Beckett Park nearly finished
Marshall vs. Valley View
Chaminade Julienne vs. Monroe
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 > 2010 > March > 07 > Entry
So it DOES rain in Arizona
GOODYEAR, Ariz. - One of the selling points for the Cincinnati Reds to move their spring training headquarters from Florida to Arizona was that somebody told them it never rains in Arizona. Isn’t that supposed to be Southern California?
Anyway, today was Sunday. And it rained. It rained last Sunday and the Sunday before that. In fact, it has rained every Sunday since the Reds opened for business in their new mansion-like estate in Goodyear.
This rain caused the cancellation of an exhibition game today in Maryvale against the Milwaukee Brewers. When somebody told manager Dusty Baker it has rained every Sunday, he said, “Sounds like the name of a good song - It Never Rains In Arizona Except On Sunday, a good blues tune or a Van Morrison tune.”
So the Reds have played two games and had one rained out. In their last six years in Sarasota, Fla., the Reds had two games rained out.
To make up for lost action, the Reds and Brewers scheduled a ‘B’ game for 9:30 (Mountain time) in the morning and Homer Bailey will pitch.
Bronson Arroyo was scheduled to pitch today, but he’ll be moved back to this afternoon’s 1:30 game against Kansas City. After Arroyo’s two innings, Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman makes his exhibition-game debut, probably in front of a large national media audience.
Asked if Chapman might be nervous pitching in The Big Arena for the first time, Baker smiled and said, “Why? This kid has pitched in front of the world (World Baseball Classic) and pitched for food. Why would he be nervous pitching a spring exhibition game?”
And Arroyo doesn’t mind the inconvenience. It’s actually a convenience - he doesn’t have to make a bus trip. “I get to pitch at home,” he said. “Let’s hope I go two innings, six-up and six-down - although I doubt that.”
Arroyo hates pitching in day games and nearly all games in Arizona after day affairs and he said, “As long as I get a couple hours of sleep I’ll be OK.”
OK, SO DO YOU want to get into the newspaper? I need Ask Hal questions for my Sunday feature in the Dayton Daily News. Ask about anything. Type ‘em nicely, sign your first name and where you are from and e-mail them to halmccoy@hotmail.com.
Permalink | Comments (20) | Post your comment |
Tweet
Comments
By seo lace
May 2, 2010 10:38 AM | Link to this
I acn’t read www.middletowwnoujrnal.com in Firefox 8.6, just fibured I would let you know!
By Buy Ambien
April 5, 2010 8:55 AM | Link to this
limits bhavsar fangled expectancy diaries monday essay ortin fosters clarke anodier
By Buy valium
April 4, 2010 3:20 PM | Link to this
absolute homepagehttp meter geoff opinions linguistics intangible palpable skills proper rogers
By YouAreYoungAndDumb
March 9, 2010 9:13 AM | Link to this
Patrick: Show a little respect—If it wasn’t for ‘old people’, you wouldn’t be running your mouth!
By Spring break?Florida of course
March 9, 2010 8:49 AM | Link to this
Florida is right down I75 and an easy 2 day trip in a car. Now they have moved to a place that is to far for me to drive. Thats a drag. I think its a mistake. Looks like I will never go to another Reds preseason game.
By baseballguy-1
March 8, 2010 10:15 PM | Link to this
Some Reds fans just don’t get it and probably never will. The Reds are in Arizona because Goodyear offered them the best opportunity to prepare for a 182 game season…..by far. Historical data shows the Arizona much better than that of Florida in March. The Reds opted for the best spring training facility in MLB rather than remain in Sarasota and train in a facility that offered fewer amenities than some high schools. Sorry, those of you who liked to attend a spring game or two every season. You never figured in the equation, nor should you have.
By Reds always suck FL or AZ
March 8, 2010 1:40 PM | Link to this
If the Reds moved to Beverly Hills, California it wouldn’t help the team at all. It would provide some nice shopping for the wives and Marty.
By Roland
March 8, 2010 12:47 PM | Link to this
Reds’ fan here in Southern California. We’re having quite a bit of rain this year due to the strong El Nino weather pattern. It’s actually a blessing since we’ve been in a pretty serious drought for the last three years. Having lived in both South Florida and California, I can say that in most years, the Reds will not see a drop of rain in March in AZ and the weather is generally better with low humidity and pleasant temperatures. I do understand how Reds fans living in Florida are upset with the move.
By Shawn in Knoxville
March 8, 2010 11:41 AM | Link to this
On a more serious note…is there any way that the offense in place right now can win more than 70 games. Joey Votto can’t do it all by himself.
By Shawn in Knoxville
March 8, 2010 11:38 AM | Link to this
I truthfully don’t care how long the Reds lease is in Arizona. I will grouse and complain every single year until teams like the Reds, Dodgers, Indians, Royals, Rangers and White Sox go back to Florida where they belong. The only thing they need to do in the Arizona desert is film cowboy movies.
By Patrick
March 8, 2010 9:15 AM | Link to this
PLEASE quit complaining about Arizona. The Reds are not moving spring training back to the land of strip-malls, 4:30 buffets and old people. They have signed a 30 year contract with Goodyear. Get used to it.
By Harry the Horse
March 7, 2010 11:09 PM | Link to this
Hey I watched the Orioles and the Red Sox at beautiful Ed Smith stadium today.. 68 degrees and not a cloud in the sky… The $ 10 million the Sarasota County commission poured into the Stadium really made it look nice. The Orioles love it!!
By Bill
March 7, 2010 9:42 PM | Link to this
Hal, what a real shame. I have to wait 20 years for the Reds to move back to Florida for spring training. That’s a long time to wait for a visit to the Broken Egg. I’m sure NOT going to a desert to watch a game in the rain. If I want to get wet, I can go to the Siesta Beach and just jump in the waater. By the way, Hal, How are the crowds there? Anybody from Dayton show up who hasn’t lived there for years? What a shame, a real shame.
By Rain or Shine
March 7, 2010 9:05 PM | Link to this
I wondered how long it would take to mention the rain in a column. I remember the Reds brass talking about how much sunshine there is in AZ!
By Jeremy
March 7, 2010 7:48 PM | Link to this
Well, I guess that’s what I deserve. By the time I actually posted that comment, a 4th person did the same thing and now it looks like I can’t count. Excuse me while I keep my comments to myself…
By Jeremy
March 7, 2010 7:45 PM | Link to this
Hal, I like how you say that you want people to email their questions to you, yet the first three people ask questions right here on your blog. Amazing.
By Jake (Centerville)
March 7, 2010 7:40 PM | Link to this
With 30 some Cuban players recently defecting, will the Reds go after anymore Cubans? Will having Chapman help to bring other Cubans to Cincinnati?
By carl in kettering
March 7, 2010 7:37 PM | Link to this
If Aroldis Chapman makes the team, is there a chance the Reds might try to deal Arroyo and one or more of their outfield prospects for a veteran left fielder?
By FRED EDWARDS
March 7, 2010 7:28 PM | Link to this
Hi Hal, My brother ED was the P A announcer for the reds at Ed Smith Stadium for their first 7 years in Sarasota…Ed told me he was thinking about applying for the job in Goodyear,but Ed wants to know if they have many BUFFETS and a dog track there and is their an elevator that can lift him to the press box?…….thanks (little brother)FRED
By Chris
March 7, 2010 5:06 PM | Link to this
Do you think the Reds will be able to get a right-handed power hitting outfielder to help drive in runs this year?