Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys in action against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California in 1995. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

All-time great Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith joined six others who were elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. The NFL’s career rushing leader was joined by career receiving leader Jerry Rice, John Randle, Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, Floyd Little and Dick LeBeau. Smith and Rice were named to the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys in action during Super Bowl XXX against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona on January 28 1996. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Smith rushed for 18,355 yards and 164 touchdowns during his career with Dallas and Arizona and won an MVP award in the Super Bowl. I had many chances to shoot Smith during his career as the Cowboys made many appearances at Candlestick Park to take on the 49ers in important regular and post-season games during the 1990’s. He always pissed me off because he was so good and the Cowboys always seemed to have the 49ers number. The better day Smith had, the worse day the Niners had.

Running back Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys lies on the ground hurt during the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California in 1995. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The one big NFC Championship game that the 49ers won over the Cowboys was made possible when Smith got hurt right in front of me and my cameras when I was on assignment for Sports Illustrated in 1995 (see above). The 49ers hung on to win 38-28 on the way to their last Super Bowl win, thanks to Smith’s injury.

Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys in action during a game against the San Diego Chargers at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California in 1995. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The 2010 Hall of Fame class will increase to 260 the number of all-time greats permanently honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Enshrinement of the Class of 2010 will take place in Canton, Ohio on Saturday, August 7, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. ET. I am sure this will be an evening Smith and his six other classmates will never forget.

Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers in action during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California on November 11, 2000. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

San Francisco 49er great Jerry Rice has been named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010 in an announcement made late this afternoon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida according to a Tweet by Matt Maiocco. Maiocco adds that Eddie DeBartolo will introduce Rice at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio in August. Rice joins Russ Grim, John Randle, Rickey Jackson, Emmitt Smith, Dick LeBeau and Floyd Little as the newest former NFL stars to be named to a very exclusive club.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice in action making a touchdown catch during a game against the San Diego Chargers at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California on October 9, 1991. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Rice holds every major receiving record, was chosen first-team All-Pro 10 times, and was a 13-time Pro Bowler during 20 NFL seasons, most of which were spent wearing the red and gold at Candlestick Park. I first had a chance to photograph Rice back in 1986 when I shot a pocket full of Kodak Tri-X black and white film at my first 49er game while I was a photojournalism student at San Jose State University (see below). Back before the NFL uniform police became so over-zealous Rice was very stylish with his uniform and always had a white towel hanging from his waist with “Sweet Rice” written on it.

Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers kneels on the sidelines during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California in 1986. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The 49ers had a great team in the early 1980’s and were coming off their second Super Bowl win after a great 1984 season when they drafted Rice out of Mississippi Valley State. Most of my early memories of Rice are of him dropping passes in his rookie year as it took him awhile to get acclimated to the pro game.

Jerry Rice of the Oakland Raiders in action making a catch during a game against the New York Jets at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California on January 8, 2002. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Rice ended up settling into his role with the 49ers and benefited from having the chance to catch passes from back-to-back Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young. By the time his career with the 49ers ended Rice seemed to own almost every big touchdown record in the NFL.

Jerry Rice of the Oakland Raiders watches on the sidelines during a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California in 2001. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Many 49er fans were disappointed when Rice left the team after the 2000 season and signed with the Oakland Raiders, but this made Bay Area football fans happy as they were still able to follow their favorite player closely. I was happy to still have the chance to shoot Rice, this time in the silver and black at the Oakland Coliseum. Rice hung on a little to long, playing with the Seahawks after a productive stint in Oakland. Rice went to training camp with the Denver Broncos prior to the 2005 season but retired shortly before the season began.

Jerry Rice Enters Hall of Fame – Images by Brad Mangin

Although many people immediately think of his fine showing on the television show Dancing with the Stars when they hear the name Jerry Rice, I will always look back on the wonderful Hall of Fame career of one of the greatest athletes I have ever photographed. Congrats JR.

