Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

The last time Ivan Nova was the subject of a post here, he was shown being helped off the mound with an arm injury. The Yankees prized 2011 rookie had a poor second-half in '12 and then seemingly fell off the table at the beginning of this season. But since regaining his health -- and a spot in the majors after being farmed out to Scranton -- he's been more and more impressive. And today (Saturday), was his best outing yet -- his first complete game shutout in the majors. In the pressure-packed atmosphere of a pennant race, with the Yankees on the outside and looking in for a wild card, Nova held the hard-hitting Orioles to three hits and a walk. So why tab him version 3.0? Retracing his career, he's been an impressive rookie, enigmatic young veteran -- and now, bright young hope on a club where outside of Andy Pettitte, the club's other key starters, Hiroki Kuroda and CC Sabathia, have stumbled of late. So this upgrade on Nova couldn't have been more timely.

I can cross another stadium off my bucket list. Yesterday, Dennis and I made it into a two-stadium, two-borough doubleheader as well followed the Mets/Phillies matinee at CIti Field with a night game at Brooklyn's MCU Park. The park blends past and present  -- the rich tradition of Brooklyn's departed-but-still revered Dodgers blended with a crew of the Mets' minor league prospects. At the park's entrance, a proud slice of that history -- a statue depicting the 1947 moment (at Cincinnati's Crosley Field), where Pee Wee Reese countered the hate spewed at Jackie Robinson. A very appealing minor league field, where the Atlantic Ocean looms just beyond the bleachers and boardwalk behind right field. Take note of the design atop the scoreboard, depicting nearby Coney Island's world famous wooden rollercoaster, which gave the team its name. The Cyclone is just beyond another local landmark, the original location of Nathan's hot dogs. As the charm exten

In an American League season dominated by the home run heroics of Miguel Cabrera and Chris Davis, Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion doesn't grab nearly as many headlines. The Blue Jays haven't been contenders -- and Encarnacion's second straight season of 30-plus homers isn't quite as prodigious as the numbers posted by Cabrera or Davis. But the Yankees might consider hun just as dangerous. Wednesday night, his two-run, second-inning homer pushed the Blue Jays lead to 6-0 (they eventually won 7-2). With the Yankees separated by several games and teams from the AL's final wild card spot, even loss is painful -- especially when it comes against an opponent they'd dominated until this week. For the Dominican native, it was home run #34 on the season and left him just one RBI shy of 100 with four and a half weeks left in the season.

August 27th was quite a night for Jon Niese. The Mets lefthander, in just his fourth start back after a long stint on the disabled list from a rotator cuff injury, enjoyed the finest night of his major league career. He fired a complete-game three hit shuout -- and drove in three runs as the Mets pounded the Phillies 5 - 0. With most of the Mets core of impressive young pitchers -- Harvey, Wheeler, Montero and Syndegard -- being righties, Niese, just two years into a five-year contract, is expected to be the Jerry Koosman or Sid Fernandez of this group. And a Final Word on Byrd   Marlon Byrd ranks with baseball's most unexpected success stories of 2013. An unwanted free agent following an unproductive 2012 season that ended with a PED suspension, he was a walk-on free agent at the Mets camp in March. Playing his way onto a roster spot, he supplied surprising production, for the first time hitting more than 20 home runs. But at age 35, he's not someone you'd count on

Roy Halladay returned to the Phillies Sunday after missing three months with shoulder surgery -- and earned the victory over Arizona . Monday night at Citi Field, Doc was sitting next to teammate Kyle Kendrick. It made me think about high school and sitting next to the smartest kid in class, hoping I could absorb some of their wisdom. It couldn't hurt listening to Halladay's take on a well-pitched game where Cliff Lee out-dueled New York's Zack Wheeler in a 2-1 Phillies win.

Dancing up a storm between innings, yesterday's Mets/Tigers game was the first time I'd seen Mrs. Met working along the Flushing team's longtime mascot.

Well, not really hazy... an ideal setting for baseball. Look at how the deep blue of the sky rolls nice into the blue seating. This is NBT Bank Ballpark in Syracuse late in the afternoon this July 4th. Just a perfect summer moment.

Congratulations to Ichiro Suzuki, who, on the 21st, became just the third player ever to reach 4000 career hits. Combining his years in Japanese and American baseball, he crosses the milestone previously passed only by Pete Rose and Ty Cobb. How difficult is it to amass 4000? A 200-hit season is great -- now imagine having 20 of them. Or, more accurately, averaging 200 a season over a 20 year span. Besides talent, you'd need longevity and consistently good health. That 4000 number is incredibly elusive. Combining his major and minor league totals, Derek Jeter has 3,859 hits. But those minor league numbers don't have the same impact. Ichiro has done it against the best competition in the top levels of baseball both in Japan and here. He was already a lock, but this is one more reason why he'll eventually be the first Japanese player to be inducted into America's Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Mets introduced another of their key building blocks to the home fans last night, catcher Travis d'Arnaud. One of two highly touted prospects acquired in last winter's trade that sent R.A. Dickey trade to Toronto, d'Arnaud made his major league debut on the road in San Diego. He received a warm welcome at the beginning of the game and each of his first three (unsuccessful) at-bats. Then, in the bottom of the 8th inning, after going hitless his first 10 times up, he broke through with a booming double into the left field gap -- which earned him his first Citi Field standing ovation. Take a look at the picture to the right -- doesn't d'Arnaud seem to be watching the ball travel? It was also a night when the Mets home run apple arose not once, but twice -- this is just after Marlon Byrd's three-run blast in the 6th inning. I know, it's a small sample. But after 6-1/2 discouraging seasons, don't the Mets fans deserve a ray of hope?

