Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

Now we know it will be the Yankees and Phillies -- Broadway vs. Broad Street in the World Series. Two clubs whose home towns are 90 miles apart -- and who met this past May in inter-league play in the Bronx. The Phillies took two of the three games during the regular season. The clubs are also Spring Training neighbors. It's just a half hour drive (in good traffic) between the Yankees facilities in Tampa and the Phillies' second home, Clearwater. First two games will be at Yankee Stadium, then the teams head down the Jersey Turnpike, cross the Walt Whitman Bridge and resume on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. But considering that the action will be played at night to the delight of network TV -- but the disappointment of paying customers as well as traditionalists like me -- the next shot seemed more appropriate.

High five for Phillies rightfielder Jayson Werth (pictured here last March in Florida). His 2-out single drove in Ryan Howard for the go-ahead run and capped a 3-run top of the 9th rally. That 5-4 victory over the Rockies in Colorado moved the Phils into the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers. This is just the second season as a full-time player for the ever-hustling Werth, who was released by the Dodgers in 2006 with what was thought to be a chronic wrist condition. Here's a terrific New York Times story on him -- http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/sports/baseball/11werth.html

Time for a quick salute to Mark Teixeira, tonight's Yankee standout in their 4-3, 11-inning win over the Twins in Game Two of the Divison Series. In the decisive inning, the big 1st baseman starred on defense -- with two great plays (catching a line drive, then stopping a hot grounder and throwing home to nail a runner attempting to score) that kept Minnesota from scoring in a bases-loaded, none out situation. Leading off the bottom of the inning, he smacked a line drive homer that he called "a wallbanger," deflecting off the left field wall into the seats for the winning run. As has become the trademark of this Yankee club, "Tex" was smacked with a pie (actually a towelfull of whipped cream) by AJ Burnett during his post-game TV interview. A sweet ending to a dramatic Yankee win. When I went back to this year's images, I found a Spring Training preview of the righthanded swing that produced the walk-off homer. Wondering the last time a Yankees post-season c...

While a ballpark tour is not the same as seeing an actual game, I have to compliment the Mariners for the first-rate tour of Safeco Field. I came away with a deep appreciation for both the stadium, the way it was designed -- including a retractable dome -- and its combination of function and understated elegance that makes it one of the best places to see a game. The streetside view features posters of several players, most notably future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Junior. Below, a sculpture of a glove rivals Yankee Stadium's "bat" as a place to meet. Below, a view you don't get from many ballparks. Safeco's outdoor rooftop patio offers a superb view of the skyline, including Seattle's legendary Space Needle. The retractable roof, which stores neatly over the right field seats, was actually needed for just nine home games this season. It provides the perfect compromise -- an outdoor stadium with great sightlines that never suffers rainouts. The owner's su...

My daughter Dara began college this week at Evergreen State College in Washington State. While time and priorities didn't give me a chance to catch a game at Safeco Field this trip, the ballpark certainly cuts an impressive image when you drive past it on I-5.

When a team is on a roll the way this year's Yankees are, a new hero seems to step forward every night. This evening, it was right fielder Nick Swisher (seen back in May against the Phillies). He smacked a pair of home runs tonight -- they bookended the scoring as the Yankees got by the Rays 3-2. The always enthusiastic switch hitter first connected right-handed in the 2nd inning. Then, he saved his left-handed swing for the bottom of the 9th inning, where he snapped a tie, launching one toward the new Stadium's cozy right field area. Amazingly, these two on the night were Swisher's first home runs in his home ballpark in three months -- and yet he's got an impressive total of 26 for the season. To quote Yankees radio voice John Sterling, "Swishalicious!" Follow-up (Sept. 29): Swisher has enjoyed a productive September at Yankee Stadium, including a home run in tonight's win over the Royals. A little home grown artwork serves as the screen saver on the per...

Nothing better than baseball on Labor Day -- today, I made my first visit to New Britain, Connecticut, home of the Twins' Double-A farm team. The lure was another chance to catch the Yankees' affiliate the Trenton Thunder. New Britain Stadium has seen several top Twins prospects blossom over the years, including current major league stars Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. But my focus today was on a likely future Yankee -- shortstop Eduardo Nunez. Fans getting autographs from this talented shortstop had best hold onto them -- in a couple or three years, they'll be able to say they saw Nunez before he was famous (and charging big bucks for his signature!). Both teams lined up on the field for the national anthem before the game. (Above) Nice to see the Twins train their prospects in the almost lost art of bunting. (Below) it's mascot time! Trenton 3rd baseman Marcos Vechionacci has spent several years in the Yankees' farm system. But with Alex Rodriguez only two years in...