Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

Jason Castro authored the last chapter of the Twins record setting home run total. Sunday against the Royals in Kansas City, his 5th inning blast was Minnesota's 307th of the season, establishing a new all time mark. The Twins finished two ahead of the Yankees (who Aaron Judge crushed their 305th in the regular season finale against the Rangers) and are the only two teams ever to break the 300 barrier. It's certainly fitting that these two clubs who live by the long ball will meet starting Friday in an AL Division Series. ( My image of Castro is from a March 7th, 2018 exhibition game against the Red Sox at Fenway South .)

Justin Verlander has clearly improved with age. Now 36, the Astros ace, whose mid-season arrival two years ago was so vital in Houston's first World Series title, looks primed to march through October again. 20 victories. a ERA around 2.5 and a September 1st no hitter against the Blue Jays. Will he be the X-factor this post-season? Sunday update : make that 21 wins, as Justin capped his 2019 regular season with a win over the Angels on Saturday, a performance made more noteworthy as he became the second pitcher -- after Randy Johnson -- to reach 300 k's for the year in the same game he reached 3000 career strikeouts. (My image of Verlander is from the June 23rd Astros/Yankees game.)

Did you know that   Lou Gehrig   hit the first and final home runs of his career on the same calendar date, 15 years apart? This fascinating coincidence spans September 27th, 1923 and 1938. Two very different points on this legend's prolific and poignant life. The story begins at Fenway Park, not long after 1st baseman Wally Pipp injured an ankle getting off a train as the Yankees arrived in Boston for the start of a series. With his club already having clinched the pennant, manager Miller Huggins decided to rest Pipp, to get him back at 100 percent for the World Series, just a few days away. The 20 year-old prospect who'd spent most of the season with the Hartford farm club got the chance to fill in. OK, this wasn't just some kid out of a tryout camp, but a multi-sport star at Columbia University. Still, young Mr. Gehrig was no sure bet. Starting for the first time in his young career, Gehrig looked good, homering off Bill Percy and adding a double as the Yankees c

As perhaps the final chapter of the Mets season long salute to their 1969 champions, the club announced plans to retire number-36 in honor of pitcher Jerry Koosman . The runner up to Johnny Bench for 1968 NL Rookie of the Year, the Minnesotan spent 11 seasons in Flushing... the first 9-1/2 as Robin to Tom Seaver's Batman. 140 wins as a Met -- with 108 complete games. That's as throwback as it gets. He becomes the first Mets player not inducted in Cooperstown to have their number retired. It marks a change in what had been a rather strict club policy on numbers. So which Flushing favorites should be honored in the future? Now, it's your turn. Hit the comment tab and add your suggestion. I'll add one deserving name in the broadcast category: Bob Murphy, who called Mets games for 40 years and really came into his own as the lead voice on radio from 1982 on. A Ford Frick Award winner, which makes him a Hall of Famer, no plaque for Murphy hangs alongside the club's

Tuesday night, Rays 1st baseman Ji Man Choi homered to lead off the bottom of the 12th inning and pushed Tampa Bay past the Yankees 2-1. It also continued one of the season's more impressive -- but least known -- streaks. It was the Rays' eighth straight extra inning victory -- with six of them coming in crunch time this month. While the Yankees have already won the division and just want to get healthy before the ALDS begins in nine days, the Rays are still fighting to play in October. At the moment, they hold the second AL Wild Card, but only by a tenuous half game over the Indians. And somewhere in the back of Yankee GM Brian Cashman's mind, is he wondering how or why he let Choi -- who spent part of 2017 with his top farm club, Scranton and a half dozen games in the Bronx (where he homered twice) -- get away? Of course, the Korea native has made the rounds since coming to the states: he's also seen time with the Angels and Brewers. Now with his fourth organiza

Jorge hit 'em far Monday night: a solo homer and a game-breaking grand slam in the 6th, as the Marlins outscored the Mets 8-4 and likely snuffed out the last of the Flushing club's feeble post-season dreams. Below: Alfaro started his night leading off the 2nd inning with a solo off the Mets' Steven Matz. Then in the sixth, hitting with the bases loaded, came an even more productive swing.  Alfaro planted the first grand slam of his career in the right field bleachers. Of course, a friendly reception from teammates awaited after Alfaro crossed home plate. A lonely walk back to the dugout for Steven Matz. Ironically, Alfaro's grand slam was the first grand slam that Matz has served up in his five-season career.

