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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 > 2008 > April > 12 > Entry
An unusual lineup
Fans ask all the time, “What do you guys do in the press box during a rain delay? Do you talk baseball? Do you drink coffee? Do you blog?”
Answer: All of the above and much more. Do cat naps count? Does reading the Playboy swim suit issue count?
On Friday night during an hour’s rain delay in Pittsburgh, this came up.
Check out this Cincinnati Reds lineup and figure out what is probably unique about it. They don’t keep records on these things, but it has nothing to do with baseball. Hint. It has to do with the last names.
Corey Patterson, CF. Jeff Keppinger, SS. Ken Griffey Jr., RF. Brandon Phillips, 2B. Adam Dunn, LF. Ryan Freel, 3B. Joey Votto, 1B (or Scott Hatteberg). David Ross, C. Bronson Arroyo, SP. Jeremy Affeldt, RP.
Marty Brennaman, radio broadcaster. Hal McCoy, baseball writer.
So now the Reds have wasted outstanding pitching performances from their young Dominican Dandies, first Johnny Cueto in Milwaukee and Friday Edinson Volquez in Pittsburgh.
Cueto pitched 6 1/3 innings on Tuesday in Milwaukee, giving up two runs and five hits, walking none and striking out eight, but the Reds lost in 10 innings, 3-2.
Volquez pitched five innings Friday and gave up no runs and three hits, walking three and striking out one, but a one-hour rain delay prevented him from coming back for the sixth and the Reds lost, 1-0.
It didn’t seem to break the spirits of either pitcher, but being young and impressionable, a few more like those might get into their heads. It would behoove their teammates to unsheathe their bats and do some damage - make it easy on them and easy on themselves.
There are a lot of Dusty Baker Bashers out there, but if you are around this guy much, you have to love him.
He said when he got this job that he hated losing - can’t stand it, that it tears him up.
The Reds have lost five times this season so far and it eats at him after every game. He wears it on his sleeve, as noticeable as if he wore a big ‘L’ on it. After Friday’s 1-0 loss to the Pirates it was if somebody stole his dog, Bailey.
“I hate that. 1-0 losses are the worst,” he said. That’s because the Reds stranded 12 runners, went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and had runners in scoring position in each of the first seven innings and didn’t score.
Bronson Arroyo goes tonight, weather permitting, against the team that originally drafted and signed him, the Pirates. Then he went to the Boston Red Sox and says often how much he misses Boston and would some day like to go back. He never says that about Pittsburgh. If you’ve been here, you know why.
Example: The game went late Friday, due to two rain delays. A fellow gets hungry after a long day’s night. Try to find a restaurant open in downtown Pittsburgh after 9 p.m. It’s easier to find a doctor who makes house calls.
Oh, and Deaner wanted a pierogies race report. Hannah won Friday, Deaner. Unfortunately, the pierogies race in Pittsburgh pales in comparison to the hot dog race in Milwaukee.
And that’s something else that gets talked about during rain delays. Somebody wondered how long it would be before Cincinnati starts running a Skyline coney race.
“As soon as they find a sponsor, but it won’t be Gold Star,” somebody said.
Now, about that Reds lineup. It could appear on the field sometime this season and it may be the first time it happens. Check the last names. At some point, every player’s name has the same letter back-to-back. Patterson (tt), Keppinger (pp), Griffey (ff) - right down the line to Brennaman (nn) and McCoy (cC). Scott Hatterberg gets double credit for tt and tt.
Now you know what goes on during down time in the press box - everything but work.
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By Publius
April 14, 2008 5:00 PM | Link to this
Wait — isn’t it Sports Illustrated that has the swimsuit issue? Certainly, I’m no expert on Playboy, but…
By Joe
April 14, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this
The rain delays must be brutal if the double letters in player names is a topic.
By Joe
April 14, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this
The rain delays must be brutal if the double letters in player names is a topic.
By docproc
April 14, 2008 9:08 AM | Link to this
Amy Ryan on Trent Rosecrans’ blog has been posting about the double letter phenomenon for more than a year! Maybe you picked this up from her indirectly through Trent. Give her cred!
By Deaner
April 13, 2008 10:39 AM | Link to this
Thanks Hal!
By Jim
April 12, 2008 4:17 PM | Link to this
Jeff Keppinger should get double points along with Scott Hatteberg
By Rob
April 12, 2008 1:20 PM | Link to this
The Reds already have the Mr Reds race. They’ve got mascot costumes for all 3 competitors, I’ve kind of wondered why they don’t just run that in real life. At least that way maybe there’d be fewer bush league disruptions by Gapper.