McCoy: Reds Drop Series Finale, 6-3, Despite Solid Pitching By Martinez
By Hal McCoy When the Cincinnati Reds lose the first game of a series, it is pretty much a money-back guarantee they are going to lose the series. It happened for the 32nd straight time over the weekend against the San Francisco Giants in Great American Ball Park. They lost on Opening Day, won the […]
ASK HAL: Will MLB Adopt A Salary Cap On The Next Basic Agreement?
By Hal McCoy Q: Are you getting used to the New York Yankees not being the center of attention and have they lost their spotlight to flashier teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers? — DAVE, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek. A: The Yankees never are more than a step away from the spotlight, mostly because New York is the […]
McCoy: Reds Give Tito Francona His First Win As Reds Manager
By Hal McCoy Fans dig the long ball and the Cincinnati Reds hit two home runs Saturday afternoon during a 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants in Great American Ball Park. While those home runs, hit by Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, certainly helped, but that wasn’t the biggest reason the Reds presented new […]
Observations: Francona Still Learning His Team’s Capabilities
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATONS from The Man Cave and with baseball finally under way I’ll steal a line from Roger Angell, baseball’s William Shakespeare: “Baseball is not life or death, but the Cincinnati Reds are.” —TITO TALK: As a new manager, Terry Francona kept his eyes and ears focuesd on his team, trying to […]
McCoy: Did Opening Day Leave A Bad Taste, Or What?
By Hal McCoy Take a pill, Cincinnati Reds fans. Brew some hot tea. Squeeze a lemon in it. Yes, the Cincinnati Reds lost on Opening Day. Yes, they blew it, permitting the San Francisco Giants to score four runs in the ninth inning, a stab in the posterior with a hat pin. Yes, new manager […]
McCoy: A Return To The Great American Ball Park Press Box
By Hal McCoy CINCINNATI — Terry Francona walked into the pre-game interview room and it was as if he thought I was resurrected from the dead or at least a ghost from baseball seasons past. His first words, nearly shouted, when he spotted me in the room full of media mongrels was, “Holy sh – […]
McCoy: Some Cincinnati Opening Day Memories —Good And Bad
By Hal McCoy CINCINNATI — Terry Francona makes his debut as Cincinnati Reds manager on Opening Day today in Great American Ball Park. It isn’t his first Opening Day debut in Cincinnati and one wonders how his nervous system will function this time. In 1987 Francana was a player in the twilight of his playing […]
OBSERVATIONS: Just Who Are ‘Reds Prospects?’
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Day Air Ballpark press box, getting my first live and in color baseball and what’s the first thing I witnessed? A walk, a base on balls, a free passs. . .just getting those cliches polished up. —WHAT PROSPECTS: Is it embarrassing when a team of prospects beats the […]
Ask Hal: The Game-Winning RBI Stat Was Meaningless
By Hal McCoy Q: Whatever happened to the Game-Winning RBI that MLB used to emphasize clutch hitting? —DAVE, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek. A: Good riddance to a bad stat. . .and baseball is full of bad, meaningless stats. And this was one of them. It didn’t emphasize clutch hitting. It was more timing. If a batter drove in […]