OBSERVATIONS: Which ‘Diaz’ Do You Prefer?

By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, so honored to have JD Old-Fashioned Cusard in Englewood to name a flavor of the ‘dae’ after me. It was Hal McCoy Cookies n’ Creme. . .my absolute favorite. —DIAL DIAZ: If you are a Cincinnati Reds fan and Alexis Diaz comes in to close a […]

McCoy: Lowder Shuts Down Cardinals, Two Straight Shutouts

By Hal McCoy For a team that has enough injured pitchers to fill a hospital ward, the Cincinnati Reds are pitching as if no arm is missing. For the second straight game, the staff spliced together a shutout, this time a 3-0 decision over the St. Louis Cardinals in Busch Stadium Tuesday night. And over […]

McCoy: Martinez Almost Perfect As Reds Win, 1-0

By Hal McCoy Nick Martinez was a combination of Pedro Martinez and David Cooperfield Monday night in Atlanta’s Truist Park. He pitched like Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez and made the baseball disappear from Atlanta Braves batters like magician David Copperfield. The man is only starting games because the Cincinnati Reds starting staff has […]

McCoy: Espinal’s Two-Run Double Ends Mets’ Winning Streak

By Hal McCoy His middle name is Roman but it should be Clutch. Santiago Roman Espinal doesn’t play every day for the Cincinnati Reds, but when he does his bat is always quality control — put the ball in play and let it fall where it may. On Sunday afternoon in Citi Field, his two-run […]

McCoy: Vientos’ Second Homer Walks Off Reds, 6-4

By Hal McCoy There were four two-run home runs crushed Friday night in Citi Field, accounting for eight of the 10 runs in a wild one involving the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets. Unfortunately for the Reds and fortunately for the Mets, the Mets had the last one that provided the Mets with a […]

OBSERVATIONS: Joey Votto’s Honest Assessment

By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave wondering if the New Yorks Mets realize what awaits them in their series against the Cincinnati Reds. Or not. —PAL JOEY: The first couple of years Joey Votto was with the Reds, he was a complete introvert. Interviewing him was like yanking teeth from a Sabre-Toothed […]

McCoy: Lowder, Defense Enables Reds To Sweep Houston

By Hal McCoy As one national sportscaster put it: “The Cincinnati Reds have beaten the Houston Astros eight straight times. How does that happen?” Make it nine straight. How does that happen? That’s baseball. It happens when rookie pitcher, Rhett Lowder, making his second major league start, throws nothing but zeroes at the Astros. How […]

OBSERVATIONS: Some Childish (But) Funny MLB Clubhouse Pranks

By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave on a rare off day for the Reds in the middle of a series, leaving me with nothing to do but duck chores. —YOU HAD TO BE THERE: Clubhouse capers are rampant, so much so that one might expect to see children’s books and Legos in […]

McCoy: Reds Beat Up Verlander, Top Astros Seventh Straight Time

By Hal McCoy Houston pitcher Justin Verlander is for certain in the fast lane to Cooperstown, but he might want to burn the tape on his Labor Day in Great American Ball Park. It was not Hall of Fame stuff for him as the Cincinnati Reds handed him and the Houston Astros a 5-3 defeat. […]