Hal McCoy: Scaling barbed-wire fences all part of the job

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By Hal McCoy, Staff Writer 6:53 PM Saturday, October 24, 2009

For 37 years while covering the Cincinnati Reds, I have experienced the good, the bad and the ugly, going through enough luggage to test the boasts of indestructibility by Tumi and spilling enough coffee to provide a family of four a year’s supply of Folgers.

Reducing memorable moments to five off the field and five on the field is like trying to get a drink of water while holding a glass under Niagara Falls, but here are some that pop immediately to mind:

Five moments,  off the field

1 An emergency landing of the Reds’ charter plane in Los Angeles, with smoke streaming out of the galley and emergency vehicles lined up on both sides of the foamed-down runway and relief pitcher Pedro Borbon screaming, “We’re going to die, we’re all going to die.” We didn’t.

2 Customs agents ordered all players and the traveling party off the chartered plane ready for takeoff out of Montreal. They had all the luggage and baseball equipment hauled off the plane and searched after Cincinnati Post baseball writer Earl Lawson smart-mouthed one of the agents about some equipment he was carrying. The two-hour delay was speeded up only when equipment manager Bernie Stowe delivered a box of autographed baseballs to a supervisor. Mr. Lawson was not a popular fellow for a couple of days.

3 While taking a short-cut through a back parking lot at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium with pitchers Don Gullet and Gary Nolan in 1975, we encountered a locked gate about eight feet tall with barbed wire on the top. I convinced them we could climb over. Nolan tore his new $700 suit on the barbed wire and Gullett twisted his ankle jumping off the fence to the other side, eventually landing on the DL. Manager Sparky Anderson never learned how Gullett hurt his ankle.

4 While walking and dodging humanity on Times Square, a jutting step tripped me up and down I went. I was proud that I saved a full cup of vente nonfat latte in one hand and a bag of expensive Dominican cigars in the other. But when I got to my feet I discovered I had torn the meniscus in my left knee, requiring surgery — and now I can tell you when it is going to rain. But I did enjoy the rest of my latte and all the cigars.

5 While in Milwaukee, I jumped into a cab at the hotel and told the driver, “Miller Park,” then began reading my latest Vince Flynn novel, paying no attention to the passing scenery. When the driver stopped at a building, I was confused until he said, “Miller Brewery.” He had taken me to the beer plant instead of the ballpark and I almost got out and stayed for a tour because I’d heard about the free samples.

Five moments,  on the field

1 Pete Rose’s 4,192nd hit to break Ty Cobb’s all-time hits record. The axiom is, “No cheering in the press box,” but the entire press box stood and applauded that hit, including me. It’s the only time I ever saw cheering in the press box that was not admonished.

2 Tom Browning’s perfect game against the Dodgers in 1988. The game was delayed by rain and did not start until 10 p.m. It finished at 11:54, giving me six minutes to write a story about a perfect game for my midnight deadline. Somehow I did it and the story actually was coherent.

3 Carlton Fisk’s dramatic 12th-inning home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, perhaps the best baseball game I ever covered with all its twists and turns. It is a game shown over and over on ESPN Classic and elsewhere, and I think some people, because of that, actually believe the Boston Red Sox won the World Series on that home run. Actually, the Reds won Game 7, 4-3, on Joe Morgan’s bloop single. Not so dramatic, but a single that stabbed the heart of everybody in Red Sox Nation.

4 Ken Griffey Jr.’s 30th home run in Washington on Aug. 25, 2005, his 531st career homer. He had only one home run in April and fans were disturbed. I wrote a column saying, “If Griffey stays healthy and doesn’t hit 30 home runs this year, I’ll eat this column on Courthouse Square and I’ll furnish the ketchup.” I didn’t know Griffey had read the story, so I was shocked when he walked up to me after hitting the 30th home run and flipped me the baseball on which he wrote, “Thanks so much for the friendship, always best, Ken Griffey Jr.”

5 On the day manager Vern Rapp was fired in 1984, we were at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and I saw him standing at the batting cage. I approached and said, “Vern, sorry to hear you’ve been fired.” He whirled on his feet and said, “What?” And he bolted for the clubhouse. Unbeknownst to me, Rapp hadn’t been told and I was the one who told him he was unemployed.

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