Ryan Garko of the Cleveland Indians gets ready in the dugout before the game against the Oakland Athletics at the McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California on May 12, 2007. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The Seattle Mariners reached a one-year agreement with journeyman first baseman Ryan Garko today for $550,000. The 29-year-old Stanford alum spent several productive years in Cleveland before being traded to the Giants on July 27, 2009. His stay in San Francisco could not have bee any worse as he got off to a horrible start and quickly took up residence in skipper Bruce Bochy’s dog house. Garko hit .235 with the Giants and hit two homers in 115 at-bats.

Ryan Garko #23 of the San Francisco Giants bats against the Chicago Cubs during the game at AT&T Park on September 26, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The Mariners are hoping that Garko can be a potent right-handed bat for them playing first base or DH’ing against lefties (Ken Griffey Jr. will get most of the DH AB’s against righties). For Garko’s sake I hope he can bounce back to the hitter he was in 2008 when he hit .273 and knocked in 90 runs. Garko was abysmal last season as a Giant. In my book he became the right-handed equivalent of John Vander Wal. Many Giants fans will remember when the Giants acquired the lefty pinch-hitting specialist from the Pirates for the stretch run in 2001 (along with Jason Schmidt). Vander Wal SUCKED. KNBR radio talk-show host Brian Murphy rooted so hard for Vander Wal that he sung a song about him every time he came to the plate. It did not help.

I will be looking for Garko when I visit the Mariners in Peoria next month. I hope he plays better in the blue and white than he did in the orange in black. Garko was never a Giant.

Melvin Mora #6 of the Baltimore Orioles fields a ground ball at third base during the game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on June 6, 2009 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The Colorado Rockies signed the versatile Melvin Mora to a one-year contract on Sunday worth $1.3 million according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The 38-year-old Mora hit .260 with 8 homers for the Orioles last year, playing all of his games at third base.

Melvin Mora of the Baltimore Orioles smiles in the on-deck circle during a game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA on August 26, 2004. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

By signing the the two-time all-star the Rockies will have the right-handed-hitting utility player they’ve been seeking this winter. Mora can play all over the infield and outfield, giving the Rockies tons of versatility coming off their bench.

Melvin Mora #6 of the Baltimore Orioles bats during the game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on June 6, 2009 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Mora is a career .278 who has been fun for me to photograph every year with the Orioles when they made their annual visits to Oakland to play the A’s. He has always been a good ballplayer who wasn’t afraid to flash his great smile before or during a game.

Robert Andino #12 (left), Melvin Mora #6 and Felix Pie #18 of the Baltimore Orioles get ready in the dugout before the game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on June 6, 2009 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Mora will be another new guy in a new uniform for me to photograph this March when I head down to Arizona to photograph spring training. I just hope I don’t have to make the trek down I-10 to Tucson to see him play. Hopefully he will take the bus north to the valley so I can shoot him in my local area.

Orlando Cabrera of the Oakland Athletics takes batting practice before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California on Saturday, April 25, 2009. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The Cincinnati Reds signed shortstop Orlando Cabrera to a one-year deal worth $4 million on Saturday. The 35-year-old Cabrera hit .284 with the A’s and Twins last year and has proven to be a consistent hitter over his career.

Orlando Cabrera #18 of the Oakland Athletics turns a double play at second base against the Arizona Diamondbacks as Diamondbacks base runner Ryan Roberts #14 is forced out at second base during the game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on May 24, 2009 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Cabrera joins a long list of players who have signed one-year deals this Winter as this is becoming a growing trend in today’s baseball economy. Gone are the days when journeyman ballplayers would get multi-year deals. The days of players like Aaron Rowand getting five-year deals are long gone. The money will still be there for the elite ballplayers, but everyone else is scratching and clawing for one year contracts, with some guys looking at early retirement if they can’t find a job in the next few weeks.

Orlando Cabrera of the Boston Red Sox bats during Game 2 of the 2004 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park in Boston, MA on October 24, 2004. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

I have always enjoyed photographing Cabrera, both at the plate and on the field as his flashy play always makes for nice pictures. He has a real nice long finish in his swing and looks great from third base (see above) and turns some nifty double plays at second base. I enjoyed shooting him in Oakland last season for the few months that he wore the green and gold.

Orlando Cabrera of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim makes a play at shortstop during a game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA on April 16, 2005. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

I am looking forward to shooting Cabrera next month as the Reds play their first Cactus League season in Goodyear, AZ. I know Reds skipper Dusty Baker is looking forward to returning to Arizona for spring training. I hope Cabrera ends up being a good fit for Dusty’s club. Dusty can use all the help he can get.

