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 […]
OBSERVATIONS: Wonder what Dabo is thinking now?
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave after watching Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields display the gutsiest and toughest performances I’ve ever seen in 58 years covering sports. Every time I order ribs I’ll think of Justin Fields. —Some stuff from New Orleans that has nothing to do with Bourbon Street: (*)Dabo Swinney […]
OBSERVATIONS: Niekro always had hitters knuckling under
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave waiting to see if Ryan Day and Dabo Swinney square off with boxing gloves at midfield before Friday’s Ohio State-Clemson game? —It was 2007 and I had some fun while on a trip to San Francisco with the Cincinnati Reds. I have a niece, Meghan Tomczak, […]
A Merry (Steve) Christmas to all Reds fans
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave wondering why Santa Claus delivered a lump of coal, even though I left him cookies and bourbon and he parrtook of both. —This is a Christmas Story for Cincinnati Reds fans. . .a Steve Christmas story. A fan has to be bleeding Cincinnati red, and bleeding […]
OBSERVATIONS: The best pitcher’s duel ever (Marichal-Spahn)
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave trying to avoid attacking two boxes of Esther Price cashew bark candy that Nadine hid in a corner of the refrigerator. . .but didn’t hide good enough. —The most famous pitching duel in major league history was enacted on July 2, 1963 in San Francisco’s Candlestick […]
OBSERVATIONS: Who do you think of in uniform number 24?
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave after watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation for the 20th time and laughing all the way, despite knowing every funny line, especially everything that come from the mouth of Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid). Baseball uniform No. 24 has some special meanings. . .Tony Perez to Cincinnati Reds […]