Ask Hal: The Game-Winning RBI Stat Was Meaningless
By Hal McCoy Q: Whatever happened to the Game-Winning RBI that MLB used to emphasize clutch hitting? —DAVE, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek. A: Good riddance to a bad stat. . .and baseball is full of bad, meaningless stats. And this was one of them. It didn’t emphasize clutch hitting. It was more timing. If a batter drove in […]
OBSERVATIONS: Injuries Already Plaguing The Reds
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, just hours away from witnessing a professional baseball game — the Cincinnati Reds againstg the team’s prospects at the Dayton Dragons’ Day Air Park. —OH, THE INJURIES: One thing for certain that the Cincinnati Reds or any team needs is for players to stay clear of […]
McCoy: Can The Reds Win The NL Central?
By Hal McCoy It is not known if Norman Vincent Peale was a Cincinnati Reds fan, or even a baseball fan. He lived and grew up in Reds Country, Bowersville in Greene County. If he was a Reds fan and was still with us, the author of ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’ could use this […]
OBSERVATIONS: De La Cruz Is Batting Third. . .And That’s Right
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, only 10 days before Opening Day, but who’s counting? I am. I no longer have to count on my fingers and toes, just my fingers. —ORDER-LY FASHION: As I’ve written many times, during my 52 years of covering the Cincinnati Reds, only one manager ever asked […]
Ask Hal: Would There Be A Backlash in Pete Rose Is Re-instated?
By Hal McCoy Q: If commissioner Rob Manfred removes Pete Rose from the restricted list, making him eligible for the Hall of Fame, would there be protesters in response? — DAVE, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek. A: Absoulutely. Fans seem to love Rose or despise him, few in-betweens. And there are Hall of Famers dead set against his […]
OBSERVATIONS: Stephenson To Miss Start Of Season, Trevino ‘nicked’
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, dizzy from watching college basketball morning, noon and Knight, er, night. Bob Knight is no longer with us, but John Feinstein’s book about him, ‘A Season On The Brink,’ is the best basketball book you’ll ever read (And Feinstein passed away this week). —JOSE CAN YOU […]
ASK HAL: Why Do Adults Fight Over Baseballs?
By Hal McCoy Q: I once observed a middle-aged man push an 8-year-old girl aside to secure a foul ball and why such enthusiasm over a $5 baseball? — DAVE, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek. A: Your concept of the price of a baseball is as out of date as a brass spittoon. They cost $25. And every fan […]
OBSERVATIONS: Where Will The Reds Finish?
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave with my fingers exercised and anxious to fly over the keys when Opening Day finally arrives. —A REDS OCTOBER?: Who ya gonna believe? Nobody, until the deed is done. Most Las Vegas betting emporiums list the Chicago Cubs to win the National League Central, followed by […]
OBSERVATIONS: Reds Off To Rowdy Start
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, in Arlington, Texas to cover three Ohio State baseball games for Press Pros Magazine. —SOME POSITIVES: The news out of Goodyear, AZ, an oasis in the Sonoran Desert where the Cincinnati Reds reside for six weeks, continues to be uplifting. After a day off Tuesday, the […]