Eric Byrnes of the Arizona Diamondbacks bats during the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California on April 15, 2008. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The Seattle Mariners signed outfielder Eric Byrnes to a one-year deal this afternoon as they look to add some veteran outfield depth to their roster. The Diamondbacks released Byrnes a few weeks ago and are still on the hook for the $11 million that is owed to Byrnes in 2010, less whatever the Mariners are paying him (probably the league minimum of $400,000).

Eric Byrnes of the Arizona Diamondbacks spits seeds before the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California on April 21, 2007. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The 33-year-old Byrnes had a monster season for the D’Backs in 2007 when he hit .286 with 21 homers and 83 RBIs when he helped lead his club to the NLCS against the Rockies. Byrnes also swiped 50 bags that year and was rewarded with a three-year, $30 million extension he signed prior to the 2008 season. That is when it all went bad as injuries hampered “Crash Test Dummy” limiting him to just over 200 at bats in both 2008 and 2009. It was apparent at the end of last season that his days in Arizona were numbered.

Eric Byrnes of the Oakland Athletics bats during a game at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California in 2000. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

I first photographed Byrnes when he was a September call-up with the A’s in September of 2000 (see above) as they were making a run for the playoffs. I can’t believe that was 10 years ago! He didn’t have his long hair yet back then and just kinda hung around playing mostly in the minor leagues before coming up again in 2001 when he first really burst on the scene as the kind of free spirit and all-out base runner photographers like me would come to love shooting.

TEARSHEET FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Oakland Athletics base runner Eric Byrnes gets tagged out at home plate by Texas Rangers catcher Bill Haselman at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA on July 21, 2002. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Throughout his career Byrnes has been one of my favorite ballplayers to photograph, beginning when he knocked over Rangers catcher Bill Haselman in 2001 (see above) while I was on assignment for Sports Illustrated and the picture when two pages in the magazine that week.

Eric Byrnes of the Oakland Athletics dives for a ball during a game at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA on April 5, 2003. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Byrnes first started getting some decent playing time for the A’s in 2003, and it was then when I started to notice his amazing ability to launch his body high into the air in an effort to chase down fly balls in the outfield- even if he had no chance of making a play (see above). This is great for photographers like me!

Chicago White Sox third baseman Chris Widger can't handle a throw as Oakland A's base runner Eric Byrnes slides in safely during a game at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland on April 27, 2005. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Byrnes put together his best year for the A’s in 2004 when he hit .283 with 20 homers and 73 RBIs. Unfortunately Byrnes fell out of favor with the club in 2005 and he was sent packing to the Rockies in July of that year. He was then sent to Baltimore a few weeks later and was then granted free agency after the year. This is when he landed in Arizona and began to put together the stats that would set up both his family and him forever financially.

Eric Byrnes of the Oakland Athletics takes batting practice during spring training at the A's camp at Papago Park. Phoenix, AZ on February 24, 2005. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Besides being a great athlete to photograph Byrnes is a really nice guy. He even came to A’s team photographer Michael Zagaris’s 60th birthday in San Francisco in 2005! I am glad he is staying on the west coast. This means I will get to see him many times when the Mariners come to town to play the A’s. I will also get to shoot him this spring in Peoria, Arizona when I make the drive on the 101 Loop from Scottsdale to shoot the Mariners. I hope he has a good spring and gets some playing time in Seattle. The only thing that would have been better is if he would have signed with the Giants, but I think they are done making moves this winter.

Jim Edmonds of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a home run during the NLCS playoffs against the San Francisco Giants at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, California in 2002. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The Milwaukee Brewers have signed free agent outfielder Jim Edmonds to a minor league contract for 2010 according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Brewers GM Doug Melvin told the Milwaukee Journal that Edmonds will come to Spring Training with a chance to make the club as an extra outfielder. The deal will pay Edmonds less than $1 million if he makes the team.

