Observations: ‘Skipper’ — You Can Book This One
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, thanking MLB’s streaming of every game so this baseball junkie can overdose on game after game after game. —OF MANAGERS AND DOGS: There is a terrific new book on the market by Scott Miller, one of the game’s best baseball writers. It is called ‘Skipper,’ a […]
McCoy: a 1-0 loss…to the Pirates???
By Hal McCoy TJ Friedl led Tuesday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a triple off the top of the PNC Park’s 21-foot high wall. And he didn’t score. That set the tone for a 1-0 loss, the eighth time the Reds have been shut out, tying the Pirates for the most in MLB. […]
OBSERVATIONS: A Tale Of Two Sad Cities
By Hal McCoy UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave — the last one before a 19-day hiatus in Greece and the Italian Amalfi coast. See ya all on the flip side. —ELEMENTARY WATSON: Who thought any organization could waste more money than the U.S. governent. But the Cleveland Browns succeeded. They would have been better […]
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 […]