Hall-of-fame baseball writer Hal McCoy knows a thing or two about America’s pastime. If you’d like to tap into that knowledge, send a question to halmccoy1@hotmail.com.

Q: Dusty Baker said he brought pitcher Mark Prior to spring training as a favor to an old friend. How long before he receives calls from Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa? — Dave, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek

A: You are assuming Bonds and Sosa are his friends just because they played for him. While Baker talks about a lot of his old players, he never mentions Sosa and rarely mentions Bonds. He might receive calls and he would take them because he is a courteous man, but if they are asking for jobs they’ll be told the Reds aren’t hiring.

Q: Historically, is there any correlation between spring training success in wins and losses and what happens during the regular season? — Craig, Arlington, Va.

A: As of this writing, the Reds are 3-13, worst record in the Cactus League, and Kansas City is 15-2, the best. Anybody want to wager that the Reds will have the worst record in the National League or that the Royals will have the best record in baseball? The Yankees have the worst record in the Grapefruit League (7-12). If former owner George Steinbrenner was still alive, he’d be going berserk. He drove manager Joe Torre nuts every spring when the Yankees had bad spring training records, but then they’d win the division and often the World Series. Won-loss spring records mean zero.

Q: MLB has put in a rule that it is a balk if a pitcher fakes a throw to third and throws to first, a move to speed up games. But how often do you see it and how often does it work? — Craig, Fairborn

A: Oh, it was tried often and it always drew hoots in the pressbox because it never worked. In 41 years I saw it work once. A pitcher faked a throw to third, then picked Eduardo Perez off first base. And he has never been permitted to forget it. As far as speeding up games, it might reduce a game from 2:52 to 2:51.

Q: Scribes and talking heads constantly write or say that players who reach 32 or 33 have diminishing value and are on the down side of their careers. Since most players don’t hit the big leagues until they are 25 or 26 and it takes a couple of years to get acclimated, are they saying a player has only three or four prime years? — Keith, Dayton

A: Those who say that have never heard of Minnie Minoso (54), Julio Franco (49), Jamie Moyer (49), Hoyt Wilhelm (49), Nolan Ryan (46), Carlton Fisk (45) or a guy named Pete Rose (45). And some baseball writers make it to 73.

Q: The Reds signed free agents Armando Galarraga and Clay Hensley to minor-league contracts with invites to the major-league camp, so if they don’t make it on the 25-man roster do they have to go play for a Reds’ minor-league team or are they free agents? — Bob, Belmont

A: Most major-league veterans like Galarraga and Hensley have agreements that they must be told by a certain date if they will make the team. If they aren’t going to make it, they have their choice of taking a minor-league assignment or becoming free to sign with any other team that wants them, which is what usually happens. And there is little more than a miniscule chance either will make it with the Reds.

Q: It has been said that the Reds front office sees the money they are paying Chapman as starter money and not closer’s pay, thus he needs to be a starter. But aren’t some closers paid starter-type money? — Kevin, Delhi

A: Chapman was signed for $30.5 million, but his salary this year is $2 million, followed by $3 million next year and $5 million in 2015, far below what an established starter makes. And those who believe closers don’t make big money forget that the Reds paid Coco Cordero $12 million for each of his last three years with the team. And the New York Yankees paid Mariano Rivera $15 for each of his last five years as closer. So, yes, teams do pay for closers.

Q: On the designated hitter, wouldn’t it be easy for the American League to give up its experimental nonsense and play the game correctly? — Dan, Urbana

A: Unfortunately, it is far from an experiment. It has been around so long it is embedded. But it is absurd that when the World Series comes around they play two different games, one in the NL park and one in the AL park. Get rid of it. The Players Association would howl at the moon because the DH gives aging veterans a few more years of work when they can no longer chase down a fly ball or bend over for a grounder.

Q: What seven pitchers do you believe will make up the Reds bullpen this year if Aroldis Chapman is in the rotation? — Gregg, Proctorville

A: Barring injuries, the bullpen will be: Sam LeCure, Alfredo Simon, J.J. Hoover, Sean Marshall, Jonathan Broxton and either Jose Arredondo or Logan Ondrusek (neither Arredondo nor Ondrusek has been good this spring). Did you notice that’s only six? The seventh? The closer will be Aroldis Chapman.