Jim Edmonds of the Vancouver Canadians warms up before a game against the Las Vegas Stars at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1993. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Edmonds did not play at all in 2009 and split time between the Padres and Cubs in 2008. He got off to a horrible start with the Padres and they released him on May 9, 2008. He was signed by the Cubs on May 14, 2008 and had a nice little run in Chicago (see below) hitting 19 homers and driving in 49 runs in only 250 at bats.

Jim Edmonds of the Chicago Cubs bats during the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California on July 3, 2008. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

I first photographed Edmonds in 1993 when he was playing for the Vancouver Canadians, the Angels AAA affiliate in the Pacific Coast League (see above). They were playing the Las Vegas Stars at Cashman Field in Las Vegas and Upper DEck sent me there to shoot some top prospects. I don’t remember much about the trip, other than it was REALLY HOT! Edmonds later put together some real nice runs in Anaheim and St. Louis where he displayed an amazing glove in center field where he earned 8 Gold Glove Awards throughout his career in both leagues.

Jim Edmonds of the St. Louis Cardinals bats during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, CA on September 12, 2004. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Edmonds is a four-time All-Star is a career .284 hitter with 382 homers in his 16 big league seasons. He is one of the most stylish ballplayers I have ever photographed. He was so cool the way he would pose in the left-handed batters box after he homered (see above). I loved how he would lift his right leg high in the air as he rocked back on his back leg when he watched the ball sail out of the ballpark. Edmonds was always one of those guys who looked cool doing anything, even if he was just walking across the diamond. I hope I get a chance to shoot him in Maryvale in March as he tries to make the Brewers opening day roster. I will be rooting for Edmonds to make the club, just so I can shoot him a few more times.

Randy Winn of the San Francisco Giants slides home safely as New York Mets catcher Ramon Castro applies a late tag during their game at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA on August 27, 2005. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The New York Yankees, desperate to fills some holes in their outfield have signed aging free agent Randy Winn to a one year deal for 2010 according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The deal is worth $2 million according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. The switch-hitting Winn spent the last several years with the Giants playing a terrific right field at AT&T Park, but his offensive numbers have deteriorated so bad he is now useless as a right-handed hitter.

Randy Winn #2 of the San Francisco Giants runs the bases against the Chicago Cubs during the game at AT&T Park on September 26, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Winn had just an awful year at the plate for the Giants ion 2009, hitting .262 with just 2 homers and 51 RBIs in 597 plate appearances. He is so bad batting right-handed that you can’t even risk sending him up to the plate against any lefties. The only thing that saved him over his last few years in San Francisco was his skill in playing one of the most difficult right fields in all of baseball: AT&T Park.

Randy Winn watches two dogs get loose in right field while playing for the Danville Little League All-Stars during a game in Danville, CA in 1989 when Winn was 15-years-old. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

I have been photographing Randy Winn longer than pretty much every other working photographer out there. I first shot Winn in 1989 (see above) when he was playing for the Danville Little League All-Stars as a 15-year-old in Danville, CA while I was working my first newspaper job out of college at the San Ramon Valley Times. Winn went on to star at San Ramon Valley High School in both baseball and basketball and then made a name for himself playing college hoops with Steve Nash for coach Dick Davey at Santa Clara.

Randy Winn of the San Francisco Giants bats during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California on September 7, 2008. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Winn started out his baseball career with the Devil Rays in 1998 and had a break-through year in 2002 when he oput up the best numbers during his stay in Tampa Bay by hitting .298 with 14 homers and 75 RBIs. He was traded to Seattle before the 2003 season and had a few decent years for the Mariners before he got the break of his life, when on July 30, 2005 he was traded to the Giants for Jesse Foppert and Yorvit Torrealba.

Randy Winn of the San Francisco Giants bats against the New York Mets during a game at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA on August 27, 2005. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

After Winn arrived in San Francisco he played out of his freaking mind for two months, hitting .359 with 14 homers and 26 RBIs in just 58 games. In September Winn was named National League Player of the Month after he banged out 51 hits and hit 447. Just the way you want to perform when you are auditioning for a new club. Luckily for him Giants GM Brian Sabean was easily impressed and signed him to a fat contract extension worth $23.25 million over three years. Yikes! Soon Giants fans would be counting down the days till that contract expired.