George Springer had a huge game Sunday, crushing three home runs as the Astros clobbered the Angels 13 - 5 and clinched their third straight AL West title. Fighting to stay ahead of the Yankees for the best record in baseball -- and home field advantage throughout the playoffs -- the New Britain, Connecticut native upped his season's total to 38. He's also hitting a career-best .292 and is six RBI short of a hundred with six games to go. Pretty impressive for a lead off batter, don't you think? While Mike Trout is likely the league's best player, Springer, along with DJ LeMahieu, better fits the definition of an MVP. Making a difference, helping his team contend, putting them in line to challenge for a championship.

Good friend Bryan Nazario was at Yankee Stadium on September 21st, 2008 as the Yankees played their final game in The House That Ruth Built. Ending an 85-year run on the south side of West 161st Street in the Bronx, the Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles 7 - 3. Some Fun Facts: Jose Molina belted the ballpark's last home run -- his two-run shot broke a 3-3 tie. Andy Pettitte earned the victory. Mariano Rivera retired the side in order in the top of the 9th inning. The last batter was Brian Roberts. Derek Jeter was the final Yankee to bat in the original Stadium. Over its 84-season history, the park drew a total attendance of 151,959,005. The team's aggregate record was 4,133 wins 2,430 losses and 17 ties.

Wednesday night, the Giants 11-3 win over the Red Sox brought manager Bruce Bochy into a select circle. Over 25 seasons with San Diego and San Francisco, he's just the 11th manager to reach the 2,000 career victories. The onetime big league catcher joined Connie Mack (3,731), John McGraw (2,763), Tony La Russa (2,728), Bobby Cox (2,504), Joe Torre (2,326), Sparky Anderson (2,194), Bucky Harris (2,158), Joe McCarthy (2,125), Walter Alston (2,040) and Leo Durocher (2,008). All are Hall of Famers; Bochy -- and his three World Series rings -- will join them in Cooperstown in the next few years.

This week's nicest baseball story came out of Fenway Park, where the grandson of a Red Sox legend accomplished something his Hall of Fame ancestor never did. Mike Yastrzemski , the Giants rookie surprise, crushed a Nathan Eovalidi pitch, launching a home run into the ancient park's center field bleachers. Amazingly, none of Carl Yastrzemsk i's 452 homers landed there. It was also the first Fenway homer by a member of that family since 1983, a gap of 36 years. Atop the page, the tribute marker for Yaz outside Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida. Now, take a look below, and look at the concentration and determination Mike showed in a June game at Citi Field against the Mets. That facial profile looks familiar, doesn't it? It's been a hugely disappointing season for the Red Sox, who will fall short of the post-season, and won't defend their fourth title of the century in October. But even for a Yankee fan, seeing a grandson flash his talent in the park wher

  After 5-1/2 months, the Yankees finally had their ace back. Luis Severino, who'd missed spring training with a shoulder injury that was complicated by a lat muscle issue, made his 2019 debut in the 151st game of the season. Was the wait worth it? That might be a little much to say -- but the four innings we saw were impressive. No runs, two hits, four strikeouts and plenty of gas. Severino's fastball reached 98 miles an hour. All positive developments. And with the post-season coming up, a stronger pitching staff will be even more crucial. Sure, in this year of the home run, the idea of a dominating Koufax-Gibson-Ford type seems as outdated as a DeSoto in the driveway. But if Soriano can tack on a little more length, say five or six innings and 70 to 80 pitches, he'll capably join James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka in countering the big arms they're likely to face from the Indians, Astros and Dodgers. What's next? Hearing from Soriano and the Yankee trainer

September 17th is one of those dates on the baseball calendar that absolutely jumps out at you. We've got several "famous firsts" from Baseball Hall of Famers all timestamped 9/17. 1967:  Reggie Jackson  belts the first of 563 career homers. The Kansas City A's rookie connects off California's Jim Weaver, in a game the Angels won 3-2. 1955:  Brooks Robinson  makes his major league debut, getting two hits for the Orioles in a 3-1 win over the Washington Senators at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. 1941:  Stan Musial  plays in his first game for the Cardinals and goes 2-for-4 in a 3-2 win over the Boston Braves in the nightcap of a Sportsmen's Park doubleheader. Stan's first hit, a two-RBI second inning double off Jim Tobin was the the first of a remarkable 3630 career hits -- exactly half of them at home at the venue later renamed Busch Stadium. 1912:  Casey Stengel  makes his major league debut -- and for a guy who was a good but not great player,

Another throwback game Sunday night at Citi Field: a tight well played pitchers duel. Tied 2-2 in the top of the 9th, Facing Seth Lugo, Enrique Hernandez crushes a double off the left field wall. After striking out Edwin Rios, Jedd Gyorko puts the Dodgers on top with a single up the middle. Hernandez scores, the Dodgers lead 3 - 2; Adam Kolarek and Kenta Maeda close out the Mets in the bottom of the inning... a loss that drops the Mets further behind the Cubs for that second NL wild card.

