Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

Bucky Dent earned a place of honor in Yankee history on this date in 1978. Trailing the Red Sox in the winner-take-all game for the American League East title, his three run homer off Mike Torrez turned the game around, bringing the Yanks from behind and giving them the lead for keeps. They went on to beat the Red Sox 5-4 to claim the American League East crown en route to their second straight World Series title. Every Yankee fan can hear the words of Bill White's now-iconic TV call: "Deeeep to Left," as the ball sailed over Fenway Park's Green Monster and into baseball lore. Did you realize it was just his 5th home run of the season? Or that Dent homered only 40 times during his 12-year career> I caught up with Bucky at last winter's Thurman Munson Awards Dinner in New York.

You don't often find a game where both managers know it's their final day in their positions. But that's exactly the mindset both Terry Collins and Pete Mackanin carry as the Phils host the Mets in this afternoon's season finale. Game 162 marks the end of disappointing campaigns for both clubs. The Mets expected to contend for a playoff spot before an unprecedent wave of injuries wiped out their starting rotation and cost them other key regulars ranging from Jeurys Familia to Yoenis Cespedes. The contract Collins, who managed New York to the 2015 NL pennant and a spot in last year's Wild Card game, expires today and the Mets have given loud and bold signals that he won't return. The Phillies didn't expect to challenge the Nationals or Mets, but hoped their young core, bolstered by some short-term veterans, would help them approach the .500 marks. It never happened -- and despite positive signs during September, they've decided to move Mackanin from th...

Like Sandy Koufax, I am taking a pause on Yom  Kippur. See you again on Sunday.

From Thursday night at Yankee Stadium: To the delight of the fans in the special "Judge's Chambers" section in right field, Aaron Judge rounds the bases following his 51st home run of the season. Note the "All" and "Rise" signs held up by some of the fans. I think this is the first time I've captured Judge's home run trot with the "Chambers" in the background. One of those moments worth sharing from the best season any rookie slugger has ever enjoyed. Making it all the more impressive is that a soft spoken kid from a small town in California has withstood the media circus, thriving in the big city and now just days after from his first post-season game.

60 years ago this month. the Giants and Dodgers played their final home games in New York. Baseball traditions that began in the 1800s, ended as Big Apple fans felt the pain of abandonment, while the national pastime became truly national with California's two leading cities, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Dennis recently loaned me some vintage programs and yearbooks from his collection -- this one holding the most sentimental value. It's from 1955 -- the year after the Giants' stunning World Series sweep of the Indians. Look carefully at the cover, there are three autographs... One of them was manager Leo Durocher; the others are from outfielders Dusty Rhodes and Bill Taylor. The team was again built around the remarkable Willie Mays, who hit 51 home runs that season. Don Meuller remained an effective batter, and hit over. 300. Rhodes, the pinch hitting star of the '54 Series, was a valuable fourth outfieder and also on the good side of .300. Johnny Antonelli and...

Has Daniel Murphy ever had a bad game against the Mets since signing with the Nationals as a free agent? Sunday afternoon, in the top of the 1st inning, the sweet-swinging second baseman launched a deep fly off Mets starter (and ex-teammate) Jacob de Grom. Watch it land near the right field corner. By the time Mets outfielder Nori Aoki got to the ball, Murphy was on his was to 3rd base. Here's a number to ponder: in 37 games against the team chose to let him walk away as a free agent, Murphy is hitting .390 with nine home runs. He's also on his way back to the post-season, while the Mets -- who traded away Daniel's successor Neil Walker in mid-August -- look to enter a rebuilding phase as soon as October arrives. Before I wrap up this post, here's one more standout moment from Sunday's Mets/Nats game: Washington rightfielder Victor Robles robbing Jose Reyes of what looked to be an extra base hit. Fully outstretched at the right field fence, he makes a terr...

In the midst of an historic rookie season, Aaron Judge re-wrote the history books on Monday... with a flourish. The Yankees rightfielder hammered a pair of home runs, the first to tie, and the second to pass Mark McGwire's old record of 49. One to the right field seats, the other over the left field fence. Now, the player who won the Home Run Derby and was the top All Star Game vote getter is also the fifth Yankee to reach 50 home runs in a season. You recognize the others on that list on a first name basis: The Babe, Mickey, Roger, A-Rod and now... joined by Aaron Judge. Impressive company. Prodigious talent. Along with the productivity is the humility and the calm. Even during those seven weeks when he looked like he was on his way to becoming the next Kevin Maas, the 25-year old never lost his cool. Despite the strikeouts, he kept getting on base with walks. Mid-July and August seemed like a desert -- or maybe it was a test. Then, once September arrived, as if some oth...