OBSERVATIONS: Why I’m glad Bonds wasn’t voted into the Hall of Fame
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, a couple of days after getting a vaccine shot and for once, and once only, it pays to be 80 years old. —Nobody was voted into the baseball Hall of Fame this year. Nobody received the necessary 75 per cent of the votes. And that’s OK […]
OBSERVATIONS: Aaron’s chase of Babe Ruth was harrowing
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, feeling morose over writing about the continued loss of iconic Hall of Fame baseball players. Stop it. Please stop it. —One of Hank Aaron’s best friends was former Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker. He never tired of telling stories about Hammerin’ Hank, especially about how difficult […]
Heavenly pitching rotation adds Sutton to Gibson, Seaver. Ford, Niekro
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, shaking my head in despair as a Heavenly Hall of Fame pitching rotation has been filled: Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford, Tom Seaver, Phil Niekro. . .and now Don Sutton, gone this week at age 75. —Don Sutton was seated at his clubhouse dressing stall in the […]
OBSERVATIONS: A good friend needs a little help from his friends
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, thankful to have avoided the COVID-19 pandemic, holding off until I get my dose of vaccine next Tuesday. For once, it pays to be 80. —There is always a time for man to help man (or woman). And definitely it is always time for friend to […]
OBSERVATIONS: Las Vegas picks Reds to win NL Central
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave while waiting for the Cleveland Browns to shock the world and win the Super Bowl. . .and that might not be until 2025, if then. —Jimmy Shapiro of BetOnline sent this startling note: The Cincinnati Reds are favorites to win the National League Central. Say what? […]
Italian restaurants, coast-to-coast, mourn Lasorda’s death
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave as I prepare to devour a lunch of a salad and some leftover clam chowder. The pandemic has laid waste to my waist-line. —There isn’t an Italian restaurant in the country worth its marinara sauce that doesn’t have an autographed photo of Tommy Lasorda hanging on […]
Lasorda: Hall of Famers who died in 2020 gained a manager in heaven
By Hal McCoy Tommy Lasorda always referred to The Big Dodger in the Sky. And now Lasorda is with the Big Dodger in the Sky, regaling him with baseball tales while they enjoy a huge plate of spaghetti, linguine and meat balls. Lasorda was as Italian as a Ferrari. As he sat in his office […]
Observations: A man with 35 jobs in 35 years
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, bleary-eyed after watching three college basketball games in one sitting and waiting to watch Wright State and Dayton tonight. That’s not Wright State vs. Dayton. Two separate games. —One of my favorite person to work along-side me during my 58 years as a sports journalist was […]
OBSERVATIONS: One approached Danny Jackson with caution after a loss
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave after watching West Virginia come back from 19 down in the second half to beat Oklahoma State on the road, 87-84. Somewhere John Denver is singing, ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads.’ —One of the fiercest competitors I ever encountered was pitcher Danny Jackson, who turned 59 […]