Opening a crucial September series with the division rival Brewers, Paul Goldschmidt stepped up big time for the Cardinals. His 3rd inning grand slam got them off and rolling; his 6th inning three-run shot helped seal the deal. Goldy drove in seven run as the Cardinals demolished the Brew Crew 10 - 0. Of course, plenty of credit goes to old pro Adam Wainwright for his six shutout innings. But this was the kind of game that the Cards got Goldschmidt for -- helping put more space between themselves and a fellow contender.

Jonathan Villar  won't really symbolize baseball's Year of the Home Run, but he did claim a notable line on that story Wednesday night. The Orioles' switch hitting 2nd baseman came up with two on and one out in the bottom of the 7th inning. Facing the Dodgers' Caleb Ferguson, he homered deep to left field in Camden Yards. That not only put Baltimore ahead 5-2, it was the 6,106th home run hit in the major leagues this season -- the most ever. Far more famous names have clear the fences far more often than the veteran infielder this year. His historic blast was as much a product of timing and luck than pure talent. And, unless baseball goes back to an earlier version of the major league ball, Villar's home run -- and the 2019 record -- will go by the wayside next year. For a night, and at least a year, Jonathan Villar has a small but interesting place in history.

The Brewers received the worst possible news Tuesday night when MVP candidate Christian Yelich fouled a ball of his leg -- and came away with a fractured kneecap. In a split-second, his season ended, and the Brewers post-season hopes took an immeasurable hit. Or maybe, not. Wednesday, Milwaukee got a pair of home runs from Mike Moustakas -- including a two-run blast for the winning margin in the top of he 9th -- to beat Miami, and tie the Cubs for the second Wild Card. Still, a team just doesn't replace 44 home runs and league-leading on-base and slugging percentages. And baseball is denied showcasing one of its brightest stars in a down-to-the-wire battle for the last NL post-season spot.

The veteran shortstop, who joined the Tigers this year after a seven-season run in Pittsburgh, doesn't usually grab the headlines. Especially, this year, when he missed much  of the first half due to injury. So, wouldn't you know it, Mercer delivered the game-winning hit, a walk off single in the bottom of the 9th as the Tigers outscored the Yankees 12-11 in one of the weirdest, wackiest games of 2019. My image of Mercer is from the June 4th, 2017 Pirates/Mets game at Citi Field.

After struggling recently and with less than three weeks left in the season, the Mets came into play Monday four games back of the Cubs for that second NL Wild Card. That situation looks even more difficult with the D'backs, Brewers and Phillies all ahead of them. But there was no white flag of surrender waved by Pete Alonso or Jacob de Grom. Far from it, with the Mets two most productive players doing all they could -- Alonso smacked two more homers, his 46th and 47th, while de Grom struck out 11 and was dented only by ex-Met Wilmer Flores' solo homer -- they beat Arizona 3-1 and gained a game on them in the Wild Card chase. The odds may be against them, but Alonso and de Grom continue to be the best reasons to keep an eye on the Mets over the last 20 or so games.

Tyler Austin 's signature major league moment was his very first one. On August 13th, 2016, he and Aaron Judge, both just promoted from the minors, made history as the first pair of teammates to begin their big league careers with back-to-back home runs in their first at bats. By the next season, Austin and Judge were heading in different directions. Judge, with his booming home runs and stellar defense, quickly became the Face of the Franchise. In contrast, Austin failed to build momentum. While he showed good power, a low batting average and high strikeout total relegating him to a backup role. And then demotion. Shuttling between the Bronx and Scranton, before being traded to the Twins, Austin didn't stick with the Twins, or, after another trade, the Giants. The Brewers picked him up in August. Sunday, with rosters expanded, Austin again grabbed a headline. His go-ahead three-run homer against Jon Lester in the fourth inning was Milwaukee's biggest hit of the gam

A wide shot from section 318 of Citi Field. The first windy, chilly night of September: Mets, Phillies and the inevitable approach of fall.