This gentleman and his musical instrument became part of Yankee lore on this date in 1964. On the team bus following a 5-0 loss at Chicago -- where they were swept in a game series -- Yankees infielder Phil Linz whips out his harmonica and starts to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb."The music annoys a stressed-out manager Yogi Berra who orders his shortstop to be quiet. But Linz keeps playing and Berra walks back to his player and slaps the harmonica out of his mouth. While that story grabbed the headlines and a place in our collective memory, Linz told me at last winter's BAT Dinner that he and Yogi soon patched things up and remained good friends since. And the incident paid off for Linz. The next season, Hohner Harmonicas took out a full page ad in the Yankee Yearbook with the caption, "Play It Again, Phil!" In those days where backup infielders were paid about as well as school teachers, the endorsement paid Linz $10,000, according to a 2013 YES network

Cuban emigree Yasil Puig has taken baseball by storm. Since arriving in June, he has been at the center of the Dodgers turnaround. Whether it's a big hit late in the game, a great throw from the outfield or another headline-grabbing moment, Puig seems to be flying past the competition en route to the National League's Rookie of the Year award. (Well, in this case, not literally; he was actually thrown out on this attempted stolen base.)

In baseball, one of the constants has always been that managers are hired to be fired. Four years after leading the Phillies to just their second World Series championship, Charlie Manuel was pink-slipped. Give GM Ruben Amaro credit for handling the situation with gentleness and respect. It's no secret the Phils have underachieved -- after five straight division titles, the team fell to .500 last season. And after reaching this year's All Star Break "on the fence," they collapsed over the last month, losing 19 of 23 games. Though Manuel didn't hit, pitch or play defense, and couldn't be blamed for the injuries that cost him such mainstays as Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay for most of the year, the club's play hinted -- especially with Charlie in the final year of his contract -- that it was time for a change. Now, it's Ryne Sandberg's opportunity. With the club out of contention and trying out such minor leaguers as Cody Ashe and Darin Ruf, who

You can only imagine the frustration felt by Phillies outfielder Michael Martinez. The ball, hit by the Mets' Mike Baxter, kept flying and flying. All of a sudden, the wall looms, then the warning track. And someone's got a souvenir to take home.

How else can you describe Alfonso Soriano? In the last two nights against the Angels, the recently re-acquired Yankees outfielder destroyed every fastball thrown his way. He belted a pair of home runs in each game, driving in six on Tuesday and seven on Wednesday. Soriano was so hot, that after his second homer, Yankee broadcaster Ken Singleton paraphrased Estelle Reiner's famous line from When Harry Met Sally , telling the audience, "I'll Have What He's Having." For the record book, he's the first Yankee ever to hit homer twice and drive in six or more in consecutive games. With Curtis Granderson healthy again and joining Soriano in the middle of the Yankee batting order, maybe there's still a ray of hope in the Bronx.

...you share it with the player making the catch -- Juan Pierre of the Marlins. With over 600 steals, 2000 hits and a career .295 average, this speedster ranks among the better leadoff men in baseball history. And he might just be the best player ever born on August 14th. Check the list for this date from baseball-reference.com . Mark Loretta enjoyed a nice career, but never made the impact Pierre has. Paul "Daffy" Dean is best known as the Zeppo of his family, less talented and less funny than his Hall of Fame brother and teammate Dizzy. Mark "The Bird" Fidrych is a classic one-year-wonder. And while Clay Buchholz might turn into someone special in Boston, the jury is still out on his career. So give a cheer (and a slice of birthday cake) to the well-traveled Juan Pierre, Mr. August 14th.

These fans in the field level seats at Camden Yards certainly caught my eye. Seemingly inspired by the Blue Man Group, this duo was "shakin' and quakin'" between innings in the 1st base side field boxes. Has anypne ever seen them before either on TV or in person? They certainly got the crowd's attention -- and even got someone to join their antics.

This is the kind of image you'd normally associate with Brett Gardner. The Yankees speedy leadoff man will occasionally drop a bunt to try and ignite an inning. So yesterday's walk-off blast had to come as a bit of a shock. Gardner was the hero after Mariano Rivera was tagged for 9th inning homers by Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez. Batting in the bottom of the 9th, his laser to the right field seats was a huge boost for a slumping team.

