Commentary: McCoy the latest legend to go the way of the typewriter

In the early days, when I was just starting out and Hal McCoy was already an established star, we used typewriters, paper, pencils and linotype machines to put out the news, and telegraph machines and land-line telephones to get it.

Then, as now, space was at a premium, and some stories had to be cut to fit.

Even one sentence was tough to trim from McCoy. His words fit together with such economy on all subjects — he was known for UD basketball and auto sports before he immersed himself in the Reds — I sometimes thought it easier to trim something else on the page to let McCoy run a little long.

Space isn’t as problematic on the Internet, but it’s robbing us of good newspaper stories and, alas, of McCoy, who is retiring at the end of this baseball season.

I understand all the reasons and figure we’ll still be able to find McCoy’s ability and wit in various blogs, an outlet Si Burick, Ritter Collett and Ben Garlikov — some Dayton newspaper giants of the past — didn’t have at their disposal.

By the time McCoy is really finished writing, I’d expect another whole generation to read his work. I just hope there isn’t a dope like me trying to get in there and cut any of it.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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