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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy is in his 36th year of covering the Cincinnati Reds, the longest tenure for any active writer covering one team. Counting spring training and postseason games, McCoy has covered more than 7,000 major-league baseball games, written close to 18,000 baseball stories and eaten enough hot dogs to give Babe Ruth indigestion.Home > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > June > 13 > Entry
Sean Casey: He’s everywhere
Has anybody anywhere at any time at any place seen Sean Casey depressed?
“I’m in the lineup tonight,” he said. “If this game is rained out I’ll be depressed.”
Impossible.
Casey spent the entire pregame afternoon Friday touring Great American Ball Park and saying hello to everybody. As he walked into the park, he stopped at Gate 3 and posed for a picture with two security people.
My ribs still hurt from the press box fall I took a couple of weeks ago, but they had been getting better — until Casey saw me. His bear hug was enough to crack three more ribs, but it’s worth it to see him.
Casey, the world’s all-time nice guy, was suspended three games for his part in last week’s Boston-Tampa Bay brawl, and they wanted him to serve it this weekend.
“Oh, no,” he said. “Not the Cincinnati series. I’m appealing.” He did, and he won’t have to serve any suspension time until his hearing.
“I’ve only been suspended twice, and both times I was defending teammates,” he said. “The other was Dunner (Adam Dunn). Philadelphia’s Carlos Silva hit him in 2003 and he rushed the mound. But he hesitated and (catcher) Mike Lieberthal caught him from behind and clipped him. I had to protect him.”
Casey was defending outfielder Coco Crisp, who had charged the mound to get at Tampa Bay pitcher James Shields on June 5.
Most of the Red Sox are wearing T-shirts passed out by Casey. On the front is, “Woooooooo,” something pro wrestler Rick Flair shouts. On the back is, “Diamonds Are Forever,” and “alcalde,” which is Spanish for The Mayor.
Casey is hitting .372, but because he only plays first base he doesn’t play that much, although he DH’s and there is no DH in this series with the Reds.
During spring training, somebody asked him if he could play outfield in an emergency and Casey said, “Yeah, if the emergency was that the whole city is burning down.”
Of playing for the Red Sox, Casey said, “Man, this is a different world. I see why they call it Red Sox Nation. It truly is. And they’ll be here in Cincinnati in full force. They’re everywhere.”
Casey was talking about some of his former managers in Cincinnati and told a funny incident about Dave Miley.
“He came up to me in the dugout one game and said, “Should I take out the pitcher? I gotta take him out right now, right?’” said Casey. “I told him, ‘How do I know, I’m just the first baseman.’ “
READY FOR another travel tale?
To get to and from home games, because I can’t drive, the paper furnishes me with a driver, a fine gentleman named Larry Glass from Fairfield, and sometimes a limousine service.
On Friday, a day for the limo service, I was supposed to be picked up at 1:30. They called to say my limo had a flat tire and they’d be late. They showed up at 2:30. With heavy rains and Friday traffic, my driver tried to take a “short cut” to the park.
I saw parts of Cincinnati I didn’t know existed — and the guy had to stop for gas as well. I saw Carthage and the Hamilton County Fairgrounds and the front door of Procter & Gamble. Arrived at the part at 4:45 — 1 hour, 45 minutes late.
A strange coincidence: My limo driver early Friday morning took Boston pitcher Josh Beckett to Kenwood Country Club for some golf.
Beckett and I became friends when he pitched for the Florida Marlins and Jack McKeon managed there. McKeon introduced us and we hit it off.
Unbeknownst to me, Beckett was in a Cincinnati establishment three or four years ago at the same time as my daughter-in-law, Tammy. She’s a huge baseball fan, recognized him, and struck up a conversation. He didn’t know she was my daughter-in-law, but was extremely nice to her.
Tammy is now pregnant, her first child by my son, Brent, and they know it is a boy. His name will be either Beckett or Casey (guess who?).
My grandson, Eric, my son Brian’s son, is named after Eric Davis.
One of the first people I saw at the stadium was Pete Mackanin, the Reds interim manager last year and a guy who deserved to keep the job. But the Reds wanted to go big-time and hired Dusty Baker.
Mackanin scouts for the New York Yankees these days, snooping on the Reds for that next road trip.
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Comments
By margo
June 16, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this
Thanks, Hal, for the great Casey stuff and ALL the wonderful stories you share with your blog readers. Keep ‘em coming.By rob
June 13, 2008 11:28 PM | Link to this
Why does that Casey story about Miley not wurprise me? The guy was way overmatched as a major league manager.By Kyle
June 13, 2008 10:23 PM | Link to this
Memo to Dusty: Janish is not a number two hitter. Time to drop him down to the eight hole, bring BP into the two spot. Bring Edwin up to 4 if you don’t want to put Votto there to avoid the 3 lefties in a row. Great game tonight. Good for Harang to finally get a win.By Deaner
June 13, 2008 9:24 PM | Link to this
Great stuff, yet again, Hal. I always look forward to your posts. I prefer Casey over Beckett.By HuberTucky
June 13, 2008 6:42 PM | Link to this
I think many of us miss Casey’s energy. I sure do. He’s a rare one, that guy is. And Pete Mackanin, hell yes he deserved to be manager. He inherited a trashed out team and Pete ended 2 games above 500 for his time as interim — with THAT bunch of flops! Dusty’s not doin so hot for $3 mil a year now is he? Sure ain’t at 500! Speaking of numbers, do yousuppose Dustbag will have Mister .195 batting average leading off again tonight? I guess he wants the first out outta the way real quick. The guy can’t take pitches so the guys on the bench can get an eye on the pitcher. Could Janish be worse batting lead of until Kep or Hair or Hopper return? Corey batting leadoff is depressing.