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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy is in his 37th 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 > May > 14 > Entry
It was the ol’ hidden bag trick
I’m freezing to death. It’s 65 degrees in San Diego. After 102 in Phoenix I should have brought a parka. Walked along the water near Seaport Village today and hardly anybody was out there, except the vendors.
Had a couple of embarrasing senior moments in Phoenix. I missed my second inning gig with Marty Brennaman. With the three-hour time difference and Dusty Baker making his pre-game briefings with us later and later, I was banging away on my laptop in the bottom of the second. Two outs nobody on.
That’s when I realized I was supposed to be yapping with Marty. He won’t let me forget it.
Then the next night I was supposed to be on Sports Talk with Lance McAlister at 8:05 (5:05 in Phoenix). Again I was tapping the keys when I realized it was 9:30 in Cincinnati. I checked my cellphone because they were supposed to call me. Somehow the phone got turned off.
Lance was gracious enough to have me on tonight. It’s hell getting old.
By the way, McAlister is the best sports talk guy around. Has been for a long time and it’s great they’ve put him on WLW.
AS YOU CAN tell, and as you know, this is an off day before the Cincinnati Reds start a three-game series tomorrow night against the Padres — a team nearly as pitiful as the Diamondbacks. A sweep is not impossible. They face Jake Peavy Sunday, but he is 2-5 with a 4 1/2 ERA.
First place was short-lived, but it wasn’t the Reds’ fault. The schedulemaker made them do it - take a day off. Milwaukee played and won so the Brewers slipped a half-game ahead of the Reds. And the Cubs won so they moved into a second-place tie with the Reds.
Fret not. Not since 1999 have I been around a team as confident as this one. They are fun to watch, win or lose, but the wins are the most fun. The music in the post-game clubhouse is so loud your ear drums vibrate.
RIGHT NOW I’m sitting in the lobby lounge because the wireless wouldn’t work in my room. An off day? I wrote a column about Goodyear, a Reds notebook, an on-line report for something called The Sports Xchange (no E in Xchange) and now this meandering blog.
Samuel Adams is sitting next to me. No Yuengling’s in California and no LaBatt Blue in this establishment.
Arthur Rhodes has walked back and forth in the lobby looking confused and baffled for some reason - sort of like Inspector Clousseau. Fortunately, he doesn’t look that way on the mound. He looks like the Texax Chainsaw guy.
HOW LOOSE is this team. What a difference a year makes. Last year in San Diego Brandon Phillips was angry with me for something I wrote about him. We hashed it out, but our relationships was chilly.
Well, today when I flew in from Phoenix to check into the San Diego hotel, I left my suitcase just behid me. It took 10 minutes or so, then I turned to grab my suitcase. Gone. Disappeared. Nowhere in sight.
I wandered around looking for it. It’s bright red, as big as a body bag. How could I misplace it? I looked and looked and looked. Finally, around a corner and behind a pillar, there it was. How’d it get there? I didn’t put it there.
So I bent down to grab the handle and somebody behind me grabbed me by the hips and screamed in my ear, “Gotcha.”
It was Phillips pulling the ol’ hidden bag trick on me.
Yeah, this team is loose.
Time to leave. Dinner time. And the hostess, Crystal from Boston, will be back any minute to ask if Samuel Adams is OK. He’s empty - both of him.
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Comments
By overseer
May 16, 2009 11:32 AM | Link to this
If you mean KingFish Yeungling, slavery is no longer allowed; unless you are republican.By clint
May 15, 2009 9:28 PM | Link to this
Great stuff Hal..Can anyone tell me why yuengling is not sold in ohio?By Will
May 15, 2009 1:56 PM | Link to this
Great stuff HalBy Ken
May 15, 2009 1:19 PM | Link to this
See you at Petco Hal! Driving down from Vegas to catch Sat & Sun, surely w/ some Sam’s Seasonal in hand.By Martha Hardcastle
May 15, 2009 11:08 AM | Link to this
Reporters, especially sportswriters are practically obligated to quaff a few. Haven’t you ever seen any old movies? Maybe it’s time for me to check out “Rhubarb” again. Hope it’s an instant view on Netflix.By Jack
May 15, 2009 10:35 AM | Link to this
Petco should be a great spot for our small ball play. Votto, if able to play, should have a field day.By Gar
May 15, 2009 8:25 AM | Link to this
Wow, Hal. Could you be a little less veiled with your Daugherty put-down? I would think 2 outstanding sportswriters like the 2 of you would be quick to say nice things about each other.By wallyp
May 15, 2009 8:00 AM | Link to this
I have tried to resist, but that last Grape Nehi has weakened me. What is that little doohickey after the letter “g” in “Xchange”?By ohdave
May 15, 2009 7:01 AM | Link to this
Drinking and writing? Shame on you. Hal, you are right about Lance. He’s terrific.By Kevin
May 15, 2009 12:04 AM | Link to this
Hal, Is that a Boston Lager or the Summer Ale seasonal?By AP-FLORIDA
May 14, 2009 11:52 PM | Link to this
As I sit here drinking a Labatt’s Blue, Let me say great off day blog, and now I’ll drink one for you, Hal!!!!By Martha Hardcastle
May 14, 2009 10:49 PM | Link to this
A tip of my tumbler of Cardbordeaux to you, Mr. McCoy. May Sam Adams always be refilled quickly and frostily.