Reports Say Reds Have Hired Francona
By Hal McCoy The Cincinnati Reds grabbed the man at the top of their wish list. Terry Francona has agreed to return to manage the Reds, according to several sources. The Reds have not made it official, but are expected to make it official Friday morning. Apparently, the 65-year-old former manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, […]
OBSERVATIONS: Why Didn’t Mama Name Me Gene?
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, just six days before I’ll be climbing the steps of the Acropolis, if I can make it. —GENE EQUALS GENES: Why didn’t my mom name me Gene? If she had, I might have made it to the major leagues with the New York Yankees. (Oh, what […]
OBSERVATIONS: And More On Pete Rose
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave and now what do I do with the Cincinnati Reds season thankfully over? Well, it is just a few days before Nadine and I and some friends will visit Greece and the Italian Amalfi Coast. —PETE AND REPEAT: If you thought the 1,000-word piece I wrote, […]
McCoy: Good Times And Bad Times With Pete Rose
By Hal McCoy Pete Rose was too tough to die. It can’t possibly be true. He always slid head first and he was always safe. But it is true and it is so damn difficult to comprehend. He passed away Monday at age 83. Little more than a week ago he was in the Cincinnati […]
Ask Hal: Can Hitters Differentiate Four From Two?
By Hal McCoy Q: Are hitters able to differentiate between a four-sem fastball and a two-seam fastball? — DAVE, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek. A: If they can’t, the front of their uniform is likely to read Altoona, Pensacola or Somerset. MLB hitters can tell the difference between fastballs, changeups, sliders, curveballs, splitters, sweepers, sinkers, knuckleballs and spitballs. Is […]
McCoy: Reds Finish Season With 3-0 Extra-Inning Win
By Hal McCoy The Cincinnati Reds avoided the ignominy of finishing a disappointing 2024 season with a six-game losing streak and being shut out three straight times. Barely. Their last game of the season was a 3-0 10-inning victory over the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field Sunday afternoon. With the Pittsburgh Pirates losing their last […]
McCoy: Another Day, Another Shutout As Reds Lose, 3-0
By Hal McCoy For the Cincinnati Reds it was second verse, same as the first and deja vu all over again. Another day, another shutout. Another day, a fifth straight defeat. And another day, another wasted effort by a starting pitcher. This time, on another wind-swept day in Wrigley Field Saturday afternoon, it was a […]
McCoy: Reds Waste Another Martinez Gem, Lose To Cubs, 1-0
By Hal McCoy It was not batter versus pitcher Friday afternoon in Wrigley Field. It was batter versus Mother Nature and the Windy City on a day with a stiff wind blowing in. It was a day for smallball. The Chicago Cubs utilized it. The Cincinnati Reds didn’t. And the result was a Cubs 1-0 […]
OBSERVATION: Pirates Set A New Low For Being Cheap
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, pulling for the Cleveland Guardians in the post-season and at least one Ohio MLB team is relevant. . —IT’S THE ‘PITTS’: The Pittsburgh Pirates are known to be so cheap they should change their name to the Pittsburgh Pikers. But what they did this week is […]