The Real McCoy

About The Real McCoy

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.

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August 2008

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Home > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > July > 04 > Entry

Fourth of July Goof-up

By Hal McCoy | Friday, July 4, 2008, 12:52 PM

How many demerits do I get for a Fourth of July faux pas?

For some reason, I plopped a Toronto Maple Leafs hat on my head this morning, a hat I purchased when I visited the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

As I walked into the clubhouse, Ken Griffey Jr. looked at me and said, “That’s unpatriotic right there.”

Knowing not of what he spoke, I said, “What?”

And he said, “Wearing a hat from Canada on the Fourth of July.”

When I mentioned it to manager Dusty Baker, he laughed said, “Well, Canada Day was July 1, you’re just three days late.” Good answer, I thought. And I told that to Griffey, who promptly said, “That’s you. Always three days late.”

Then pitching coach Dick Pole walked by and said, “Bonjour, Hal, bonjour.”

I surrender. No mas, no mas.

STOPPED in the Washington Nationals clubhouse before Friday’s game and before long a corner was filled with Austin Kearns, Aaron Boone, Dmitri Young and Jose Rijo. Also in the room were Wily Mo Pena and Felipe Lopez.

As Young sat down, he said, “I’m coming to this corner to be with the Reds Alumni Association. All I need is blond hair.” When Young played for the Reds, he dyed his hair orange-yellow, which really turned off old-school manager Jack McKeon, who said, “All he needs are platform shoes and flappy collars.”

Said Boone, “You know what this weekend is? It is the Throwback Reds vs. the Reds.

WHEN KEARNS leaves the stadium today, a surprise awaits him - not one he will welcome. When he drove to the park Friday, Kearns thought it would be funny to park in Adam Dunn’s personal spot in the garage. So he parked it and locked it.

Then Dunn arrived and saw Kearns in his spot. What did he do? What any red-blooded male would do when somebody takes his parking spot. Parking rage.

Dunn deflated all four tires and slabbed peanut butter under all four door handles. “He thought it was pretty funny to take my parking spot,” said Dunn. “Let’s see how funny it is when he wants to leave in a hurry after the game.”

ANYBODY EVER wonder what has happened to Brandon Larson, the Reds No. 1 draft pick in 2002 and who not only was a bad third baseman, his career average was .179 for 109 major-league games?

Kearns received a text message recently from Larson, somebody he hadn’t heard from in ages: “How ya doin,’ man? Hope you’re staying healthy. By the way, do you have any bats I can have? I’m playing independent league ball.”

Speaking of Larson, a Triple-A Hall of Famer (I made that up), Kevin Barker reached 227 career RBIs for the Louisville Bats Thursday, tying Larson’s career record for the Louisville franchise.

SOME NEWS, too.

Pitcher Aaron Harang has some tightness in his forearm, so he won’t take his turn Saturday in the rotation. His place will be taken by Josh Fogg, with Harang moving back to a Tuesday start in Chicago.

“Nothing serious,” said Baker. “He had the same tightness in his forearm a couple of years ago and I’m told he skipped one turn and then was fine the rest of the way.”

Ominous, very ominous.

Fogg has spent the last month rehabbing a sore lower back in the minors and said, “I spent a month in the minors and that went good. Now it’s time to test the big leagues again. My first round in the big with the Reds was not too successful (1-2, 9.85 in four starts and seven relief appearances). Let’s see if the second round can be better.”

For those wondering about the seriousness of Norris Hopper’s elbow injury this season, well, he is going to undergo Tommy John elbow surgery Tuesday - done for the season.

“That’s the reason I had to pinch-hit lefthander Paul Bako against Pittsburgh lefthander John Grabow the other night,” said Baker. “Hopper couldn’t do anything but pinch-run and maybe bunt. He winched every time he took a swing.”

Hopper said his elbow began bothering him the first part of May, “And I tried to play through it but it was unbearable. When they said it should be getting better it was getting worse. Hey, this comes along with the game. Injuries are part of it. It’s how you bounce back.”

The surgery is Tuesday and Hopper starts rehab work on Wednesday, “And I should be ready for spring training next year.”

THERE ARE some rumors floating out there that David Weathers is about to be traded to the Florida Marlins, or some other team.

“Haven’t heard anything about that,” said Baker. “Nothing at all. Hey, I hear talk about Aaron Harang, too, and that ain’t gonna happen. Teams are swooping in to pick the cherry trees of teams they think are out of it.”

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