three. I was on hand for his Tuesday night start, where he went 2-2/3 shutout innings, giving up just a lead off double to Yankee prospect Oswald Peraza in the top of the 1st. While the competition isn't the same as being back in the majors, the Mets had to be pleased that Senga appeared dominant, healthy and ready to help as the club pushes for a post-season spot.  The Mets hit the break holding that third National League wild card. (Below:) Luis Torrens has been one of the Mets most pleasant surprises of 2024 .  Picked up for cash while rising star Francisco Alvarez was recovering from thumb s

...you share it with Austin Wells .  The Yankees rookie catcher showed good power in a 19-game trial at the end of 2023, popping four home runs.  He's cleared the fences four times so far this year, while splitting the position with veteran Jose Trevino.  It helps that this lefty batter has a "Stadium-friendly" swing, as I saw for myself in the Bronx on the 4th of July. Wells shares July 12th with a pair of longtime major leaguers: Howie Kendrick , who hit .294 over 15 MLB seasons; and the the late Ron Fairly , who starred for the Dodgers and Expos and then spent more than a quarter-century calling and commenting on games for the Angels, Giants and Mariners.  

Modern stars channel the memory of one of the greatest moments in All Star Game history: 50th years to the day after Carl Hubbell struck out five consecutive Hall of Famers (Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx, Simmons and Cronin) in the 1934 All-Star Game, Fernando Valenzuela and Dwight Gooden team up to fan six straight in the ' 84 Mid-Summer Classic .  After the Dodger lefty works a perfect 4th inning, striking out Dave Winfield, Reggie Jackson, and George Brett, Gooden is untouched in the 5th, posting consecutive k's on Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon, and Alvin Davis -- in a game the National League goes on to win 3-1. ( My image of Gooden is from the 2010 CBS Radio Expo at Yankee Stadium .)  

  Ben Rice hadn't grabbed many headlines his first 14 games filling in for injured 1st baseman Anthony Rizzo.   The lefty-hitting Dartmouth grad ramped things up on the 4th of July, with a laser of a home run against the Reds, his first in the majors.  I captured the swing (above) and the ball landing in the right field seats (below),  Two days later, on Saturday, Rice  was  the story: leading off the bottom of the 1st with a solo homer, and adding a pair of three-run blasts later in the game to become the first Yankee rookie ever with a three-home run game.   Watch it land in the right field seats. (Below:)  Trayce Thompson  popped a couple of home runs in spring training.  And while he didn't make the opening day roster, he was "just a phone call away" at Syracuse, where he smacked 16 homers in 62 games.  But that wasn't enough to convince GM David Stearns that he was a better choice  to fill in for Starling Marte  than DJ Stewart or Ben Gamel.  So the son of La

...you share it Rich "Goose" Gossage .  Elected to the Hall of Fame in 2008, the ace reliever for the White Sox, Yankees and Padres had 310 lifetime saves.  This nine-time All Star is the only pitcher to save a game in 20 different seasons. In contrast to the closers since the 1990s, Gossage was not just a one inning worker -- 52 of his saves were for seven outs or more,  none bigger than the one-game 1978 playoff game to decide the AL East, when he worked 2-2/3 innings to seal the win.  The last batter he faced: fellow Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski. Barring something unexpected, Shohei Ohtani will join the Goose in Cooperstown one day.  The dynamic two-way player is an offensive force on par with Aaron Judge; but no one since Babe Ruth has been able to excel on this level as a pitcher and everyday player.  Already with a Rookie of the Year title and two MVP's to his credit -- as well as being the runner-up to Judge in 2022 -- he's at or near the top in batting aver

July 3rd, 1977 :   Mike Schmidt 's inside-the-park home run -- leading off the bottom of the 8th against Larry Demery -- is a highlight of the Phillies 11-7 victory over the Pirates at Veterans Stadium.  It was the second of the three he'd hit during his Cooperstown-bound career.  The others took place in 1974 and 1982.  Mike also tripled, singled and walk twice in this afternoon game, where his was the only Phillies homer. ( This image of Schmidt is from the Phils' 2015 Alumni Weekend.)  

A fond farewell to Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda , who died Friday at 86.  The first home-grown Giants star to debut in San Francisco, he made history as the first player to unanimously win both NL Rookie of the Year and MVP honors. He later starred for pennant or division winning teams in St. Louis and Atlanta. (Below:) Trea Turner had a terrific 31st birthday for the Phillies, contributing three hits and driving in the tying and go-ahead runs in a come-from-behind 7-6 victory the Marlins on Sunday.   Congratulations to Nationals top prospect Jacob Young.   After hitting .350 in AAA the first half of the minor league season, he's been promoted to Washington.  (I caught him in Rochester’s March 29th season opener at Syracuse.) (Below:) While we're talking minors, how about a shout-out for Mets prospect Ryan Clifford .  Obtained along with Drew Gilbert in last year's deadline deal for Justin Verlander, the Raleigh native bashed his ninth homer since joining AA Binghamton in

...you share it with  Al Downing .  The Yankees first Black pitcher was a mainstay of their starting staff from 1963-'67; in '64, he became the first Yank since Allie Reynolds to lead the AL in strikeouts as the club won its history-tying fifth straight pennant.  But it was also the end of a dynasty.  Al authored three more quality seasons before being sidetracked by injuries.  After being traded to the A's (for Danny Cater), he quickly moved on to the Brewers before finding a second home with the Dodgers.  He enjoyed his most productive season in L.A. in 1971, winning 20.  Three years later, he was again part of history when Hank Aaron crushed one of his pitches for the record breaking 715th home run. Following his playing days, Downing remained in Southern California and did well in broadcasting.  He announced Dodgers games on cable and also did radio work for the club's then-flagship station KABC.  But the Trenton, New Jersey native still found time to come back east

