McCoy: Another Wasted Effort By Greene
By Hal McCoy It was merely an argument for third place in the National League Central, but both starting pitchers performed as if it were the seventh game of the World Series Wednesday afternoon in PNC Park. Cincinnati Reds starter Hunter Greene pitched 6 1/3 scoreless, two-hit innings. Pittsburgh Pirates starter Mitch Keller pitched seven […]
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 […]