Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

...you share it with Peter Bourjos . The defensively gifted but offensively challenged outfielder has played with five big league clubs. I caught him in action with the 2016 Phillies. Josmil Pinto (below) appeared on track to follow 2013 New Britain Rock Cats teammates Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano to major league stardom. He put up some nice numbers that summer: 23 doubles, 14 home runs and a .308 average, which earned him a late-season promotion to the Twins, which he hit well over .300 in limited service. But he never grabbed an every day job in Minnesota and drifted back to the minors. He was still hoping for a comeback this winter, when he batted .272 for a team in the Venezuelan winter league. No Hall of Famers were born on the last day of March. And to be honest, no one really came close. Bill Hallman , a late 19th century outfielder, played the most games of anyone with this birthday (1507). But he was just a .272 hitter. Chien-Ming Wang seemed on his way to stard...

Yadier Molina is not just the best of the three catching brothers who've made the majors, he is nearly a lock for Cooperstown. Rugged, dependable and consistent, he's been behind the plate for a pair of Cardinals World Championship teams. In the last 13 seasons, you can book him for a .260 or better average (five times over .300) and rock solid defense. Most crucially are those defensive skills that have held up -- at the most taxing position on the field -- even as he approaches his 38th birthday in July. Determined to stay an everyday player, his 1947 games caught are the 7th most in baseball history -- and more than 350 ahead of the second most among active players, Russell Martin. And that 1947 total is more than such icons as Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra and the soon-to-be inducted Ted Simmons. A recent mlb.com article ranks the greatest catchers in Cardinals history. Simmons ranks second; Tim McCarver, Tom Pagnozzi and Mike Matheny round out the Top 5. But there...

March 27th, 2012: Embattled owner Frank McCourt agrees to sell the Dodgers to a group that includes Magic Johnson and former Braves executive Stan Kasten for $2 billion, the highest ever paid for a pro sports team. March 27, 2002: Jose Canseco's big league career ends when he's released by the Expos at the end of spring training. March 27th, 1973: Denny McLain is released by the Braves at the end of spring training. The career of the last 30-game winner is over at the age of 29. March 27th, 1987: The Mets trade backup catcher Ed Hearn, pitcher Rick Anderson, and prospect Mauro Gozzo to the Royals for David Cone and minor leaguer Chris Jelic. The trade becomes a huge plus for New York, where Cone, after an injury shortened 1987, stars for the Mets (and later, the Yankees). Perhaps, it's the reversal of karma for the equally onesided Amos Otis/Joe Foy deal 18 years earlier. March 28th, 1985: Sports Illustrated  publishes the greatest April Fool's stunt in th...

This is how it was supposed to look: Mets and Nats at Citi Field. The special logo on the field, stands full of fans, the sky over Flushing a perfect deep blue. But something bigger than baseball put those plans on hold. Of course, we'll miss it; especially being homebound, it would have been great to pop on the TV this afternoon and see a game -- even if was to be played without a crowd or even in a Grapefruit or Cactus League park away from the worst of the danger. As the keenly observant -- and from what I understood, later in life baseball fan -- John Lennon famously told us, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." Instead, we embrace our memories alongside the dreams of better days ahead. Looking back over my years as a fan, I've attended three season openers: 1969 : Mets hosting the Expos at Shea Stadium, that wild 11 - 10 Montreal victory, whose photos I've enjoyed sharing with you on this platform . Believing they ...

Paraphrasing the classic 1950s Alfred Hitchcock movie  Dial "M" for Murder  was Tuesday's breaking news that Mets star Noah Syndergaard needs Tommy John surgery. Unlike the widely reported arm issues of fellow stars -- and S-surnamed -- Chris Sale and Luis Severino, Thor's problem seemingly came from out of left field. He'd even appeared in three games during Grapefruit League play. As the Mets plan for however-long a 2020 season there'll be, GM Brodie Van Wagonen can take confort that he picked up free agents Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha last winter. Those moves gave the Mets five veteran starting pitchers. But it's also an ominous sign that after a 2019, where their rotation came through healthy and durable, one of the team's most important arms has been shut down before the games begin to count.

...you share it with Starlin Castro . The former Cub, Yankee and Marlin infielder joined the Nationals over the winter and will join Howie Kendrick and Asdrubal Cabrera in a core of veteran infielders who'll man 2nd and 3rd base for the World Champs. I caught him in action on March 12th at West Palm Beach. Turning 30 today, he's been a .280 lifetime hitter over 10 major league seasons. Also on the cake and candles list: Chad Gaudin , who pitched for nine teams in 11 major league seasons (2003-2013). Corey Hart , the power hitting infielder who hit 20 or more homers five times during his seven full seasons with the Brewers. Wilson Alvarez , who fired a no hitter in his first-ever start for the White Sox, on August 11th, 1991. Bruce Hurst, the Red Sox lefthander who beat the Mets twice in the 1986 World Series. And if not for Boston's collapses in games six and seven, might well have been named that series' MVP. Garry Templeton , the longtime shortstop who mi...

From June 3rd, 2010 : Facing Kevin Millwood. Brett Gardner homers leading off the bottom of the 6th inning as the Yankees hosted the Orioles. The ball soars past right fielder Nick Markakis to extend the Yanks lead to 5 - 1. Who do you think brought that souvenir home?