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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 > July > 12 > Entry
Day-dreamin’ and night-schemin’
Cease, Halt, Stop, Quit.
C’mon, guys. Act like adults. Let’s don’t get personal on this blog. Name-calling is so beneath you. I like to think my readers are intelligent - and most of you are. The few that snipe at each other irritate everybody else.
We don’t want to read it. We don’t want to hear it. State your cases without aiming it personally at somebody. We all have our opinions and we’re all entitled to it.
Aruba in two days.
Personally, I’m tired of reading about taking Ken Griffey Jr. out of third in the batting order, the 3-hole. Whatever. We all know he isn’t what he once was. We all know he isn’t as productive as he once was. We all know he should be moved in the order.
But it isn’t going to happen. Not now, probably not the rest of the year. Dusty Baker puts him there and keeps him there. Right or wrong, that’s the way it is and screaming and hollering at each other isn’t going to change it. It’s a dead issue.
Move on.
Aruba in two days.
THEY CAME to their senses - well, the official scorer did. He changed his call from Friday night. Instead of an error on center fielder Mike Cameron, he gave Cincinnati’s Jerry Hairston Jr. a triple and an RBI.
Cameron lost the ball in the lights.
Aruba in two days.
HE WON’T HAVE to make a scoring change from what happened in the first inning Saturday night. Adam Dunn drove a two-out three-run home run off RHP Seth McClung. That’s 26 homers and 57 RBIs.
And it gives Reds pitcher Edinson Volquez a 3-0. Only once in his 18 starts has he given up more than three runs.
Aruba in two days.
IF I WORKED in Milwaukee and covered the Brewers I’d weigh 350 pounds. They have hot dogs, bratwurst, polish sausages, milkshakes, ice cream and all the soda pop you can drink behind the press box. You pay $8 when you walk in the door, then load up, baby, load up.
Aruba in two days.
VOLQUEZ GAVE up two hits in the bottom of the first, but struck out two and got a generous call at first base by umpire Bob Davidson on a ground ball by Corey Hart. I swear he was safe, then the replay showed they nipped him. Once again, the umpire is 99 44/100th’s per cent correct.
Aruba in two days.
MY MAN Jerry Hairston Jr. just disappointed me.
I just got off the air with Marty Brennaman and we talked about how the Reds are 7-and and have won six straight with Hairston batting first and Jeff Keppinger second.
Hairston then singled, his second straight hit. The guy HAS to be in the lineup every day. Somewhere. He is having a career year, plus he shows some fire in his belly and he is a pleasant always smiling presence in the clubhouse.
Then he tried to steal second base as Jay Bruce struck out. He stopped halfway and was caught. Instead of getting into a hot box - a pickle, as kids call it - he gave himself up, let himself be tagged, instead of running back and forth, forcing some throws. One of them might have been a bad throw.
That’s the kind of stuff that constantly bothers me with this team and I had hoped Hairston was above.
Aruba in two days.
MAYBE I should have kept my yap shut about Hairston. He just booted a ground ball for an error and Prince Fielder blasted his 18th home run to cut Volquez’s lead to 3-2. Milwaukee has hit at least one home run in 12 straight games.
Have I told you I’m going to Aruba???
THE BREWERS filled the bases in the fifth because McClung opened the inning with a single, ending a 0 for 38 streak by Brewers pitchers. With two out and two on, Edwin Encarnacion fielded a ground ball behind third and couldn’t decided whether to throw to first or run to third for the force. He chose the run to third and stumbled, failing to get there.
That, yikes, loaded the bases, yikes, for Prince Fielder, yikes. Volquez went to 2-and-0 on him, then the anxious Fielder grounder weakly and meekly to second, leaving it 3-2.
Griffey one-hopped the wall in right leading off the sixth. What did I say about umpires? Davidson called it far and Griffey was perched on second. First baseman Fielder and right fielder Hart protest vehemently, the umpires huddled, foul ball. Griffey then sturck out.
AH, THE SAUSAGE race. Back when the Brewers were a team like the Reds, consistent losers, the sausage race drew more cheers than anything in the game. Still draws big cheers. I bet on Polish. Hot dog won. I’m oh-for-Milwaukee.
Bet I win in Aruba. Not.
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By OldFan
July 23, 2008 10:52 AM | Link to this
Hal: how long do we have to listen to motormouth Geo.Grande.All he knows is HOF,gold glover,every thing except the game thats on.
