OBSERVATIONS: What does a guy catching behind Johnny Bench do?
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, still living in the past until baseball returns, if it does, and everybody keep both fingers crossed, and toes, too, if that’s possible. —Bill Plummer was many of Johnny Bench’s back-up catchers with the Cincinnati Reds, meaning they played every changing of the equinox. Plummer wanted […]
OBSERVATIONS: When Darrel Chaney nearly lost his smile
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, sweating as if I’ve just run a mile when I haven’t even left my chair to open the refrigerator. —For most of his career Darrel Chaney was a utility player for the Cincinnati Reds. But manager Sparky Anderson called him one of the most valuable guys […]
OBSERVATIONS: Jose Rijo: a very special kind of guy
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave while listening to all the talking heads ruminate on how good the Cleveland Browns will be this year. What is it they say about winning games on paper? —There is no better guy in my little world than former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jose Rijo (Jose Rijo […]
OBSERVATIONS: Baseball down as if hit by a Bob Gibson fastball
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave while remembering what Rodney King said: “Why can’t we just all get along?” Major League Baseball? RIPC — rest in perpetual controversy. As expected, the players gave an emphatic no to MLB’s latest proposal, 60 games with full pro-rated salary. It is as obvious as the […]
OBSERVATIONS: ‘The Real Ken Griffey Jr.,’ in my relationship
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave waiting for the NBA and NHL to start. But I fear I’ll be waiting until 2021 for any Major League Baseball to start. —ESPN is featuring a special Sunday night at 8 p.m. on Ken Griffey Jr., the most misunderstood player in baseball. While most media […]
OBSERVASTIONS: The day Dock Ellis went head-hunting against the Reds
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, wondering if I believe commissioner Rob Manfred when he says there is a 100 percent chance baseball will return this year. I wouldn’t believe him if he passed a polygraph test. —The famous story about Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis is that he pitched a no-hitter […]
OBSERVATIONS: It Ain’t Funny How Time Slips Away (for baseball)
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, watching Korean baseball while the Boston Red Sox organist plays music. Disclaimer: I don’t like organ music at baseball games. It has reached a point that when MLB or the players make an offer I just give them a cursory glance because I know it will […]
OBSERVATIONS: Rose makes ‘news’ when he doesn’t even try
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, gazing at some old Cincinnati Reds media guides for a large doze of baseball nostalgia. —Does anybody make the news more often, for no apparent reason, than Peter Edward Rose? And that’s even though he sits in Las Vegas, minding his own business, signing autographs and […]
OBSERVATIONS: All baseball, all the time (maybe)
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, thinking about baseball, baseball and baseball. Unfortunately, all I can do is think about baseball. . .and write about it. It was poet/essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson who said, “Money often costs too much.” Ol’ Ralph died in 1882, so it is doubtful he was a baseball […]