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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 > October > 04
Sunday, October 4, 2009
A happy/sad kind of day
Some great things happened before the reality hit - my last game as the Cincinnati Reds beat writer for the Dayton Daily News.
Brandon Phillips walked up to me in the pre-game clubhouse Sunday and handed me one of his bats on which was inscribed: “To Hal ‘HofF’ McCoy. Thank you for all the support! Sorry that you have to go, but I know it’s not the last!’ Brandon Phillips, #4, Your boy, 30/30.”
That was special enough, but I was later told by Reds assistant PR director Jamie Ramsey that Phillips will not sign 30/30 at the end of his signature for anybody but his mother and father. People sometimes ask, but he doesn’t do it (30 homers, 30 stolen bases). The bat was enough - without being asked - and the 30/30 gives me the shudders.
WHEN IT was time for breakfast in the media dining room, Denise, the very lovely woman who runs the room as if it is her own dining room/kitchen, refused to take my $7 for my meal, then handed me a box with a small chocolate cake in it.
DURING THE GAME, Reds media relations director Rob Butcher announced, “There is pizza in the back room, compliments of LaRosa’s in honor of Hal McCoy.” Butcher said the delivery guy showed up at the gate and said he had a pizza delivery for Hal McCoy. Said Butcher, “Hal McCoy ordered pizza?” Said the delivery guy, “No, this is from LaRosa’s.”
Then I discovered it was my lovely, beautiful, thoughtful wife, Nadine, who ordered it and had it delivered to the pressbox. Thank you, honey. You’re the best.
BEFORE THE GAME, I was summoned to the back of the press room to meet a father and his son.
Remember on Hal McCoy Night at the ballpark when Jonny Gomes hit a home run and then signed the bat he used and gave it to me?
I neglected to get the son’s age because I was so flabbergasted, but he looks about 14 and his name is Kevin O’Neill of Erlanger, Ky. On the night Gomes hit his home run, O’Neill was in the upper deck in left field and got the ball.
On Sunday, he came to the game carrying the ball in a plastic cover and gave it to me - this treasure of a ball that he could have kept, a ball used in a major-league game that was hit for a home run.
But he gave it up for me. All he asked for was that I autograph my last game story and send it to him. I agreed. I also plan to get a new ball and have Gomes sign it and I’ll send it to Kevin. What an unselfish, caring teenager. Awesome, just awesome.
IN THE SIXTH inning they invited me to the TV booth so George Grande and I and could chit-chat on the air. Grande announced Sunday that he was stepping down and it’s a great loss for me. George and I have been together with the Reds for 17 years, sharing a lot of time together, sharing some meals together at Charley Gitto’s in St. Louis. He’s a pro’s pro and I’m going to miss him - one of the nicest men who ever walked the face of this ol’ earth.
AND I FINALLY lost it. They had a nice tribute on the scoreboard, showing George and I together in the booth. The crowd gave us a standing ovation and I saw the Cincinnati Reds in the dugout, standing and applauding, and that was it. The tears flowed and they’re still flowing as I write these words.
Homer Bailey is mowing down the Pirates, a fitting conclusion to the season. Just when he is finally saying hello, I’m saying good-bye. The kid has a great future, he finally gets it.
AND NOW the stadium is empty and I see the Ohio River flowing behind the right field stands. Ol’ Man River keeps rolling along, and hopefully, so will this ol’ man.
My time as a traveling baseball beat writer is over. But I’m not done. I promise you that. I have some options and I’m going to take one or two of them. Which ones is to be determined … soon.
My OFFICIAL retirement date from the Dayton Daily News isn’t until Oct. 31 and I’ll be writing some blogs and a few pieces for the paper, including ASK HAL for the next three weeks. Send me some questions. Don’t let me get lonely.
And I’ll let you know what’s ahead for me. A blog of some kind is a “for sure.”
It was Elvis who sang about the final curtain. For me, the big show is over. But I’m ready for a few curtain calls.
Cheers.
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