My small part (unknowingly and sadly) in getting Tony Perez fired
By Hal McCoy This is about a time in my long, long, long career that I still look back on and wish I had kept my big mouth shut. My foot doesn’t taste good. It was the day I had an unwitting hand in the firing of Cincinnati Reds manager Tony Perez, after only 44 […]
OBSERVATIONS: A walk around a few ballparks
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave trying to concentrate on writing while Nadine runs the sweeper to clean up the detritus on the floor where I missed the ash tray. Underneath my ash tray looks like the remnants of Mount Rainier. —Some not-so-fond memories from baseball parks and other venues: CANDLESTICK PARK […]
OBSERVATIONS: The ‘Pleasure’ of Covering Games in Dodger Stadium
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, believing the Cincinnati Reds bullpen could not get worse, then watching new guy Jose De Leon and Cody Reed give up 10 runs in one inning to the Cleveland Indians. The Tribe had scored four runs in four games in a series with the Minnesota Twins […]
OBSERVATIONS: George Foster integrated the bat rack
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave while checking my new watch purchased by Nadine for my birthday, even though my birthday is 2 1/2 months away. She is always on time. Now I will be. —George Foster was the most underrated and unappreciated member of The Big Red Machine, something I often […]
OBSERVATIONS: McNamara was the leader of the band
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave while wondering what baseball will do if all 30 teams finish 30-30. —The passing of former Cincinnati Reds manager John McNamara this week evoked some unforgettable memories about this ruddy-faced Irishman who had a baseball for a heart. —When he managed in San Diego, they had […]
OBSERVATIONS: From strike up the band to strike out the man
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave while watching the rain turn the backyard into the swimming pool Nadine always wanted. —Everybody has heard the term, “Strike up the band.” In baseball, the term is, “Strike out the man.” And strike him out, strike him out and strike him out. In the first […]
OBSERVATIONS: Don’t ever mess with Ron Oester
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave as we await the start of the most convoluted, messed-up seasons in the history of Major League Baseball. Nadine is sad because our night-time binge watching of Netflix shows is coming to an end. —One of the toughest players, pound-for-pound, ever to wear a Cincinnati Reds […]
OBSERVATIONS: Brandon Phillips still hitting homers
UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, setting records for most water and lemonade consumed in an eight-hour period. —When this happened, the Washington Wild Things baseball team posted on Twitter: ‘THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!! Former Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips now 39, hit a home run this week for the Baseball Brilliance Sox […]
OBSERVATIONS: MAC schools lose millions over Big Ten decision
UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave wondering why, just a few weeks ago, I was wishing the cold weather would go away. What is is it they say: “Be careful what you wish for.” Or, to be grammatically correct: “Be careful for what you wish.” —The ramifications of the Big Ten doing away with all […]