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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 > August > 02 > Entry
Another accidental tourist
After watching the Cincinnati Reds implode in front of baseball’s worst team, the Washington Nationals, Friday night, I went to Shelley’s Back Room.
It isn’t somebody’s den or a tawdry, bawdy bar, it is a cigar bar, the only public place in Washington where you can smoke. T’was fun, even the $11 Gloria Cubana that usually costs $5.50.
And with Nadine on the trip, I had to do my husbandly tourist duties Saturday morning-afternoon. She has a pedometer, so I know I walked more than six miles.
We walked from the Mayflower-Renaissance Hotel to the Lincoln Memorial, plus 58 steps up to where Honest Abe is seated. We walked to the Vietnam War Memorial. We walked to the Korean War Memorial. We walked the length of the Reflecting Pool to the World War II Memorial and the Washington Monument.
Then we cabbed it to the Newseum, where I bougth two t-shirts on which is written, “Trust Me, I’m a Reporter,” and, “Not Tonight, Darling, I’m on Deadline.” The players particularly like to snicker at the first one.
The day’s only real problem was dodging the goose poop on the sidewalks.
I was particularly impressed with the Korean War Memorial, which has a field of statues of combat soldiers, poised for battle in their ponchos with rifles in their arms and ghoslty war stares on their faces. Gives you the shudders.
The huge World War II Memorial is extremely impressive and we caught a glimpse of Bob Dole, wearing a black suit in the oppressive heat, posing for pictures.
Great lunch, too, at the Elephant & Castle restaurant. Probably had one of the best burgers ever.
Ran into Dusty Baker in front of the hotel and introduced him to Nadine and my 26-year-old nuclear engineer step-son, Chad. Said Baker to Chad, “Big boy. Can you pitch?” Well, he did pitch some at Chaminade-Julienne High School and he couldn’t do any worse than poor Homer Bailey has done in his last two starts.
Then it was subway time to the ballpark: red line two stops, transfer to the green line, fourth stop, Navy Yard, and a four-block walk to the new Nationals ballpark.
Nice park. Sort of like Great American Ball park. Nice, in an OK sort of way, but nothing special, nothing spectacular, nothing memorable.
Baker had the lineup ready at 2:30. Jerry Hairston Jr. was not in it - he was limping badly in the outfield Friday chasing fly balls. Corey Patterson was in center field, but at least he wasn’t batting leadoff.
Jeff Keppinger was batting leadoff, followed by Joey Votto, Jay Bruce (third again), Brandon Phillips, Adam Dunn, Edwin Encarnacion, Patterson, Paul Bako and Josh Fogg.
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By BOB DUERSTOCK
August 7, 2008 8:45 PM | Link to this
The reds are terrible!!!!They need to CLEAN FROM TOP TO BOTTOM!!! We keep hearing about so called prospects!!!Jockety didn,t make any trades bacause he could not give these guys away!!!
By michael
August 6, 2008 9:58 AM | Link to this
CP has shown some talent in the past. His career stats are not horrible, but he is in a rut for sure.
By Wizard
August 2, 2008 10:10 PM | Link to this
I know most have been down on CP this year, including myself; however, I am not totally convinced he could not turn this horrible season around and become effective. Sounds ludicrous, I’m sure—but, his speed could be effective for this team, if somehow he would begin making better contact. He did some great things tonight, in the field.If we are forced to wait on pitchers like Bailey/Cueto/Affeldt perhaps we should give a bit more patience to this young man. Defensively he does fill a hole—and I don’t have his stats, but it seems to me that Geronimo was pretty much of a good glove/not much stick, when he played.I may be wrong; however,lots of other people have turned things around in the past—perhaps… In addition, if Dusty would be willing to move people around in the lineup, until they deserve a spot higher in the order—it might take some pressure off of people. Dropping CP until he gets into a streak, then perhaps leading him off, could help him. We saw what his speed could do on the close play at first base tonight—Just a thought.
By Y-City Jim
August 2, 2008 4:24 PM | Link to this
Which is why Hairston is not the Reds CF of the immediate future. Jocketty will need to shop for a CF or RF that hopefully can be a very good OBP guy.
By Mike
August 2, 2008 3:49 PM | Link to this
Hairston re-injured his leg running to first base prior to limping in the outfield..
By Y-City Jim
August 2, 2008 3:34 PM | Link to this
That’s not a half bad line-up. I can live with Patterson from time to time if he is down in the order like he is today. When Ross catches he has someone that can bunt him over (provide Corey can find his way to 1B).