Cubs show they aren’t going away
By HAL McCOY The Chicago Cubs showed they are not going to go quietly into the night, even a very cold and drizzly night against a very hot Cleveland Indians team in Progressive Field. After getting shut out in Game 1 Tuesday, the Cubs came out swinging in Game 2 Wednesday night and returned the […]
Tribe tramples Cubs in Game One
By HAL McCOY ‘The city of Cleveland is like our team. It has been pushed around and now it’s time to push back.’ — Cleveland Indians Manager Terry Francona. And the Cleveland Indians gave the first shove Tuesday night in Game One of the World Series, with large pushes from pitchers Corey Kluber and Andrew […]
Can the Reds do what the Tribe did?
By HAL McCOY Fans keep asking: “If the Cleveland Indians can do it, why not the Cincinnati Reds?” Yeah, why not? Well, they can. It is not why, it is when — if the planets align and the creek don’t rise. And let’s not invoke the small market-big market excuse. THE CLEVELAND INDIANS payroll and […]
Of the Cubs, Kershaw and Curses
By HAL McCOY And now ‘The Curse’ faces the Chicago Cubs— ‘The Curse of Clayton Kershaw.’ That’s the obstacle the Cubs face Saturday when the National League Championship Series continues in Wrigley Field. But the Cubs do have a cushion. Even if they lose to Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers, there will be a […]
Unknown pitches Tribe to the World Series
By HAL McCOY If there is a Merit Badge for chutzpah, Cleveland Indians pitcher Ryan Merritt won his Wednesday afternoon, a gold-plated one. Chutzpah is defined as audacity, guts, cheeky, nerve, boldness, temerity. Those all could be Merritt’s middle name after the 24-year-old left hander, helped pitch the Cleveland Indians into the 2016 World Series. […]
Who is that wearing Cubs uniforms?
By HAL McCOY Who are those impostors wearing Chicago Cubs uniforms? The Chicago Bears? The Minnesota Twins? OK, the Cincinnati Reds? Once upon a time, the Chicago Bears football team was known as the Monsters of the Midway. This year, the Monsters of the Midway were the Chicago Cubs. On their way to 103 victories […]
Francona continues to wear the genius hat
By HAL McCOY If Terry (Tito) Francona doesn’t win American League Manager of the Year they should anchor the trophy with cement blocks and toss it into Lake Erie. The Cleveland Indians manager, a utility player for the Cincinnati Reds briefly in 1987, has faced more adversity than a possum on a freeway. He calmly […]
Kershaw Krushes Kubs, 1-0, evens series
By HAL McCOY Any questions why the Los Angeles Dodgers are wiling to pay pitcher Clayton Kershaw $34 million a year to work every fifth day? If the Chicago Cubs questioned the high investment they have no doubts now why the Dodgers pay the scraggily-haired left hander more money than the Costa Rican gross national […]
Tribe puts silencers on Blue Jays bats
By HAL McCOY The Toronto Blue Jays tore through Texas like the notorious Newton Gang, scoring 22 runs in a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers. Then they hit Cleveland. IN GAME ONE OF THE American League Championship Series, the Blue Jays were force fed doses of Indians pitchers Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller and Cody […]