Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

...was dedicated on this date in 1932 in memory of the late manager Miller Huggins -- who led the Bronx Bombers to six pennants and three World Series championships during their first dynasty. It was placed in front of the flagpole in center field at the original Yankee Stadium. Of course, having players such as those whose monuments would later flank his make a skipper's job just a wee bit easier. Keep in mind that Huggins was the only manager whom the Babe respected. While making Ruth the focal point of its batting order, the diminutive Huggins (who stood not much more than 5-feet tall) knew how to discipline his slugging star -- including fining him a then-record $5000 for totally living out of control during the "lost" season of 1925 -- lessons the Babe never forgot. En route to another championship, that afternoon the Yanks swept a Memorial Day doubleheader from the Red Sox, 7 - 5 and 13 - 3.

Just recalled from their Columbus farm club, 20-year old rookie Derek Jeter makes his major league debut. Batting ninth in Buck Showalter's batting order he's held hitless, going 0 for 5 in the Yankees 8-7, 12-inning loss to the Mariners at the Kingdome in Seattle. His first at-bat was a fly out to right field. Here's the boxscore , courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

The Pirates are in New York playing the Mets this week -- which brings their most avid local fans to Citi Field. This guy in his late-'70s gold replica uniform caught my attention. All that's missing are a few Stargell Stars on the cap. Why the person next to him is wearing a San Diego Chargers shirt escapes me. But I had to share the image of the guy reaching back to the "We Are Family" champs.

David Ortiz delivered the clutch hits on Monday as the Red Sox ended a 10-game losing streak -- their worst in 20 years. The veteran DH homered and drove in four in the victory in Atlanta. Not surprisingly, Big Papi's were the biggest at-bats of the day -- a game tying three-run homer in the 5th inning and a 7th inning sacrifice fly that put Boston ahead to stay. Moments like those seem to come naturally to Ortiz, don't they?

Josh Beckett wasn't all that impressive against the Mets, one of the weakest hitting teams in the National League. When I saw him Tuesday night, he came into the 6th inning up 6 - 1, but couldn't record an out, and was roughed up for home runs from Curtis Granderson and Lucas Duda. The Dodgers outhit the Mets for a 9 - 4 victory. But the veteran righthander hardly looked like someone about to write his name into history books. So I have to admit being stunned to learn Beckett no-hit the Phillies this afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Working at one of the most hitter-friendly fields in the National League, the 34-year old was in complete command, retiring 23 straight batters during one stretch. Three walks kept him from absolute perfection. But he was never threatened -- Jimmy Rollins, who walked in the 9th, made it to second base. He advanced no farther. It was the 21st no-hitter in Dodger history -- the 11th since the club moved to L.A. -- and the first ever for Beckett

Don't say we weren't expecting this... after a torrential downpour just before 5:00 that kept me from walking from the subway station, things dried out but never cleared up at Citi Field. And once the 4th inning arrived, with severe thunderstorms across the river in New Jersey, but conditions still dry in Flushing, the Mets posted a scoreboard warning I'd never seen before. The rain came and stayed. Never quite reaching severe status, but more than enough to wash away the game and cause a postponement. And what do some of the members of the media do while waiting out a storm? Mugging for the camera, of course! Have we ever had a Memorial Day Weekend in New York without at least some rain? None that I can recall. So summer's unofficially here - and the Mets and Diamondbacks will mark it with a traditional, single-admission doubleheader Sunday to make up Friday night's rainout.

A night after belting his first major league homer, Eric Campbell made a pair of important contributions in the Mets 5 - 3 victory over the Dodgers. His 2nd inning sacrifice fly drove in New York's first run. Then in the 8th, he made a spectacular catch and then doubled off Dodger dynamo Yasil Puig at 2nd base to preserve the Mets lead. Never mentioned in the same breath as top Mets prospects such as Wilmer Flores, the Connecticut native was called up to fill out the roster when Josh Satin was farmed out to Las Vegas. After providing some punch off the bench, Thursday marked his first big league start in left field. With Chris Young struggling, don't be surprised if you see more of Campbell in the Mets lineup.

  We're at Yankee Stadium on April 12th for an early-season battle with the Red Sox. Jacoby Ellsbury -- who left Boston for the Bronx as an off-season free agent -- lays down a bunt.But the throw by Boston third baseman Jonathan Herrera goes just a bit wide. That enables Ellsbury to beat it out for a hit by the smallest of margins. Shooting from the photo platform behind the field level seats on the 3rd base side gave me the idea spot to capture the action..

Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers may not quite be on par with his Southern California rival Mike Trout. But can you think of any other player who brings as much instinctive excitement to the field? Whether it's banging out three hits (as he did Tuesday night against the Mets in New York), making a dramatic catch in he outfield or distracting the opposing pitcher on the bases, the Cuban expat is the complete package. And he plays with a childlike exuberance that's fun to watch.

I'm not sure Todd Frazier can sing "Walk Like a Man" or "December 1963." Actually he might do a good job with "I've Got You Under My Skin," since it turns out he's more of a Frank Sinatra than Frankie Valli fan. The New Jersey native who played on the 1998 Toms River team that won the Little League World Series certainly knows about hits -- including Monday night's game winning 15th inning home run against the Nats in Washington. The Reds' third baseman since 2012, we caught these images of Frazier in an early-April series against the Mets at Citi Field.

After a week where the annual Subway Series dominated my baseball focus, it's time to spotlight some other intriguing talent I've seen so far in 2014. I caught a good look at Braves lefthander Alex Wood against the Phillies back in April. He was impressive, holding the Phillies scoreless for the first seven, matching zeroes with AJ Burnett before the Phils broke through in the bottom of the 8th for the game's only run. While it tagged Wood with a complete game loss -- it also left a strong impression on me that Wood could be the next important pitcher to emerge from Atlanta's farm system.

David Wells made his mark on Yankee history on this date in 1998 when he threw a perfect game against the Minnesota Twins.. He's seen here at the 2011 Old Timers Day celebration greeting '98 teammate David Cone, who a year later would toss a perfecto of his own. Back to Wells' unforgettable day, he struck out 11 in becoming the 15th pitcher ever to retire all 27 batters in a game with none reaching base. Career-wise, the San Diego native went went 239-157 in 21 big league seasons -- and is tied with Kenny Lofton for appearing in the post season with 6 different clubs!

There were a number of interesting storylines Thursday night as the Mets and Yankees concluded Subway Series play for 2014. For starters , and I do mean to emphasize that word, it was battle of pitchers making their major league debuts: Chase Whitley for the Yankees (below) and Jacob deGrom for the Mets (scroll down). It was the first time that situation had ever occurred in a game between New York's rival teams. Then, to make the coincidence even stronger, both pitchers had base hits their first times at bat. Both guys, who grew up in the mostly-DH minors. And that's especially notable for deGrom, who broke a season-opening 0-for-64 hitless streak for Mets pitchers. Below, Yankee trainer Steve Donahue in his other role -- after placing a piece of tape on the ball that Whitley hit, he's marking it (on a piece of athletic tape) for the young pitcher's personal collection. A member of the Mets staff would soon be doing that for deGrom, who was even more impress

Another dazzling start for Masahiro Tanaka last night -- as he tossed his first complete-game shutout. And it came at a crucial moment, snapping a four-game Yankee losing streak that included the first two nights of the 2014 Subway Series. Eight strikeouts, no walks and just four hits allowed -- call that domination -- against a Mets team that roasted and shredded Yankee pitching the previous two nights. Oh, and for good measure, toss in his first big league hit in the top of the 9th. Performances like tonight's make it easy to consider that $155-million contract a wise investment. Especially as his record now stands at 6 - 0 with 66 strikeouts against just 7 walks, a 9 to 1 ratio.

I last recall seeing Chris Parmalee on September 19th, 2011, when he was the last batter retired by Mariano Rivera for his record-setting 602nd save. That was followed by two-and-a-half very quiet years. He caught my attention last night with a bottom-of-the-9th inning walk-off homer as the Twins topped the Red Sox 8 - 6 in Minnesota. After bouncing between Minnesota and the minors since his role in Rivera's classic moment, Parmalee not only grabbed the headlines, but trumped a huge game for Boston's David Ortiz, who went 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs. So, this validates my habit of keeping at least one image of every player I see... because you never know when their name will pop up again.

35 years after The Village People's campy hit ruled the radio , "YMCA" remains part of Yankees home games. When the grounds crew drags the infield dirt after the 6th inning, they're accompanied by the song -- and about half-way through their routine, break out the routine where they "act out" the initials. And the fans in the stands (below) still love to join in. You have to wonder what Derek Jeter thinks, having seen this well over a thousand times in the last 20 years.

Isn't it fitting that this year's Subway Series between the Yankees and Mets begins on his birthday. Keep in mind, among his many accomplishments, he's the only manager to lead both the Yankees and Mets to pennants!

Say hello to Oakland catcher Derek Norris. He made headlines Sunday by smacking three-run home runs in consecutive innings. In the bottom of the 1st, he came up with two runners on -- and connected on a 3-0 pitch off the Nationals' Gio Gonzalez. Remarkably, an inning later, he was in the exact same situation -- and provided the same result. 3-run homers in the 1st and 2nd innings to help power the A's to a 9 - 0 victory over Washington. (These photos are from batting practice on September 21st, 2012, when the A's visited the Yankees.)

