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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 > 2009 > August > 29 > Entry
A good reason to like Gomes and Rolen
ANOTHER REASON I really like Jonny Gomes, other than the fact he is a good player and a great guy:
When I walked into the Reds clubhouse Sunday morning, Gomes was in front of Scottr Rolen’s locker and judging by their body language they were obviously talking about hitting. Rolen went into a stance as Gomes watched. Then Gomes when into a stance and swung with his hands.
The discussion went on for at least 20 minutes.
When it broke up I said to Gomes, “The way you’ve been hitting why are you talking to Rolen about hitting?”
Gomes, who takes batting instruction in the off-season from former Reds outfielder Kevin Mitchell - who could roll out of bed in his pajamas and smash a double - smiled and said:
“I looked at his numbers closely the other day and I saw a lot of power and a lot of RBIs and throuhout his career, even now, he is extremely low in strikeouts. You look at most guys who hit for power and their best years are when they had a lot of strikeouts.
“Those guys are more aggressive and swing harder. It wasn’t the same for him. So I was asking him, ‘How do you hit for power and not strike out?’ Will I ever be able to do that? I don’t know but I can always pick his brain. He’s totally a good guy to have around.”
And that’s another reason I like Jonny Gomes and a major reason to have a real professional like Rolen around.
AH, SENILITY. Can’t be far behind.
I took a new sport coat and a new pair of slacks to Milwaukee for a meeting with commissioner Bud Selig. After the meeting, I changed to my normal jeans and untucked dress shirt and hung the sport coat and jacket in the hotel closet.
Next morning I packed to fly home. Yeah, you know what I did. The sport coat and slacks were left hanging in the closet, unwrinkled but lonely.
The Residence Inn said they retrieved them and sent them to me and I’m waiting for the reunion.
I also had a $550 David Yurman silver bracelet my wife, Nadine, bought me in Las Vegas. Loved that bracelet. Wore it every day. While in MIlwaukee I glanced nonchalantly at my wrist one afternoon. Gone. The bracelet was gone.
ANYBODY KNOW where I can lease a BMW for a decent price? I can’t drive it, but my wife thinks she’d look pretty spiffy in one. I think she looks spiffy without a BMW, but I wouldn’t mind one.
RYAN FREEL is quickly working his way through the majors - in one year. He began the season with Baltimore after the Reds traded him there last winter for catcher Ramon Hernandez. Then he moved to the Chicago Cubs. Then he moved to the Kansas City Royals. Then he moved last week to the Texas Rangers, a minor-league contract.
Freel is a strange little dudde. One day he is effervescent, full of energy and charm and laughter and a “Hi, how are ya?” The next day he is deadly quiet, sits at his locker with a poker face and stares a hole right through you.
SAW TWO AMAZINGLY rare things in one inning at Great American Ball Park Saturday - Craig Tatum and Paul Janish hit home runs in the same inning and Pete Rose signed an autograph for free.
SPEAKING OF Janish, when asked about Janish and his strong glove but meek bat, manager Dusty Baker said, “It’s easier to find gloves than to find bats.”
ANOTHER LIST:
Cincinnati baseball beat writers who I have worked with and against in my 37 yeaers:
DAYTON DAILY NEWS: Me.
CINCINNATI ENQUIRER: Bob Hertzel, Ray Buck, Greg Hoard, Tim Sullivan, Geoff Hobson, Jack Brennan, John Erardi, Rory Glynn, Mike Paolarcio, Scott McGregor, Chris Haft, Rob Parker, Tim Brown, John Fay.
CINCINNATI POST: Earl Lawson, Bill Koch, Bruce Schoenfeld, Mike Sokolove, Jeff Lenihan, Jerry Crasnick, Jeff Horrigan, Tony Jackson, Mark Lancaster, C. Trent Rosecrans.
Permalink | Comments (19) | Post your comment |
Comments
By ironmyke
August 31, 2009 11:50 AM | Link to this
Didn’t the Journal Herald have a beat rider for the Reds? Why so many at the Cincinnati papers? Did those writers not want to make a career out of the beat, or did the sports editors create the turnover?
By MisterRedLegs
August 31, 2009 11:23 AM | Link to this
I think you forgot me from that list of Cinti sports writers. Please update.
By RC
August 31, 2009 10:39 AM | Link to this
Not to be a Grande-booster or anything, but the “dumb like a fox” bit is an occasionally used expression (also often seen as “crazy like a fox”) indicating that a person is “acting” dumb/crazy for some super-smart strategic reason. I’ve also seen it used sarcastically on people who are fer-real dumb or nuts. I didn’t see the comment, so I don’t know the context, but I don’t think you can add this to the list of Wacky Grandeisms. We got plenty already.
By red
August 31, 2009 10:19 AM | Link to this
Call Andy Furman at Jake Sweeney BMW……I bet he would help you out.
By ShockMonkey
August 31, 2009 6:29 AM | Link to this
Don’t lease a BMW Hal, buy a “pre-owned” outright. Cash is king right now so you can work amazing deals. Go to Mercedes Dealer who has used Bimmer’s on the lot. Offer about half the asking price in cash. They’ll say no but within days and sometimes hours, they always call back. Per Reds: I like Gomes too but he’ll probably leave and we’ll sign Corey Patterson to take his place.
By Gary Maloy Jr.
