People who influenced a fortunate man
By HAL McCOY When you have had the great fortune I have had in my life — so, so fortunate — there have been more than a few people who paved the way and guided you through life’s many crevices. When my father, Harold, came marching home from World War II in 1945, I was […]
Stephenson less than ‘poetic’ against the Mets
By HAL McCOY Robert Stephenson’s season debut with the Cincinnati Reds Wednesday afternoon was less than poetic. In fact, he continues to be a riddle. After a dominant season at Class AAA Louisville, Stephenson was called up to face the New York Mets and looked a whole lot like the pitcher that has perplexed the […]
Romano rock solid, Stephenson pitches Wednesday
By HAL McCOY The Cincinnati Reds figured, or at least hoped, that Tuesday would be a good night, based on the opposing pitcher. But then the way the Reds have played lately a stuffed hippopotamus perched on the mound would give them trouble. They were facing Jason Vargas, he of the 2-and-7 record and 8.23 […]
Syndergaard, Mets continue mastery over Reds
By HAL McCOY The combination was awful for the Cincinnati Reds — the New York Mets and Noah Syndergaard. The Reds show little success against the Mets and Syndergaard, so the expected happened Monday night in Citi Field. Mets 6, Reds 4. The Mets have won 25 of the last 32 games against the Reds […]
No ‘beanball’ feedback, just another Reds loss
By HAL McCOY There were no extra-curricular histrionics Sunday afternoon in Nationals Park — just another Cincinnati Reds loss, 2-1, to the Washington Nationals. Joey Votto didn’t start the game, but it wasn’t because of a sore knee after he was hit by a Ryan Madson pitch Saturday night. The off-day for Votto was pre-planned. […]
DeSclafani good, Harvey bad as Reds split with Nats
By Hal McCoy In the days when Major League teams regularly played doubleheaders, in the days of The Big Red Machine, Cincinnati Reds manager Sparky Anderson would use one game to give his extra guys some playing time. They had a name for themselves: The Shock Troops and F Troop. And utility infielder Darrel Chaney […]
Reds: Nothing but bad news, Greene out for season
By Hal McCoy It was raining more than moisture on the Cincinnati Reds Friday. It was raining bad news. First of all, the scheduled Reds-Washington Nationals game Friday night in Nationals Park was postponed due to rain. Instead, the Reds and Nationals will play a day-night doubleheader Saturday — 1:05 and 7:05. The most ominous […]
Reds suffer capital punishment in Washington, 10-4
By HAL McCOY What happened to the Cincinnati Reds Thursday night in nation’s capital, especially to starter Tyler Mahle, can be safely called capital punishment. After two horrendous mistake-filled defeats in Detroit, reports out of the Reds clubhouse was that manager Jim Riggelman verbally lashed the team for its ineptitude on the basepaths and defensively. […]
F-u-n-damentals are no f-u-n for Reds in Detroit
By HAL McCOY The first three letters in fundamentals are f-u-n, but it is no fun for the Cincinnati Reds when they fail to execute basic fundamentals. For the second straight game against the lowly Detroit Tigers, the Reds messed up cutoff throws and fouled up on the basepaths. The result was two defeats, 7-4 […]