Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

The last time Ivan Nova was the subject of a post here, he was shown being helped off the mound with an arm injury. The Yankees prized 2011 rookie had a poor second-half in '12 and then seemingly fell off the table at the beginning of this season. But since regaining his health -- and a spot in the majors after being farmed out to Scranton -- he's been more and more impressive. And today (Saturday), was his best outing yet -- his first complete game shutout in the majors. In the pressure-packed atmosphere of a pennant race, with the Yankees on the outside and looking in for a wild card, Nova held the hard-hitting Orioles to three hits and a walk. So why tab him version 3.0? Retracing his career, he's been an impressive rookie, enigmatic young veteran -- and now, bright young hope on a club where outside of Andy Pettitte, the club's other key starters, Hiroki Kuroda and CC Sabathia, have stumbled of late. So this upgrade on Nova couldn't have been more timely. ...

I can cross another stadium off my bucket list. Yesterday, Dennis and I made it into a two-stadium, two-borough doubleheader as well followed the Mets/Phillies matinee at CIti Field with a night game at Brooklyn's MCU Park. The park blends past and present  -- the rich tradition of Brooklyn's departed-but-still revered Dodgers blended with a crew of the Mets' minor league prospects. At the park's entrance, a proud slice of that history -- a statue depicting the 1947 moment (at Cincinnati's Crosley Field), where Pee Wee Reese countered the hate spewed at Jackie Robinson. A very appealing minor league field, where the Atlantic Ocean looms just beyond the bleachers and boardwalk behind right field. Take note of the design atop the scoreboard, depicting nearby Coney Island's world famous wooden rollercoaster, which gave the team its name. The Cyclone is just beyond another local landmark, the original location of Nathan's hot dogs. As the charm exten...

In an American League season dominated by the home run heroics of Miguel Cabrera and Chris Davis, Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion doesn't grab nearly as many headlines. The Blue Jays haven't been contenders -- and Encarnacion's second straight season of 30-plus homers isn't quite as prodigious as the numbers posted by Cabrera or Davis. But the Yankees might consider hun just as dangerous. Wednesday night, his two-run, second-inning homer pushed the Blue Jays lead to 6-0 (they eventually won 7-2). With the Yankees separated by several games and teams from the AL's final wild card spot, even loss is painful -- especially when it comes against an opponent they'd dominated until this week. For the Dominican native, it was home run #34 on the season and left him just one RBI shy of 100 with four and a half weeks left in the season.

August 27th was quite a night for Jon Niese. The Mets lefthander, in just his fourth start back after a long stint on the disabled list from a rotator cuff injury, enjoyed the finest night of his major league career. He fired a complete-game three hit shuout -- and drove in three runs as the Mets pounded the Phillies 5 - 0. With most of the Mets core of impressive young pitchers -- Harvey, Wheeler, Montero and Syndegard -- being righties, Niese, just two years into a five-year contract, is expected to be the Jerry Koosman or Sid Fernandez of this group. And a Final Word on Byrd   Marlon Byrd ranks with baseball's most unexpected success stories of 2013. An unwanted free agent following an unproductive 2012 season that ended with a PED suspension, he was a walk-on free agent at the Mets camp in March. Playing his way onto a roster spot, he supplied surprising production, for the first time hitting more than 20 home runs. But at age 35, he's not someone you'd count on ...

Roy Halladay returned to the Phillies Sunday after missing three months with shoulder surgery -- and earned the victory over Arizona . Monday night at Citi Field, Doc was sitting next to teammate Kyle Kendrick. It made me think about high school and sitting next to the smartest kid in class, hoping I could absorb some of their wisdom. It couldn't hurt listening to Halladay's take on a well-pitched game where Cliff Lee out-dueled New York's Zack Wheeler in a 2-1 Phillies win.

Dancing up a storm between innings, yesterday's Mets/Tigers game was the first time I'd seen Mrs. Met working along the Flushing team's longtime mascot.

Well, not really hazy... an ideal setting for baseball. Look at how the deep blue of the sky rolls nice into the blue seating. This is NBT Bank Ballpark in Syracuse late in the afternoon this July 4th. Just a perfect summer moment.