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 […]
OBSERVATIONS: Injuries Already Plaguing The Reds
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, just hours away from witnessing a professional baseball game — the Cincinnati Reds againstg the team’s prospects at the Dayton Dragons’ Day Air Park. —OH, THE INJURIES: One thing for certain that the Cincinnati Reds or any team needs is for players to stay clear of […]
McCoy: Can The Reds Win The NL Central?
By Hal McCoy It is not known if Norman Vincent Peale was a Cincinnati Reds fan, or even a baseball fan. He lived and grew up in Reds Country, Bowersville in Greene County. If he was a Reds fan and was still with us, the author of ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’ could use this […]
Observations: You Can Always Book It
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, just a few days (Tuesday) before the Cincinnati Reds appear live and in color in Dayton to play the team’s top prospects. —BOOK IT, BILLY: It is sheer delight when I shamble across the street to the mailbox and find a package in a plain brown […]
Xavier Encroaches On UD And Puts On NCAA First Four Show
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from UD Arena for a second night of NCAA First Four distraction, bleary-eyed after leaving UD Arena at midnight Tuesday, then getting up at 6 a.m. to watch the Dodgers and Cubs in the TokyoDome. —As far as the University of Dayton’s Flyer Faithful were concerned, Xavier’s NCAA First Four […]
OBSERVATIONS: A Quick Trip To The First Four At UD Arena
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from UD Arena, a special edition from the site of the NCAA First Four basketball tournament. Just somethinng to entertain me before baseball’s ‘real’ Opening Day a week from Thursday in Cincinnati —UNWELCOME GUESTS: While the University of North Carolina was taking shots against San Diego State Tuesday night, West […]
OBSERVATIONS: De La Cruz Is Batting Third. . .And That’s Right
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, only 10 days before Opening Day, but who’s counting? I am. I no longer have to count on my fingers and toes, just my fingers. —ORDER-LY FASHION: As I’ve written many times, during my 52 years of covering the Cincinnati Reds, only one manager ever asked […]