On August 10th, 1981, as the season resumed following a two-month strike, Cal Ripken Junior made his major league debut. He entered the Orioles-Royals game at Memorial Stadium in the 12th inning as a pinch runner for Ken Singleton. Moments later, he scores the winning run on John Lowenstein's RBI single. That was just the first small chapter of one of the greatest careers in baseball history. (Today's picture comes from the 2008 All Star Parade in New York, in which Cal and several other Hall of Famers took part.)

While baseball remains our pro sport most rooted in tradition, some things do change. Do you remember Ladies Day? The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown does. This display, which I saw last December, flashes back 50 or more years. So out of place in today's world, the concept was once an important part of baseball's marketing, right along with Sunday doubleheaders. It's best to look back at that special Braves program "for ladies only" as something quaint, a product of its time. Would you ever consider buying this item if you saw for sale at a collectibles show? Did Ladies Day have a positive effect on your family while you were growing up? Did it help make your mom or grandma into a fan? If you've got a personal Ladies Day memory. click on the comments line below and share yours.

There's a lot going on in this photo. Notice the precision of how the Orioles infielders and outfielders are standing together yet lined up left-to-right as they would be in the field. The guest singer is seen on the upper panel of the videoboard and identified on the section below. While not a sell-out, the crowd that is there is predominantly dressed in the Orioles main color, orange. What else catches your eye about this moment roughly five minutes before the first pitch?

Playing for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Boggs becomes the 23rd member of the 3,000-hit club.  Connecting off Cleveland's Chris Haney at Tropicana Field, the future Hall of Famer makes history as the first player to reach the 3000 milestone with a home run. After circling the bases, Boggs kissed home plate. I caught up with Boggs in January 2011 at the Pinstripe Passion autograph and collectibles show in New Jersey.

Did you catch the irony in the number of players handed suspensions on Monday to the Biogenesis scandal? 13, the number of the only one among them to appeal his sentence, Alex Rodriguez. So instead of packing up his gear and headling home as Jhonny Peralta and Evereth Cabrera did, the Yankees 3rd baseman instead made his season debut last night against the White Sox. It was a totally forgettable game with Andy Pettitte again hit hard, Derek Jeter again landing on the disabled list and the Yankees offense again barely showing a pulse. But the center of attention was A-Rod, now 38 and trying to recapture his old form after his second hip surgery. Despite an alleged mountain of evidence not only linking him to PED use, but suppression of evidence in a case that's been a steady presence in the news since last winter, Alex's comment when he met the media was to paint himself the victim, claiming he's "fighting for my life." A fight that now features lawyers and not p

One of the things I most enjoy about bringing a camera to games is capturing images of the future stars -- the players who will soon be the headline names. I got a good look at the Cardinals rookie power hitter Matt Adams during their June visit to Citi Field. His size and swing has caught a lot of attention. Sunday, he smacked the first of three St. Louis home runs as they crushed the Reds 15 - 4. The six-foot-three slugger weights in around 260 pounds and could be the guy who'll fill the home run void left by Albert Pujols' departure a year and a half ago. How often do you bring a camera to a game? Do you like the idea of "discovering" someone before they become a star? Have you any photos of big stars today you shot when they were in the minor leagues? Click on the comment line and share your experience.

Eric Young Junior of the Mets certainly took heed of the Budweiser sign that's appeared in many ballparks this summer. The New Jersey product, who's become the Mets lead-off man since joining the club just over a month ago, smacked the game-winning two-run homer Friday night in the bottom of the 11th inning. His blast pushed New York past the Royals 4-2, taking some of the pain off a night when the Mets lost their captain David Wright to a hamstring injury. This was Young's biggest moment since joining the Mets, where he's raised his onbase percentage from .290 to .350 since taking over as the leadoff man. After having trouble cracking Colorado's lineup, he's found a home -- and steadier work -- in Queens.

It'd been six years since I last visited Camden Yards and over a decade since I last saw a game there (in 2007, we sat through batting practice and a rain delay before the game was called). But Wednesday night promised better weather, a better Orioles team -- though they didn't show it, losing 11-0 to Houston -- and my first look at Chris Davis since he became a slugging sensation. And while this visit didn't produce much, the next night, Davis crushed his 39th homer of season and reached 100 RBIs.

Cody Asche began his July as a Lehigh Valley IronPig and ended it as the Phillies starting 3rd baseman. Breaking into the majors is never easy -- but in Philadelphia, a young player at the hot corner knows he's manning the same position and in the same uniform as Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, arguably the greatest overall 3rd baseman ever. The suburban St. Louis product has impressed the past three years whiile climbing through the Phillies farm system. Now comes the greatest challenge -- proving he belongs in the majors and doing it for a club that's gone backwards after a run of five consecutive playoff appearances (including the 2008 World Series championship). If you were lucky enough to get his autograph in Syracuse before the doubleheader on July 4th, hold onto that ball. He won't be a secret to the baseball world for much longer.