Friday night at Citi Field, I saw a pair of teams hunting a wild card, but plagued by leaky bullpens. After the Phillies tied the Mets in the top of the 9th on J.T. Realmuto's two-run homer off Edwin Diaz (for his 7th blown save of the season), it was the Phils turn to phold. It didn't look that way at first; reliever Mike Morin retired the first two batters he faced, before giving up singles to Juan Lagares and J.D. Davis. That led to Gabe Kapler summoning Nick Vincent. Let's just say that move didn't work well. Vincent hit Jeff McNeil to load the bases, and then walked Pete Alonso on a full count. The result: a walk-off walk and a 5-4 win . To the delight of the smallish crowd on a chilly and damp night, the Polar Bear went shirtless for the post-game celebration. After bullpen meltdowns led to agonizing losses Sunday and Wednesday, the Mets turned things around against a fellow contender. And the irony, Diaz, after struggling again, came away credited for th

  Jorge Soler made history this week, as the first Kansas City Royals player to reach 40 home runs in a season. Playing in pitching-friendly Kauffman Stadium, the franchise has had some impressive sluggers over the years, such as Steve Balboni, Mike Moustakas, John Mayberry and Bo Jackson. None of them ever reached 40; that honor belongs to Soler, who has put it all together in 2019, showing the talent that landed him a big contract with the Cubs after leaving Cuba. My images -- the top one with teammate Alcides Escobar -- are from the Royals/Yankees game on May 23rd, 2017 .

...you celebrate it with Bill Mazeroski , the first player to end the World Series with a walk-off home run. Leading off the last of the 9th inning, he crushed Ralph Terry's second pitch over the left field wall, giving Pittsburgh perhaps its greatest baseball moment. A gifted defensive player with more modest offensive skills, Maz remains one of the more controversial inductees of the Hall of Fame. A statue, depicting his joyful scamper around the bases following that 1960 home run, is one of several outside PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Our other September 5th baseball birthdays: Napoleon Lajoie , the sweet-swinging star of the 1890s and 1900s, who compiled a .338 lifetime average with several teams, most notably the Indians.  Ernie White , who pitched for the Cardinals and Braves during the 1940s, who was the Mets pitching coach in 1963, their final season in the Polo Grounds. Gil Patterson , another pitching coach with a New York connection. After appearing in 10 games w

...and a Belly to Belly! I snapped these of Didi Gregorius and Gary Sanchez on Saturday afternoon against the A's. They'll do fine as my salute to their 6th inning home runs Monday night as the Yankees roasted the Rangers. Sanchez's pair of home runs gave him 34 on the season, the most ever by a Yankee catcher. While the home runs are fun -- and the Yankees had five of them -- the most important takeaway was another impressive start by James Paxton, who seems to be past his mid-summer doldrums. The former Mariner rivaled Sanchez for "player of the game" honors, firing seven innings of one-hit shutout ball.

We're at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Sunday night. Bottom of the 8th inning, game tied 2-2, Phillies hitting with bases loaded. Scott Kingery facing Mets reliever Jeurys Familia. On a 1-0 count Kingery connects -- sending a liner soaring to center field, well beyond the reach of Mets centerfielder Rajai Davis. Bases emptied. Phillies take a 5-2 lead. That's how it looked from Section 232. And here's how it ended: Phillies 5 - Mets 2 .

You have to wonder what was running through Al Pedrique 's mind this weekend. The A's first base coach spent the last three days watching the players that he managed during his five years in the Yankees minor league system. Like a high school or college coach who help mold the skills and mindsets of those who went onto success at the next level, Pedrique could certainly smile seeing Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Gleyber Torres, Luis Cessa, Mike Ford, Domingo German, Chad Green and Nestor Cortes in the other dugout or out on the field. Standing in the coaches' box he's wearing an Oakland uniform, not the interlocking NY. Gray with green and gold, not the iconic blue pinstripes. Having prepared a third of the current Yankee roster, which sports the American League's best record, Pedrique left the organization after not getting an interview for the job that went to Aaron Boone. The onetime backup with the Mets, Pirates and Tigers who briefly managed the Diamondback

Having been to more than 30 Yankee games the last couple years, I've enjoyed the chance to photograph the core of the current club as it came together: Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, Gleyber Torres. Aroldis Chapman, Miguel Andujuar, Aaron Hicks, Zack Britton and newcomers such as Gio Urshela, Mike Tauchman and DJ LeMahieu. But one key player was missing from my photo archive:  Domingo Germán . All the homestands, the Subway Series visits to Flushing, a few spring training games in Florida -- and no sign of the rising righthander. (And believe me, I checked!!) Until Saturday. Germán and I finally were at the same place at the same time. Of course, that means Yankee Stadium. Domingo worked the first five innings against the A's, holding them to two runs. More workmanlike than dominating, he kept the Oakland batters off stride and the Yankees in the game. That's his style -- not flashy, not dramatic, just effective. A 17-game winner with four weeks to go, he stands a good cha