Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

Another New York baseball fixture from this winter's BAT Dinner, Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson. One of his most famous moments came in the 1973 National League Championship Series, where a day after joking that the Reds (who'd been shutout on two hits by Jon Matlack) hit like he did, Pete Rose knocked him down hard sliding into second base attempting to break up a double play. Moments later, a brawl broke out between both sides -- and the game was in danger of being forfeited before calmer was restored. Several years later, Bud and Pete were teammates in Philadelphia. In fact, Harrelson was the last Phillie to wear #14 before Rose. After Pete signed as a free agent, Bud switched to number-15 for the 1979 season.

Baseball is a game that's been passed down from generation to generation. Most fans picked up the interest from parent. So when former Yankee pitcher Dennis Rasmussen told last month at the BAT Dinner that he'd brought his son to meet his former teammates and friends around the game, it made a perfect image of the night. Who helped fuel your interest in baseball? Did they ever help you land an autograph or create another precious memory that helped bond you with the game? Leave a comment and share your story of the person who helped you become a fan.

I am so glad that I had the chance to meet Jim Bouton at this winter's BAT Dinner in New York. The North Jersey native starred for the Yankees at the end of the Mantle/Berra/Ford dynasty: winning 21 games in 1963 and 18 more in 1964. There's an image of his cap flying off while pitching from the mound in the Bronx. The nickname Bulldog. The uniform number 56. Of course, there was his game-changing book Ball Four -- whose candid, insider's viewpoint broke a lot of old taboos, helped launch him into a career as a local TV sportscaster and changed the sense of what sports books should be.  One more example of his being ahead of the curve (pardon the pun) is Big Leage Chew -- he's one of the developers of the bubblegum product designed to resemble chewing tobacco but without the harmful health risks. You can connect with Jim online through his website . His thoughtful rebelliousness, a sense of marching to the beat of his own drummer made him feel like "one of us....

The Yankees' Grapefruit League season took an unexpected turn Sunday when outfielder Curtis Granderson (who led the team last year with 43 home runs) suffered a broken right forearm. Hit by a J.A. Happ pitch his first time up this spring, "The Grandy Man" -- seen above in last year's playoffs against the Orioles -- will miss 10 weeks. The knocks an even bigger hole in the Yankees power arsenal. A team that lost Raul Ibanez, Russell Martin and Nick Swisher to free agency and Alex Rodriguez to hip surgery now sees its best remaining long-ball threat go on the shelf until early May!

Doesn't that sound like the most romantic town in baseball? It's 2009 at the Astros spring training home, Osceola County Stadium. Perfect sky and a close-in view as the Astros welcome the Yankees. And below, Houston honors its trips to the post-season.

We're at Bright House Field in Clearwater: a Phillies tradition since the 1970s has been wearing green uniforms on Saint Patrick's Day -- and then auctioning them off after the game for charity. And in 2009, the Reds picked up the spirit by adding green caps to go with their typical pre-season red shirts. Luck of the Irish, perhaps? But those green shirts have also been a good sale at souvenir stands both in Florida and Philadelphia.

Peoria Stadium, the pre-season home of Padres and Mariners. On March 11th, 2010, we're watching the Cubs stretch before their game with San Diego. The managers (Lou Piniella and Bud Black) and the umpires have their pre-game chat.