By OldFan
July 23, 2008 10:52 AM | Link to this
Hal: how long do we have to listen to motormouth Geo.Grande.All he knows is HOF,gold glover,every thing except the game thats on.
By REMO
July 13, 2008 2:04 PM | Link to this
Glad I found column Hal. The Cincy boys need to take some lessons from you. Then or now it’s gotten worse.
By null JB34
July 13, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this
I would like to know where Keppinger fits in the plan. The rotation with core players usally isn’t successfull. A hitter has to be in the lineup.
By Wizard
July 13, 2008 9:52 AM | Link to this
Wizard
By Matt
July 13, 2008 9:00 AM | Link to this
Matt’s father???? That is weird. Wow. Wow.
By Matt's father
July 13, 2008 12:53 AM | Link to this
Hal, so glad you put that brown nose boy of mine, Matt, in his place. His mother forbids me to discipline him. Maybe now we can talk about Reds baseball and not just his ongoing sniveling defense of Griffey. Like Griffey, it’s getting old. Thanks!
By Jerry
July 12, 2008 11:18 PM | Link to this
Very well said, as usual, Hal. A couple of bloggers can ruin it for the rest. State your case and let it go. Enjoy your vacation to … where was it you are going again?
By Mark in Sun Valley
July 12, 2008 10:43 PM | Link to this
Thank you Hal. It’s a shame you have to take a few people out to the woodshed once in a while, but the rest of your readers appreciate it. Enjoy Aruba. Don’t forget your sunblock.
By ohdave
July 12, 2008 10:28 PM | Link to this
I’m just coming back from vacation and I appreciate you keeping me informed, Hal. You have to like how the Reds are swinging the bats right now. It will be interesting to see if the Reds make any moves as the month goes on.
By Coach
July 12, 2008 10:26 PM | Link to this
No shift on in the eighth! Ground ball!
By Matt
July 12, 2008 10:22 PM | Link to this
Griffey continued to prove why he should be in the lineup every day and that he still has gas left in the tank. Talk about clutch hitting, that hit in the 8th was BIG TIME clutch. Huge hit, and very impressive win by the Reds. Volquez is now 12-3!! A Cy Young possibly in Volquez’s near future? A 20 win season perhaps? A win tomorrow means a 4-2 road trip!! Hope to see Sabathia have a bad day. Who says this team doesn’t have the talent to compete with the better teams?
By Y-City Jim
July 12, 2008 10:20 PM | Link to this
Jocketty should look at something to strengthen the bench. If the choices are Patterson, Phillips, or Valentin you might as well let the pitcher hit.
By Wizard
July 12, 2008 10:20 PM | Link to this
Great to see all of the determined play tonight—a baseball team that wanted it! EE wasn’t satisfied with his great play, he wanted to force the out at third, as well.Weathers got screwed on some ball-strike calls in the eighth, when Marty wasn’t paying attention—but, what’s new, huh? Hairston! Wow.Keep him healthy!Dunn—yes, about time!
By Beard
July 12, 2008 10:15 PM | Link to this
Hey Hal have fun in that place you’re going (I forgot where it was) on vacation. When you get back can we get predictions from you regarding how Jocketty will handle the trade deadline?
By Wizard
July 12, 2008 10:12 PM | Link to this
I’m sorry, but just because Dusty doesn’t acknowledge that Votto needs to be hitting third—and Not an over-the- hill Griffey—and because I can’t get in his ear about it—doesn’t mean I have to agree with ANYONE about it—including friends of Hal’s on this blog!
By wizard
July 12, 2008 10:01 PM | Link to this
Great game. Go Reds! Thank goodness the shift wasn’t on in the eighth, or it would have been another ground ball out by Griffey!
By Matt
July 12, 2008 9:36 PM | Link to this
Nice hit by Griff there in the 8th!! HUGE base hit to get the 4th run in.
By got milk
July 12, 2008 9:27 PM | Link to this
Might as well let Volquez hit as to send Patterson up there. Why not Keppinger? I know he’s right-handed, but, dang, the lefty-righty thing is way overrated when sending a .191 hitter to the plate vs. a guy hitting .280-something.
By Matt
July 12, 2008 8:13 PM | Link to this
I absolutely agree with you, Hal. Good points and I only wish that everyone felt the same way about it on here.