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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 > 2009 > April > 11 > Entry
From malaria back to good ol’ baseball
So, the diagnosis is - - - - - malaria. Malaria. You kidding me? Do I like as if I worked on the Panama Canal?
Apparently, I might have been bitten by a mosquito in Cancun last October and I contracted malaria. That’s what the doctor thinks after ruling out 84 other things. And after only a couple of days of some heavy antibiotic, I feel beter than I have in a year. Fortunately it is not contagious - unless if maybe I bit somebody - so I’m back to work today, getting a kick out of watching everybody take a step or two back after I tell them I have malaria.
WAS FUN standing on the dugout step at 10:30 this morning watching Paul Janish take about 100 hard-hit ground balls hit by coach Mark Berry.
“I’m going to do it three or four times a homestand,” said Janish. “You can take all the grounders you want during batting practice, but in these private sessions Mark really hits the ball hard and to my left and right. In my role, going into games in the eighth and ninth innings, well, that’s not the time to be sharpening up.”
MANAGER DUSTY BAKER had Edwin Encarnacion batting fifth and Jay Bruce dropped to sixth for Saturday afternoon’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“Just because we’re facing a tough lefthander (Paul Maholm), a guy who is really tough on lefthanders,” said Baker. “Jay is struggling a little bit (.167), so this takes a little pressure off him. No slight on Jay, it just depends on the lefthander and how tough he is on lefthanders.”
The thing is, Encarnacion isn’t putting too many smudge marks on baseballs right now (.143), although he does have five walks.
“He’s knocking fire from the ball in BP, so it seems he is just around the corner from getting hot,” said Baker. Encarnacion, though, sees to have more hot and cold corners than a house with air-conditioning in only half the rooms.
Of his walks, Baker said, “That’s good, especially this early in the year because it shows you’re recognizing pitches. That’s the toughest thing this part of the year because you haven’t had enough reps to really zero in on recognition of pitches.”
MICAH OWINGS isn’t scheduled to make his starting debut for the Reds until Wednesday, so for now the Reds have another long man in the bullpen and Baker said he has to find a way to keep him sharp if he isn’t used between skipped starts.
“We have to find a way to keep his endurance and pitch-count up,” said Baker. “We can’t overuse him in case we go extra innings and need him. I have to be more careful now about using him as a pinch-hitter, unless I’m going to keep him in the game to pitch. Then I have to figure out how to warm him up (to pitch) before bringing him in to pinch-hit. He hits a lot in batting practice, he loves to hit.”
IF YOU THINK my malaria is strange, Pirates manger John Russell has gout in his left arm and is wearing a bulky brace, which will be in place for a week. That may make it difficult for Russell to call in any lefthander from the bullpen.
THE SUBJECT was the changing consistency of the field from weather changes and Baker said, “I’d like to come up with new spikes for baseball, like they have for football - longer spikes and shorter spikes depending on the field and the weather. The only trouble would be sliding and with spike injuries.”
And, no, we’re not talking about women’s high heels when we talk about spikes.
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Comments
By fishbait
April 12, 2009 8:47 PM | Link to this
Beats pickin’up some other disease in Mexico a Marines and sailors can tell you about.By Scott
April 12, 2009 11:42 AM | Link to this
Wow, that’s unfortunate. I guess future trips to Cancun are not going to happen then huh? Well get well soon. Perhaps with you back the Reds will start winning.By Florida Buckeye
April 12, 2009 9:43 AM | Link to this
Hal, my Pops contracted Malaria when he was in HS in Panama, and from time to time it resurfaces: Be careful, and get your bedrest…the Red’s will still be there when you get back, ha!By Max
April 11, 2009 3:11 PM | Link to this
Hal, I remember when you said that you had a really awful time in Cancun, and now I believe you.By extra crispy
April 11, 2009 2:16 PM | Link to this
Who you talking to Willis? First comment on the board and you dissing Hal McCoy comments. Please. Get well sonn to the bothe of you