Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy is in his 36th year of covering the Cincinnati Reds, the longest tenure for any active writer covering one team. Counting spring training and postseason games, McCoy has covered more than 7,000 major-league baseball games, written close to 18,000 baseball stories and eaten enough hot dogs to give Babe Ruth indigestion.Home > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > May > 16 > Entry
Tales about the Ohio Cup
It is no longer the Battle of Ohio/Baseball. Once again it is the Ohio Cup.
It’s a rebirth and probably means the same to the players of the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds as it did in its genesis.
Nothing.
It started before interleague play. Somebody came up with the idea of The Ohio Cup for spring training. The Reds and Indians scheduled their last spring training game in Columbus, one game for the not-so-coveted Ohio Cup - winner takes the actual trophy home for a year.
One year a pitcher named Tim Birtsas was to start The Ohio Cup - he was called Big Bird by his teammates because he sort of looked like Big Bird, minus the yellow feathers.
Anyway, somebody asked him about being fired up about pitching The Ohio Cup and he said, “Ohio Cup? What’s The Ohio Cup, a boat race?”
The only person who cared about The Ohio Cup was Marge Schott. She was angry one year when the Reds lost, 1-0, on a cold, rainy day when all the players swung at the first pitch, just to get in out of the wet and chill. The game was 1:56.
One year the Indians won The Cup and asked for it. Nobody knew where it was. It disappeared. So did the annual game. Where was The Cup? When Schott died, they found it piled among trinkets in a room at her Indian Hill home.
There is another story floating around that the Indians had The Cup in their offices one year when two guys walked in and asked for it. A receptionist said, “It’s right there.” The two guys picked it up and walked out the door and nobody cared to stop them.
Maybe Marge hired them.
Now it’s back, sponsored by the Ohio Lottery. I won’t even ask Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez about the importance of the Ohio Cup. None of the Cleveland writers was aware of its rebirth.
The Indians pitched lefthander Jeremy Sowers Friday night, a name familiar to Reds fans.
General manager Jim Bowden had no money in the budget to pay for a No. 1 draft pick in 2001. Sowers told everybody who would listen that he was going to Vanderbilt University and wouldn’t sign, if drafted. Knowing that, Bowden seized on the opportunity to make a No. 1 draft pick he knew he couldn’t sign.
So he drafted Sowers. Sowers didn’t sign. Went to Vanderbilt, as promised. And the Cleveland Indians drafted him out of Vanderbilt. And he signed.
Now he gets to pitch in the all-unimportant Ohio Cup game.
There was no talk of The Ohio Cup in the Reds pre-game clubhouse. Ken Griffey Jr. sent a clubhouse boy out to purchase two grocery bags full of Wendy’s burgers for hungry teammates before batting practice.
He unwrapped a new glove and said, “Give me a break tonight on defense. I’m breaking in a new glove tonight - my third one in a week. None of ‘em feel good. I thought it was my hand, but I think it’s my gloves.”
Nobody believed he would wear a brand new glove in a game, so we’ll be checking.
If they need The Ohio Cup game timed, Kent Mercker was the man. He was walking around the clubhouse carrying the biggest watch in captivity - a grandfather clock with a strap. And probably the heaviest. It weighs a pound-and-a-half and Francisco Cordero (Yes, it was Cabrera in an earlier post. I have a mental block on his name and have called him Cabrera before. Cordero, Cordero, Cordero, Cor….) said, “You gonna wear that thing? You won’t be able to lift your wrist.”
Said Mercker, “I’m going to wear it when I run, like weights on your wrist. Hey, I was watching Buy-NBC one day at 1:40 in the morning and they advertised it. Only $2,500. It’s a cool watch.”
Everybody in the clubhouse seemed happy about Thursday’s postponement, a night off. Everybody but Javier Valentin. Even Mother Nature is against him. He was supposed to start at first base, his first start in a game since April 16 - one month ago.
“See ya next month,” he said.
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Comments
By Coach
May 16, 2008 10:37 PM | Link to this
Four wins in a row! Terrific. Go Reds! Go Reds—trade Griffey for two reasons: One, he should have been on second base when the throw to the plate was over the head of the cutoff man, and Hairston was tagged out at the plate. Griffey jogged to first, barely getting to first base when the tag was made at the plate. Two: Apparently, they will not bring Bruce up because Dusty doesn’t want to have to play Bruce everyday—Reason? Patterson would have to go! So, If they get rid of Griffey—they can play Bruce! If this isn’t the most ignorant logic I have ever heard—don’t bring up the MVP, because we have a .258 lifetime hitter, who the manager is fond of! Wonder what would happen if Bruce said “Play me or trade me”?By Jimmy1Time
May 16, 2008 8:50 PM | Link to this
Hal tells us more about the Bigheaded Pitcher of ours in triple A that thinks he is a superstar!!! Homer will be a bust unless he grows up. Hal tell the one again bout Homer wearing the buck knife. Also were is the COwboy & Thom show? Welsh, all he does is talk about are his playing days. I hate himBy Jimmy1Time
May 16, 2008 8:50 PM | Link to this
Hal tells us more about the Bigheaded Pitcher of ours in triple A that thinks he is a superstar!!! Homer will be a bust unless he grows up. Hal tell the one again bout Homer wearing the buck knife. Also were is the COwboy & Thom show? Welsh, all he does is talk about are his playing days. I hate himBy got milk
May 16, 2008 8:10 PM | Link to this
Ugly start for Homer Bailey tonight. 5 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 6 BB and 4 K. 99 pitches. Pulled after 5. Jay Bruce 0 fer 2.By Matt
May 16, 2008 6:05 PM | Link to this
That would be a typo, folks. He was obviously talking about Fransisco Cordero!!By Ryan
May 16, 2008 6:04 PM | Link to this
I’m sure he meant Francisco Cordero. Haha. Either way, I’m looking forward to this series. My favorite club is the Reds, but when I have to root for someone in the AL, it’s the Indians for sure. I love listening to Tom Hamilton on the radio. I do feel bad for Javy, though. Having 3 catchers is such a waste, I think. And we hardly use him as a pinch hitter! The last time was May 10th, and before that, May 4th. Such a waste.By Scott
May 16, 2008 5:17 PM | Link to this
Sratch that last comment. I was thinking of Jolbert Cabrera. What in the world is Franciso Cabrera doing in the Reds clubhouse?By Scott
May 16, 2008 5:08 PM | Link to this
Did the Reds call up Franciso Cabrera? Who was sent down?By Mark
May 16, 2008 4:56 PM | Link to this
Hal: Who is Francisco Cabrera?