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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2012 > January > 05
Thursday, January 5, 2012
All is quiet down on the Riverfront
UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, a nearly permanent residence for a few days while workers tear out tiles and rug from the sun room, dining room, kitchen and living room prior to installing wood floors. Simonize, anybody?
Spent a wonderful New Year’s weekend at the French Lick (Ind.) Resort & Casino. After setting a world’s record for 12s, 13s, 14s and 15s at the blackjack punishment tables, followed by tens to bust me, I need to make another trip in hopes that they permit me to visit my money.
So it is time to break my Code of Silence, a code mostly enforced because all is quiet on the Riverfront on the baseball front.
AFTER A PRODUCTIVE week of obtaining pitchers Mat Latos and Sean Marshall, things have gone quiet in the offices of the Cincinnati Reds.
Don’t they still need a left fielder? Or are they willing to give Chris Heisey a try?
Don’t they still need a closer? Or are they willing to put Sean Marshall in that role, a role he served with the Chicago Cubs on days closer Carlos Marmol was not up to it.
The Reds continue to maintain a dialogue with Coco Cordero and his agent, Bean Stringfellow (love that name), but the Reds are only offering one year and Stringfellow wants to string the Reds out for a multi-year deal.
Have to cast my vote with the Reds on this one. Cordero is too old to gamble on a two or three-year deal. Stringfellow says he is in touch with other teams willing to do more than one year, but nothing has happened.
LET’S SEE NOW, despite the forced departures of starters Edinson Volquez and Travis Wood, the Reds still have six viable guys in pursuit of five spots: Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, newly-acquired Matt Latos, Homer Bailey, Mike Leake and Aroldis Chapman.
The Reds remain adamant that Chapman is going to spring training as a starter, even though shoulder tenderness stopped him from playing winter ball.
Wouldn’t it be better to see if Chapman and his smoke-eating fastball might be a closer? Or if they move Marshall into the closer’s spot, Chapman could remain as a set-up guy.
WE SHALL SEE soon enough. Spring training isn’t THAT far behind. I know that because next Wednesday I’ll attend the Portsmouth Murals baseball dinner, a yearly event to which is one of the year’s highlights.
Nearly 400 people attend, along with several former and current major league players and umpires from the southeastern Ohio area. The guest of honor is always former Reds scout Gene Bennett from nearby Wheelersburg. Every time his name is mentioned he gets a standing ovation, a richly deserved standing ovation.
I’VE NOTICED one thing during the football bowl season. It isn’t a whole lot of fun being a placekicker. I’ve lost count on how many games came down to a field goal attempt and whether the kick was good or missed determined the outcome of the game.
I kicked extra points in high school (we never once tried a field goal and I was thankful for that). When UD play-by-play broadcaster Larry Hansgen heard me say that, he said, “I can just see it. Hal the Toe, straight-on kicker (no soccer style kickers in my day), wearing high-top cleats.
He was right on.
RECEIVED A NEAT phone call today. Dave Goren, executive director of the National Sportscaster & Sportswriters Association (NSSA) told me I was Ohio sportswriter of the year for 2011, my 12th time to win the award.
It never gets old, especially the awards weekend in Salisbury, N.C., the only city in America that loves sportswriters and treats them like royalty. And there are no better hosts in America than Dennis and Linda White, who takes care of Nadine and me while we’re there.
Dennis is a huge Cleveland Indians fan, so misery really does love company.
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