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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 > 2008 > May > 21 > Entry
Shack on the beach: $2.43 million
It’s another pleasant day on the left coast, a gentle breeze wafting into the press box at Dodger Stadium with the giant Golden Bear California state flag flapping in the wind above center field.
Unfortunately, the Cincinnati Reds have another game scheduled against the Dodgers tonight, hoping not to play The Nine Stooges for the ninth straight time in Dodger Stadium.
Here’s a shocker for you - and the fact I’m even asking this question gives away the answer, but it stunned me when I heard it.
Ken Griffey Jr. and Omar Vizquel made their major-league debuts on the same day for the Seattle Mariners in 1989. Who has the most career hits?
Uh, Griffey, right? Wrong. Vizquel has 2,613 to Griffey’s 2,599. In fairness to Griffey, because of all the down time with injuries, he has 8,989 at-bats to Vizquel’s 9,543.
Speaking of Griffey, he and Adam Dunn would make awful West Coast real estate agents. They were in Santa Monica (on the beach) for lunch Wednesday with actor Tony Todd, Griffey’s friend, when they spotted a small house for sale - a very small house, “No bigger than this locker room,” said Griffey. The Dodger Stadium visitors clubhouse is about as big Everybody Loves Raymond’s living room.
“What do you think, $250,000?” said Dunn.
“Naw, “$600,000,” said Griffey.
Todd laughed out loud and said, “Let’s go look it at the papers.” They did. The price? $2.43 million. “And it wasn’t even in the GOOD part of Santa Monica,” said Todd. “It looked like a little old crackhouse.”
If Griffey’s home run drought hasn’t ended by Saturday, look out. Maybe. He has eight home runs in his career on May 24, most of any date along with Aug. 25.
Jerry Hairston Jr., starting at shortstop Wednesday, was pulling on his baseball socks when he looked at a TV screen.
“Who’s going to win American Idol tonight?” he asked. “I hope the old guy, the rocker, wins.” Hardly skipping a syllable, Hairston asked, “Are you going to vote for Sammy Sosa for the Hall of Fame.”
When I told him no, he was incredulous. “Why not? With what he’s done? And nobody ever proved he did steroids, not even a hint of it.” I told him I’d heard differently from good sources, but he was unconvinced.
“How about Mark McGwire?” he asked. Same answer. No - and don’t even ask about Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.
Meanwhile, manager Dusty Baker was poring over statistics in his office, a chore he does every day, making notes in the margin so small that a guy with 20/20 vision needs a magnifying glass to read them.
He already was working on the four-game San Diego series and said, “Damn, San Diego is hard to scout right now. Half their team is hurt.”
An LA writer asked Baker for his reaction to New York Mets manager Willie Randolph, who apologized after saying he was treated differently in New York because he is black.
Baker pointed a pen at his inquisitor and said, “Why is it when controversy comes around the media always goes to somebody from the same race for a reaction?”
Excellent point, Dusty, excellent point.
A TV in the clubhouse reported that former major-leaguer Willie Mays Aiken is getting out of prison, where he has been since 1994 on a crack cocaine conviction.
“That shows what happens when a man takes the wrong road,” said Baker. “He is a good man. I sent him a couple of letters while he was prison.”
Former Reds outfielder Eric Davis walked into Baker’s office, looking as if he could step into the batter’s box and whack one to Pasadena.
“Best baseball player I ever covered,” I told Baker.
“I hear you,” he said. “And a greater person.”
Too bad the Reds don’t activate him.
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By jwb
May 24, 2008 1:57 PM | Link to this
Your point about Pete Rose is true enough. We didn’t have to wait all that long for that story to come to light. We have all heard unsubstantiated rumors about Sammy Sosa and several other players before. We have been hearing them for years from multiple writers. We have been repeatedly assured that the author has a source which s/he cannot reveal. We have been waiting in vain for those revelations for years. I think every writer who has ever written one of these stories groaned when the only mention of Sosa in the Mitchell report was that his attorney had no comment. The more I hear it, the more it sounds like the childhood taunt, “I know something you don’t but I’m not gonna tell you.” For the full effect, put your thumbs in your ears, wiggle your fingers, and add “Nyah nyah na nyah nyah.” I believe this type of discourse is misleading for those who accept the word of journalists at face value, annoying, inappropriate for anyone over the age of eight, and should be considered as grounds for termination for a communications professional. In short, I think it stinks. I’ll pass on the difference between a Hall of Fame writer (there is exactly one: Henry Chadwick) and J. Taylor Spink Award winners, who are featured in an exhibit in another building on the Hall of Fame grounds. Eric Davis has other talents besides those which he displayed on baseball fields. My wife bought me a tie a few years ago which he designed for the late Jim Valvano’s cancer foundation. She had no idea who Davis or Valvano were; she just bought it because she thought it was attractive. I agree.
