‘V’ for victory when Verlander pitches one-hitter
By HAL McCOY With Houston’s Justin Verlander on the mound, the Tampa Bay Rays knew runs would come at a premium. How about hits? The Rays not only didn’t score any runs, they barely scraped a hit off Verlander in Game One of the American League Division Series Friday afternoon. It was as if Verlander […]
Cardinals survive defensive doldrums, late Braves home runs to win 7-6
By HAL McCOY The St. Louis Cardinals, normally defensive dandies, tried their darndest to give away a game Thursday night. Early in Game One of the National League Division Series, the Cardinals played defense as if they didn’t know the definition if they had a dictionary in their hands. Lax defense gave the Atlanta Braves […]
OBSERVATIONS: Of the Reds, Harper, Sandoval (and more)
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave while thinking about the five seasons — winter, spring, summer, fall and the best season of all, baseball. The Cincinnati Reds are off to a low-flying start, 1-and-3, and swinging as if they are using a wet rolled-up newspaper for a bat. They’ve had four hits […]
OBSERVATIONS: Castillo Reds’ Opening Day starter, UD and Wright State put up stern fights in NIT losses
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS while spending a long, long evening in The Man Cave La-Z-Boy watching basketball (Wright State), baseball (Cincinnati Reds) and basketball (University of Dayton), leaving the chair only for bathroom duties and refrigerator raids. —In a somewhat surprising move, Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell named Luis Castillo as the Opening Day […]
Observations: Of baseball’s new rules, the Reds, Zion Williamson, Odell Beckham
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, sitting in my La-Z-Boy next to my wife’s shiny new Lincoln Nautilus as my bank account shrinks. —Major League Baseball had to mix in a $1 million stipend into the Home Run Derby to entice players to compete. In the final round last year Bryce Harper […]
Wright State stops Green Bay comeback, moves to Horizon finals
By HAL McCOY Wright State University’s basketball team moved into the finals of the Horizon League tournament Monday night, but the Raiders had to take a deep breath and compose themselves early in the second half. The Raiders had a 20-point lead over Green Bay with 17 1/2 minutes left in the game. A runaway? […]
Observations: Grant confident Flyers ready ‘for a run’
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from the cozy, comfort of the Man Cave while wondering why in the name of stitched baseballs that college baseball teams schedule home games in early March in Ohio. Both the University of Dayton and Wright State are scheduled to play games in Dayton Thursday through Sunday. Wonder how many […]
Of Sinclair (McNeil), Wright State and UD
By HAL McCOY It’s free. No charge. Just walk right in and sit right down. And two bags of popcorn, a 20-ounce bottle of Diet Pepsi, a 20-ounce bottle of water and a Reese’s Cup cost $4.5o. True, Building 8 on the Sinclair College campus is difficult to locate and bread crumbs are recommended to […]
Wright State-Northern Kentucky: Basketball at its best
By HAL McCOY There could not have been a more exciting, more competitive and more well-played basketball than what was enacted Friday night at the Nutter Center. Wright State University and Northern Kentucky University left a dozen hearts on the floor in a hand-to-hand combat battle for first place in the Horizon League. Wright State, […]