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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 > January > 12
Monday, January 12, 2009
From gynecologist to the Hall to the Reds
Am I the only male who accompanies his wife to the gynecologist and the grocery store? Seems that way to me, but I’m glad to do it. Gotta keep the franchise happy.
Lost six pounds last week on something called the Flat Belly Diet. My belly still isn’t flat. How long does this take?
RICKEY HENDERSON and Jim Rice were voted into the Hall of Fame. Good choices. I voted for Henderson, Rice and the next three top vote-getters (Andre Dawson, Bert Blyleven, Lee Smith).
Couple of questions.
How can more than 5% of my voting brethren not have Henderson on their ballots? This isn’t Flo Henderson, it’s Rickey Henderson and if his numbers aren’t Hall of Fame numbers then they should board up the venerable ol’ museum.
While Henderson made it on the first ballot, Rice made it on his 15th try - which would have been his last try. I voted for Rice all 15 years, but I’m perplexed. First, this isn’t Condoleezza Rice. It’s Jim Rice.
In those 15 years, Rice didn’t have a single at-bat, didn’t play a single game. Nothing improved. If he is a Hall of Famer now, why wasn’t he on the first ballot? That’s my contention. If a guy isn’t a Hall of Famer on the first ballot, is he EVER a Hall of Famer?
As I said, I voted for Rice all 15 years, but my belief is that if a guy isn’t a Hall of Famer on the first ballot, then he should never be a Hall of Famer.
I was glad to see that Mark McGwire received fewer votes this year than last year, his first year of eligibility. Having said that, I can’t wait for that McGwire fan to make his post telling him I’m an old fart who shouldn’t have a vote because what does a guy in Dayton know about baseball and that I should retire.
Before you post, my friend, I AM an old fart, but I’m not retiring yet. I’m on the beat for at least another year.
IT IS EXACTLY a month until the first day of spring training. I know Cincinnati Reds general manager Walt Jocketty has tried - and is still trying - to find a power-hitting left fielder, preferably righthanded.
Matt Holliday? Gone.
Pat Burrell? Gone.
Rocco Baldelli? Gone.
Milton Bradley? Gone.
Raul Ibanez? Gone.
There are some left fielders remaining on the free agent market — and don’t even mention Manny Ramirez.
There is Moises Alou, Garret Anderson, Eric Hinske, Emil Brown, Jacques Jones, Jay Payton. Any of those interest you?
Here’s the thing about free agents. A team has to outbid other teams and even then the free agent has to want to come to the team. Not many are interested in coming to a team with eight straight losing seasons, making Jocketty’s job doubly hard.
A significant free agent most likely is out of the question now. Jocketty said recently a trade might be more realistic. Again, that’s difficult. There has to be a team willing to trade and you have to have somebody to offer that the other team wants. That, too, is difficult for the Reds - unless they want to risk wrecking the future by trading top-level prospects.
The Yankees might want to trade Xavier Nady, a guy who blisters the Reds. And he might be a snug fit in Great American Small Park. But what would the Yankees want? Probably more than the Reds can pay.
Happy hunting, Walt.
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