By Brian
May 23, 2008 8:36 AM | Link to this
jwb…that stench in the room is your post. HOF writers can’t afford to report information without reputable sources. I am quite sure that Hal has that source. Many people questioned Hal when he broke the Pete Rose story. Enough said.
By jwb
May 22, 2008 5:10 PM | Link to this
Eric Davis had every tool in the box and he knew how to use them except the “stay healthy” one. I saw him play in Denver in 1985 and thought that weren’t three better outfielders in the NL, much less on the Reds. Better than Joe Morgan? No way. Better potential? No question. Dear Mr. McCoy: “I told him I’d heard [Sosa that used steroids] from good sources, but he was unconvinced.” If you have a story, write it. If you don’t, please refrain from character assassination. The longer the unsourced innuendo continues, the more I believe that you have nothing and that the bad smelling stuff in the room is inside your boots.
By Brian
May 22, 2008 5:58 AM | Link to this
Eric Davis was the whole package and by far my favorite Red of all time. It’s no coincidence that your grandson born in 1990 is named Eric. You had a great season E - Love Dad and Papaw Hal
By MAC
May 22, 2008 2:06 AM | Link to this
Too bad the Reds have slipped back into their losing ways. In short, “it’s not whether you win or lose, but it’s how you play the game that counts.” How many times could this be said about the Reds; they just seem to find ways to lose and much of the time the loses seem to come about because “they” can’t do “the little” things right or execute w/ any consistency. Of course we can continue to blame the players, but a savey fan really has to question what the organization is looking for in the draft and what they’re teaching in the minor league system?
By Coach
May 22, 2008 1:17 AM | Link to this
Did Hairston leave the game tonight so he could watch American Idol??? Might as well do something you enjoy! Perhaps we could bring up the Bats to play in place of these sorry sacks!
By Deaner
May 21, 2008 11:51 PM | Link to this
Eric Davis did have a tremendous impact on a generation of Reds fans… I used to imitate his batting stance in backyard wiffleball games… while wearing Chris Sabo goggles!
By Mr. Redlegs (Original)
May 21, 2008 11:40 PM | Link to this
Amazing the influence Davis had on a generation of Reds fans, given his short timeframe of effectiveness due to injuries. ED was the fastest baserunner I’ve seen. When he got into full gear it appeared as though his feet were never touching the ground. Would have loved to see a 100-yard dash between ED and Deion Sanders. Those two could flat out pony.
By John
May 21, 2008 10:49 PM | Link to this
Eric Davis rocked! Too bad a lot of fans didn’t appreciate him in Cincy the first time around. Mark in Lexington hit the nail on the head…every time Davis came to the plate, I too stopped what I was doing to see him bat. What an exciting player he was!!!
By ShockMonkey
May 21, 2008 10:07 PM | Link to this
Can ED be our manager? We need somebody who has a clue putting out a lineup. Same cast of characters, on the road, with the same results every night. Shake it up Dusty! Come on!
By Mark (Lexington, KY)
May 21, 2008 9:29 PM | Link to this
I don’t know if Eric Davis was a great to be compared through the ages, but I do know this. Every time Davis came to the plate, I stopped whatever I was doing to watch him. He was my favorite player growing up, but I still blame him for ruining my career as a hitter. I went from a .300 hitter to a .150 hitter in high school trying to emulate his batting style. It turns out that only someone as special as him can pull that one off (luckily his habit of slapping his thigh with his glove, which I also picked up, didn’t ruin my defense. It was the only reason my coach kept me on my high school team…er the defense, not the showboating that is!)
By rob yontz
May 21, 2008 9:16 PM | Link to this
Hal, Eric Davis better than Joe Morgan? I dunno……