Randy Winn #2 of the San Francisco Giants gets ready in the dugout before the game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on June 23, 2009 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Winn is a very quite guy around the clubhouse who leads the young players by example and is well-respected by his teammates. That is cool, but he can’t play anymore, and the Yankees and their fans are in for a rude awakening this season, especially when he comes to the plate in a big situation and rolls over, hitting a weak ground ball to second base. Winn would probably make a good coach or manager in the future if he wanted to stay in baseball. He might need to do that sooner rather than later, as his playing days are numbered. Beware Yankee fans!

Ronnie Belliard of the Los Angeles Dodgers makes a defensive play against the St. Louis Cardinals during Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The Los Angeles Dodgers re-signed infielder baseman Ronnie Belliard today to a one-year deal worth $825,000. The 34-year-old Belliard hit .351 for the Dodgers after coming over from the Nationals in a mid-season trade. Nicknamed “Mini-Manny”, Belliard can play first, second or third base, but he is not very good at any of these positions.

Ronnie Belliard of the Los Angeles Dodgers gets ready in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on September 13, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

It looks like Belliard will join Blake DeWitt and free-agent signee Jamey Carroll in competing for the starting second-base position. Belliard is an 11-year veteran who can be productive off the bench of he doesn’t earn a starting job. Looks like it will be a busy camp when the Dodgers report to Camelback Ranch in Arizona next month.

Ronnie Belliard of the Cleveland Indians bats against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA on June 12, 2005. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Belliard has always been a good hitter, as he boasts a solid .275 career batting average. He had one of his best years with the Indians in 2004 when he made the American League All-Star team and hit .282 with 12 homers and 70 RBIs. He has always had a suspect glove and has gotten by in the big leagues because of his bat.

Ronnie Belliard #10 and Elijah Dukes #34 of the Washington Nationals get ready in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on May 13, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The Dodgers are in a desperate mess that has been caused by the ugly divorce between their owners, Frank and Jamie McCourt. The team will probably need to be sold in the near future, much like the Padres were last season under similar circumstances. This is why the club has no money to spend as they need to keep the payroll down in order to make the sale easier. Thus the Dodgers are left to make moves like this- hoping to catch lightning in a bottle for $850,000 at second base. This is good news for Giants fans like me. I hope the divorce drags out in court for a long time!

Jim Thome of the Cleveland Indians bats during a game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington in 2001. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The Minnesota Twins have signed free agent slugger Jim Thome to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million this afternoon. Thome, 39, has hit 564 career home runs in 19 big league seasons. They already have Jason Kubel as a left-handed hitting DH, so Thome will more than likely come off the bench to help out the ballclub in 2010.

Jim Thome of the Philadelphia Phillies gets ready in the dugout before a game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum on Oakland, CA on June 18, 2005. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Thome played for the White Sox and Dodgers in 2009, batting a combined .249 with 23 homers and 77 RBIs, most of them with the Pale Hose. Thome has 564 homers and might try and hang around long enough to pass the 600 mark, which would cement him as a Hall of Famer unless he is unveiled as a steroid guy in the future.

Jim Thome of the Los Angeles Dodgers gets ready to bat in the dugout during the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on September 13, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Thome was a vital part of the great offensive clubs in Cleveland in the 1990’s when their great lineup consisted of sluggers like Albert Bell and Manny Ramirez joining Thome in a potent lineup that made it to two World Series. Unfortunately they ran into the Braves in 1995 and Marlins in 1997, failing to win both times.

Twins sign Jim Thome – Images by Brad Mangin

Thome has always been fun to photography with his powerful swing from the left side of the plate to his great smile in thew dugout. Now that he is with the Twins he will get to help them break in their new outdoor ballpark in Minneapolis in April. I know my good friend Ron Vesely will be taking a trip to Target Field for the chance to shoot the Twins outdoors in their home whites for the first time in many years after playing in an awful domed stadium for a generation. Vesely will undoubtedly stop by the Twins dugout to say hello to Thome, who was always one of Ves’s favorites to shoot in Chicago where Vesely is the White Sox team photographer.

I think Thome is pretty much done. I don’t see him getting many at bats with the Twins. He is a great clubhouse guy and will help them off the field, but don’t look for much production from him.