McCoy: From Despising Willie Mays To Loving Him
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, wishing I had been able to cover and write about Willie Mays during his prime. —TRULY A-MAYS-ING: It was 1954 and I despised Willie Mays. I was 14 and closed-eyes about any player that didn’t wear a Cleveland Indians uniform. And when Mays made ‘The Catch’ […]
McCoy: A ‘Nick’ In Time For Reds In 2-1 Win
By Hal McCoy When it comes to being a stopper, Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo is as reliable as a plug in a bathroom sink. With the Reds reeling under a three-game losing streak, Lodolo screwed a tight muzzle on the Pittsburgh Pirates Tuesday night in PNC Park, pitching the Reds to a tight-squeeze 2-1 […]
McCoy: Too Much Paul Skenes For the Reds
By Hal McCoy The Pittsburgh Pirates much-publicized pitcher, Paul Skenes, was almost as advertised. With his much-deserved attention, one might expect him to pitch a perfect game and strikeout 27 Cincinnati Reds Monday night in PNC Park. Not quite. . .but Skenes was a well-polished, well-poised 21-year-old rookie for six innings during the Pirates’ 4-1 […]
McCoy: Another Close Encounter Loss For The Reds
By Hal McCoy As a celebration of Father’s Day and a focus on Prostate Cancer Day, the Cincinnati Reds featured a blue ‘C’ on their caps, blue socks, blue sweat band and blue catcher’s equipment. And, indeed, it was a blue, blue Sunday for them against the Milwaukee Brewers in American Family Field. Given a […]
OBSERVATIONS: Stan The Man The ‘Harmonica Man’
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave after attending the beautiful wedding of my gorgeous niece, Lauren. —STAN THE HARMONICA MAN: It was July 28, 2003, 2 o’clock in the morning in the bar of the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown, NY. The Otesaga Hotel is on the shores of Lake Otsego, a body […]
OBSERVATIONS: Can Reds Continue To Climb?
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave as the Cincinnati Reds play the Cleveland Indians/Guardians, knowing I’ll be happy whomever wins. I grew up an Indians fan and covered the Reds since Harry Wright managed them in 1869. —YOU BE ‘THE JUDGE’: What’s that saying, “Be careful what you wish for?” Yankee Stadium […]
OBSERVATIONS: Reds Remain Last, But Not That Far Down
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, loving the never-ending stream of baseball books that keep arriving and it seems if a player doesn’t have a book about him on the shelf, he didn’t accomplish anything. —RED ALERT: Will Benson said it best the other dapy and he said it with a broad […]
OBSERVATIONS: Who Needs Another Baseball Curse?
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from the Man Cave, feeling old, until I remembered that after pitching more than 5,000 innings, Nolan Ryan threw a no-hitter and struck out 16 Toronto Blue Jays. . .at age 46. —Baseball loves to talk about perceived curses like the Curse of the Bambino on the Boston Red Sox […]
McCoy: Reds Post A Rare One-Run Win, Stop Cubs, 5-4
By Hal McCoy If ever there was a window of opportunity for the Cincinnati Reds, it is right now and that’s a picture window standing wide-open. When the Reds opened a three-game series Friday afternoon with a breath-holding 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs, it began a string of 10 games against struggling opponents. After […]