Larry Bowa. Baseball lifer. A self-made player, who made himself an effective hitter (.260 lifetime average with over 2000 career hits) on the great Phillies teams of the mid-'70s through 1981. 5-time all-star. Two gold gloves. Fiesty, fiery, on-field leader. Traded to the Cubs (along with Ryne Sandberg, on whose coaching staff he now serves), where his grit and consistency were part of the 1984 division champs. Managed the Padres. Coach, then manager of the Phillies -- the team whom his successor Charlie Manuel would take to two World Series. Coach on Joe Torre's Yankee staff. Did I miss his years coaching in Anaheim? Or his years as a baseball analyst with XM and MLB network. 45 years in and around the majors. A baseball lifer in the best way. I caught him Friday on a cool and misty night as the Phillies played the Mets in New York.

A highly touted prospect when he first made the majors with the 2012 Rangers, the Connecticut native has not quite lived up to expectations.  Injuries and slow starts have plagued him, and this year he's struggled so far. Now with the Cubs, Mike 's power is beginning to emerge -- last night, he smacked his first major league grand slam to help power a 12 - 5 win over crosstown rivals, the White Sox. Out of his 14 hits, six of his hits have been homers. And with Chicago's weather warming up, the promise he showed in the Texas farm system might be ready to shine.

The Texas-born righthander (seen here in April) has stepped into the void left by Matt Harvey's elbow injury and become the Mets' best starting pitcher. Beginning with a strong 2013 Subway Series start against the Yankees, Gee ended last season with four strong months where his ERA was just 2.80. He's been even better in '14, with a 3 - 1/2.45 mark in seven starts. Yet, he's pretty much flown under the radar. Besides Harvey, the Mets also boast another highly touted young arm in Zack Wheeler, a dependable lefty in Jon Niese and the still-in-the-minors Rafael Montero, Noah Syndergaard and Jacob DeGrom. Gee is more solid than spectacular, but his results could soon bring him more attention.

From New Britain Stadium on Tuesday night: Don't you just love how the glove, cap and cup-holder filled with two foul balls line up?

Major league baseball returned to Baltimore in 1954 after a local group purchased the St. Louis Browns from Bill Veeck and renamed them the Orioles. One of the countless charms of their current home at Camden Yards is the foul pole -- which, as noted, is same one used at Memorial Stadium that very first Orioles season.

Tommy Lasorda is one of the truly beloved figures in Dodgers history. With eight division titles, four NL pennants and World Series championships in 1981 and '88, it's no surprise he's been inducted in Baseball's Hall of Fame. But his playing career was a different story, let's just say that despite coming up alongside such legends as Koufax and Drysdale in the Dodger farm system, his talents didn't quite match theirs. And to be fair, he's always poked fun at the back of his baseball card -- and jokes that it took someone as good as Sandy Koufax to take his place on the big league roster. On May 5th, 1955 at Ebbets Field, Lasorda made his first start -- but lasted just an inning. The young lefty tied a record with three wild pitches, walked two and struck out two before being lifted by manager Walter Alston, although he gave up just one run. Clem Labine and Ed Roebuck took things the rest of the way, and with Roy Campanella driving in the go-ahead run in

After going homerless through April, Dustin Pedroia's first four-bagger of the season was a big one -- a sixth inning grand slam -- and broke open the Red Sox 6 - 1 victory over the A's on  Friday night. It was also the 100th of his career. Having also notched career stolen base 121, the dual accomplishment put him in exclusive company. Pedroia is just the second player in Red Sox history with 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases, joining Carl Yastrzemski (452 home runs, 168 steals).

Roy Campanella's famous quote, " To be good you've gotta have a lot of little boy in you," comes to mind in this image of Robinson Cano. Big guys who still connect with their inner boy will appreciate this image of Cano working that bubblegum last night! He also had a 1st inning RBI double and a tie-breaking RBI grounder in Seattle's second straight win over the Yankees. Ironically, it was a night when the highest and lowest paid M's caught my attention. I've got to give props to Mariners rookie left-hander Roenis Elias  (below). This Cuban emigree has never received the hype of Taijuan Walker -- last year he was only 6 - 11 in Double-A ball (though his 3.18 ERA was impressive) -- but he certainly had the goods against the Yankees. He's exactly the kind of "crafty lefty" that traditionally gives the Bronx boys trouble. Save for a bottom of the 1st homer to Jacoby Ellsbury, he dominated, striking out 10 in seven innings. 

With six of the 15 games scheduled on Wednesday being rained out, what else could I post to represent the soggy situation across the east and midwest?