August 31, 2009 12:17 AM | Link to this
Naahhh, c’mon Nap2 - the fox is sly - that’s how he gets into the henhouse. If you’ve heard that the fox is dumb, then it’s from people who don’t know the correct phrase. As far as the game, I sat over here in Europe, knowing I still had a couple papers to grade before going to bed. I watched until the Codgers went up 3-2. But I didn’t even wait for the end of the top of the inning. The fat lady could start singing - I knew the game was over. Okay, okay, the Reds scored 2 runs over 12 innings - but the opposing starter was sharp, as were their relievers. What disappointed me was Joey Votto swinging like (as my dad used to say about me) an old wash woman on the strike out in the 7th/8th inning against the first Dodger reliever. He looked utterly terrible.
By Diamond Dave
August 30, 2009 9:53 PM | Link to this
Sorry to hear about your bracelet, Hal. I’m sure it meant more to you because it was from Nadine than what it cost. As far as senility, I can feel your pain. My company told me they were eliminating my position, effective immediately, on Friday. So Saturday, with my head still spinning, I forgot to bring that book for you to sign. Today, I remembered the book, but forgot a Sharpie! AAUGH!!! Hopefully, I’ll have my act together the next time I get down there.
By Mike-Cinci
August 30, 2009 9:35 PM | Link to this
Before we blame everything on Cordero please note the Reds scored 2 runs on a Darnell McDonald HR in inning #2. That’s all the Reds scored. Most hated McDonald in April when he hit .150. He was our best on Sunday. That’s not a good thing. The Reds might not have scored until Tuesday if the game lasted any longer. Do you really think the talent on this roster can compete over 162 games next year? Some love all the guys who failed everywhere else thinking we can compete with other team’s leftovers. Look at the Dodgers roster and compare it to the Reds. There is no comparison. That’s why the Dodgers will win 95 games. Also their home grown talent will have them winning for years to come.
By BrarHopper
August 30, 2009 6:43 PM | Link to this
Once again Fatso Doofus CoCo comes in and loses yet another game for the Reds. Imagine how ineffective he’d be at ONLY $5 million a year instead of a staggering $15 million a year. Fire whoever hired this pig.
By napoleon 2
August 30, 2009 6:11 PM | Link to this
Gary, I’ve seen the fox analogy both ways, but more often “sly.” George missed the “behind the back” call, but he is genuinely a nice man. It’s still better than listening to arrogant, cranky, “my opinion is all that matters” Marty on the radio. There is nothing worse, listening to a Reds game, than having Marty try to call a play before it is over, only to get it wrong and have to change his call. Why is it so hard for him to just wait until the play is over and call it right. He must do this at least 4 or 5 times per game.
By Gary Maloy Jr.
August 30, 2009 3:08 PM | Link to this
George Grande, chapter 2: Manny Ramirez is ‘Dumb like a fox’. Ummm, hello George. The fox is sly. NOT DUMB, ya idiot!
By Gary Maloy Jr.
August 30, 2009 2:59 PM | Link to this
I just turned the game on. Unfortunately, I chose the televised sending. I tuned in just in time to see Joey Votto range to his right, field the ball and flip to Arroyo for the out at first. George Grande: “how ‘bout THAAAT, behind the back!” Then the replay showed (as at least I saw the first time) that Votto flipped it under his throwing arm. George Grande igjen, “the ol’ flipperoo”… Gawd he’s BAAAADD
By Sal Monella
August 30, 2009 1:54 PM | Link to this
Hey Get Real, see how much you can learn by visiting this blog!? Yes, by all means, try and pay closer attention and you’ll learn things. LOL
By Get Real
August 30, 2009 1:47 PM | Link to this
I didn’t know baseball stole Pete’s livelihood … I must not have been paying attention during the Dowd report, Pete agreeing to the lifetime ban, his 20 year denial and then selling the real truth in a book. Huh, you got me, baseball is to blame for all of that …
By stlredsfan
August 30, 2009 1:37 PM | Link to this
Hal, you aren’t alone as far as losing or misplacing things. Received a 75 dollar rebate debit card recently and now I can’t find it. I’m losing my mind trying to find it.
By BrarHopper
August 30, 2009 1:29 PM | Link to this
Kilroy you are spot on. baseball is a just another hypocritical corporate monopoly that exercises an extreme double standard and always has. They just have a burr up their @ss about Rose and somehow blame him for the death of big fat slob Giamati. Bud Selig is the ultimate shill and bag boy for the special interests of whiny elite super-rich billionaire boys club owners…the same riff-raff who drove awesome owner Marge Schott out of their club. Baseball is a joke. Integrity? MLB has not one iota. Selig has even less. Just look at the steroids issue.
By Kilroy
August 30, 2009 1:17 PM | Link to this
I know it was a joke, but Pete does often sign autographs for free. After baseball stealing his livelihood you can’t blame him for putting food on the table. It still irks me the things you reported Selig said to you about Pete the other day. If banning Pete is about the integrity of baseball, yet they let Pete in the All Century game for MasterCard $, doesn’t that mean baseball has no integrity when it comes to money? If Pete was a Yankee and the greatest hitter of all time, would he still be banned? I know deep down inside you know the answer. Pete just doesn’t generate enough $ for Selig’s so called integrity.
By max
August 30, 2009 1:12 PM | Link to this
You might remind Dusty we are talking about the shortstop position. Also he had about 80 at bats through the first 120 games or so. Also mention Corie Patterson and Willie Taveres. Guys he stuck with in an admittedly defensive position but couldn’t hit major league pitching.
By Dr. C, PhD
August 30, 2009 1:07 PM | Link to this
Easy to explain Freel’s problem…just remember when he was arrested for drunk driving? That high one minute down the next is classic up/down bipolar behavior and/or alcoholic behavior. Sometimes one mimics the other