Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

Rolling it back to April 10th, 2016 : the Mets, defending their first National League pennant in 15 years, host the division rival Phillies.  Zooming in on their ace Matt Harvey , fresh off a 13-9 season and an under 3.00 ERA, expectations couldn't be higher at the young season began.  On this afternoon, Harvey didn't pitch badly -- giving up three runs over six innings -- in a 6-3 loss to their division rivals.  But the year didn't go well for Harvey, who struggled to a 4-10 record (in fact, he never again reached double digit victories).  Even though the Mets again earned a Wild Card, their post-season run ended in a single night at the hands of the Giants' Madison Bumgarner.   While Mets fans saw the charismatic and swaggering Harvey as a longterm star, he never pitched well enough to place his name alongside franchise legends such as Seaver, Koosman and Gooden.  "The Dark Knight" had very few bright days left in his Mets tenure. Mets fans  

  ...you share it with Albert Pujols .  The 2001 National League Rookie of the Year went on to win three MVP awards and two World Series rings during a dozen Cardinals seasons -- tack on another decade with the Angels and a partial season as a Dodger and you've 703 homers, over 2200 RBIs and a .296 lifetime average that screams, "First ballot Hall of Famer." When Albert gets his call from the Hall -- most likely, two years from now -- he'll join another Cardinals legend born on January 16th, the iconic pitcher, broadcaster and larger-than-life character Dizzy Dean .  Try and find the movie The Pride of St. Louis  on TCM or some other retro-focused stream.  It does a good job of telling Dean's life story -- as does his Cooperstown plaque.

The biggest story in baseball as we enter mid-January, is the deal that brings Alex Bregman to the Cubs.  Five years, $175 million and a no-trade contract for the longtime Astros star who spent 2025 with the Red Sox.  He'll fit in nicely as Kyle Tucker's replacement -- a big bat for the middle of Chicago's lineup.  Plus, his value is enhanced by his clubhouse leadership; the Cubs, even with Craig Counsel as manager, still need to learn how to win consistently and do something big in the post-season.  After reaching the post-season in all eight of his full seasons with the Astros, Bregman was there again as a Red Sock in '25. I didn't catch Bregman in action for Boston, so these Houston photos (taken in a 2019 game against the Yankees) will have to do.  

We'll start on Saturday with the late Willie McCovey , who teamed with Willie Mays to give the 1960s Giants the most feared home run duo in baseball.  Those 521 career homers (all but 46 with San Francisco) helped punch hit his ticket to Cooperstown.  The 1959 NL Rookie of the Year led the league in homers three times and RBI twice. His 44 is part of the gallery of retired numbers at Oracle Park (it was still AT&T when I visited in 2014). (Below:) Oscar Gonzalez  flashed good power when he broke in with the 2022 Guardians.  But his numbers faded the following season and he was soon back in the minors, and more recently, Japan.  I caught Gonzalez in 2024 with the Yankees AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre farm club.   Sunday 's duo pack speed and power.  Elly de la Cruz , the Reds dynamic infielder, led the NL with 67 stolen bases in 2024, the year he made his first All Star game.  (My image is from the spring of 2023, as he was about to "graduate" fr...

 ...that Atlanta billboard and TV station owner Ted Turner purchased the Braves.  Since I never snapped a picture of the budding media mogul -- who, through his TBS Superstation was able to boost baseball as a TV sport and elevate his franchise to national status, I decided to look for some of the "Braviest" photos in my archive Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox might a good subject to start.  He's speaking in March 24th, 2019 at the opening of the ballclub's new spring training home in North Port, Florida. That afternoon, as the Braves hosted the Rays in Cool Today Park's inaugural game, I snapped these of Atlanta stars Freddie Freeman and  Ronald Acuña Jr. While not able to take part in the on-field ceremony, it was great that  Hank Aaron  had a special moment on this afternoon.  His wave to the crowd from a private box was shared on the stadium's video board. And his #44 is part of the display of retired numbers outside the park.

  ...you share it with David Cone . He is among that select circle -- alongside Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden -- to have starred for both the Yankees and Mets. His 1999 perfect game is one of many highlights from his 17-year career that also included a pair of 20-win seasons and two National League strikeout titles. Pretty impressive for a Kansas City native whose hometown Royals clearly didn't realize his potential when they traded him to the Mets in 1987 after just 11 major league appearances. These days, "Coney" is a Yankees TV commentator and studio analyst and also works for ESPN.  My images are from the 2014 BAT Dinner in Manhattan and  the 2013 Old Timers Day in the Bronx. Just a passing thought: is David Cone Kansas City's second greatest baseball gift to New York?  (Trailing only Casey Stengel.) Fernando Tatis Jr.   is the rare son of a former big leaguer to outshine his parent.  ( His namesake father made history, when, as a Cardinal, he hit...

 Pete Alonso and DJ LeMahieu team up to wish you a happy, healthy and calm 2026.