  June 26th, 1963: One of the  Mets' most thrilling Polo Grounds-era wins . After the Cubs take a two-run lead in the top of the 14th inning,  Tim Harknes s  wins the game with a walk off grand slam for an 8-6 New York victory. I was there : It was the first week after schools closed. A cousin of mine old enough to drive got us tickets -- and promised his mother and mine we'd be home for dinner. (We lived about a half hour away from the Polo Grounds in Westchester County.) The game was exciting... and still tied after 9 innings and 10... and, well, you know the rest. At about 5:45, my cousin said we had to go -- we had to keep our word.  No debate, no discussion. We had to get back by 6:30. So, sadly, we left the old ballyard. (I honestly don't recall whether or not we stayed long enough to see Billy Williams' inside-the-parker put the Cubs ahead.) So, of course, as soon as we got back to the car, and turned on the radio, there was the "happy recap."  Harkness

Edwin Diaz will likely miss this week's Subway Series against the Yankees after too much "sticky stuff" was found on his hand and glove as he entered Sunday's game in Chicago.  Ejected before he ever threw a pitch, his penalty: a 10-game suspension. (Below:) JD Davis will soon become the 162nd player to see action with both the Mets and Yankees .  Recent injuries to Anthony Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton and Jasson Dominguez have given the righty hitter a chance to show that something's left in the tank after being DFA'd by Oakland. While Edmundo Sosa has become a Phillies favorite -- especially when he capably filled in while Trea Turner was injured -- he came up as a Cardinal.  While looking for the above photos of Diaz and Davis, I found this cool image of him in the St. Louis dugout during a 2021 game at Citi Field. (Below:) Bobbleheads rule!  I sat behind a couple of British fans (and fellow photographers) at the recent Phillies/Mets London series.  And they

...you share it with Garrett Jones , an outfielder/1st baseman who spent eight seasons in MLB (2007-'15), bookended by the Twins and Yankees (seen above on May 24th, 2015, as he flips a bat following a walk).  His biggest Yankee moment was a game-winning three-run homer in the top of the 11th at Seattle on June 3rd. The two best players born on this date (by WAR) both worked from the mound: Rick Sutcliffe , who won 171 games over 18 big league seasons and then joined ESPN's baseball crew. Eddie Lopat , one of the best native New Yorkers ever to play for the Yankees.  He spent eight seasons pitching in the Bronx, highlighted by a 21-win season in 1951, the year he made his only All Star Game appearance.

  June 19th, 2015 :  Alex Rodriguez   becomes the 29th major leaguer to reach 3000 hits, when he homers to right field off Justin Verlander in the Yankees 7-2 win over the Tigers in the Bronx. I have used so many photos of A-Rod hitting that, for a change, this one of a 2011 pre-game stretch captured a different side of the player.

Soak in the vibe of this moment.  The sky and the setting, the dark and the light, the spacial and the physical come together seamlessly. Above:  Mirabito Stadium, home of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, from April 16th. Below:  Taken August 4th, 2016 at Coca Cola Park in Allentown, PA, home of the Iron Pics.    

...you share it with veteran reliever Hector Neris .  Best recognized for his eight seasons with the Phillies (this image is from a 2019 win over the Mets), the Dominican native got off to a strong start this year with the Cubs, winning his first five decisions coming out of the bullpen. Let's also remember: Don Newcombe , the Brooklyn Dodgers ace and a mainstay on three pennant winning clubs -- including 1956 when he won 27 games and became the first-ever recipient of the Cy Young Award. George Myatt , who played two seasons for the New York Giants and five for the Washington Senators, before coaching for over 20 years in the majors.  Phillies fans will recall "Foghorn" for his nine-year run coaching 3rd base (between 1964 and '72).  Twice the team's interim manager, he replaced Gene Mauch for a game in 1968 and Bob Skinner for the last third of the 1969 season, posting a record of 20-35.  

June 12th, 2010 :  The leadoff batters for both the Yankees and Mets -- Derek Jeter and Jose Reyes -- homered leading off the game for their respective teams.    Jeter had two other hits, and drove in four runs as the Yankees clobbered the Astros 9-3  in the Bronx. At Camden Yards, Reyes later added a 3rd inning single in Mets 3-1 victory over the Orioles . That feat, leadoff homers for both New York teams the same day, had only happened twice before: 1986:  Rickey Henderson (Yankees) and Lenny Dykstra (Mets) 2009: Derek Jeter (Yankees), Angel Pagan (Mets)

  A few select images and views from a weekend baseball invaded the home of The Beatles and the land of Cricket. They give you a sense of the fun I had; unfortunately, the better photos shot with my Canon SX720HS are still on my camera (I haven’t been able to use the Wi-fi feature that could export them to my phone.) Built for  the London Olympics, the Stadium proved to be a good venue as the Phillies and Mets drew almost 109,000 for two games! The game fit the ballpark, which was converted to a baseball surface and seating in just 18 days — and is now being changed again to accommodate rock and rollers The Foo Fighters, who’ll perform there later this month.   There was even a Washington DC-style mascots race — though instead of famous American presidents, there were Henry the Eighth, the Lock Ness Monster, Winston Churchill and Freddie Mercury.   And, yes, that was the Phillie Phanatic waiting at the finish line.