Severino silences Tribe, series even
By HAL McCOY It was a genius move by Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona in Game One of the American League Division Series when he started Trevor Bauer against the New York Yankees. As it turned out, though, it was not a baseball Charles Einstein move when he brought back Bauer on only three days […]
Tanaka, Bird put the clamps on the Tribe, 1-0
By HAL McCOY In this season during which home runs were a penny a dozen, it figured that a long ball would break up a wondrous pitching performance by both sides. And one swing of the bat by Greg Bird broke it all up and decided the outcome of the American League Division Series Sunday […]
Genius move by Francona lifts Tribe
By HAL McCOY Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona raised brows over both eyes of most baseball aficionados when he selected Trevor Bauer to pitch Game One of the American League Division Series Thursday night. Hey, it’s the power-laden New York Yankees you’re facing. Why not pitch the Tribe’s best, Corey Kluber? In case you haven’t […]
Things were wild in the NL wild card game
By HAL McCOY There must be something in the water, a puff-‘em-up ingredient in the Salt River, a small stream that runs through the Salt River at Talking Stick baseball complex near Scottsdale, Ariz. Both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies conduct spring training preparations at the beautiful complex at Salt River. And neither the […]
What’s ahead for Reds in 2018?
By HAL McCOY The long, long, long season for the Cincinnati Reds finally ran its frustrating course Sunday afternoon in Wrigley Field. By winning the final game, 3-1, over a spring training-like Chicago Cubs lineup, the Reds finished exactly the way they finished in 2016 — 68 wins, 94 losses. And they accomplished those 94 […]
Late homer robs Stephenson of sixth win
By HAL McCOY For the Chicago Cubs on Friday in Wrigley Field there was no Anthony Rizzo, no Kris Bryant, no Addison Russell and no problem against the Cincinnati Reds. With the Cubs already champions of the National League East, three of their best players took a day off and the Cubs still handled the […]
Romano’s final start one for the ‘posterior’
By HAL McCOY If what happened Thursday afternoon was a joke, Cincinnati Reds rookie pitcher Sal Romano was the butt of it. But (butt?) it was no joke to the Reds, who lost for the 92nd time this season, a 4-3 decision to the Milwaukee Brewers. Romano was pretty much holding the Brewers in place […]
Bailey saves his best for last
By HAL McCOY As Homer Bailey packed his bags and boxes for shipment home to Texas Sunday in Great American Ball Park and packed his gear for the Cincinnati Reds last road trip of the season, he said, “My last start of the year is in Milwaukee and I plan to make it a good […]
Brewers ‘deck’ McGuire in his starting debut
By HAL McCOY Deck McGuire was auditioning for 2018 for the Cincinnati Reds Tuesday night in Milwaukee and if he had been on The Gong Show he would have heard a quick bong. He was making his first major league start after four scoreless bullpen appearances and was obviously full of adrenaline and a sack […]