DaytonDailyNews.com

Hal McCoy, the hall-of-fame baseball writer for the Dayton Daily News, knows a thing or two about America's pastime. If you want to tap into that knowledge, send an e-mail to hmccoy@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Q Broadcaster Marty Brennaman signed through the 2010 season and I wonder if he has an agent and if the contract contains clauses such as no-trade or an option year. — Dave, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek

A Marty's representative is Cincinnati attorney Reuven Katz, who also was Pete Rose's attorney. Marty listens to Reuven better than Rose did. Brennaman doesn't need a no-trade clause or an option year. When you are in the Hall of Fame and you are the best, you grab the microphone and everybody shuts up and listens. You should try it.

Q Why do we rarely hear about catchers having Tommy John surgery? They throw a lot and throw hard throughout the game, in some cases from fairly awkward positions. — Ted, Orlando, Fla.

A They do call the protective gear catchers wear "the tools of ignorance." Maybe their arms hurt, but they are too dumb to realize it. Hey, my grandson, Eric, is a catcher, so I don't really believe the stupidity theory. Actually, catchers don't throw sliders, screwballs, splitters and cutters. That's what destroys a pitcher's arm, and that's why they don't call it Yogi Berra surgery.

Q Why do the Reds send relief pitchers who have performed horribly down to the minors, only to recall them and have them pitch even worse the second time around? Why don't the Reds just decide these fellows do not have major-league ability and try something new? — Ted, Kettering

A They do seem to be recycling the same flotsam, rotating one bad pitcher for another. Unfortunately, I've heard of pear trees and apple trees, but I've never heard of relief pitcher trees. One just can't pluck them off branches. If they just release all the relief pitchers who haven't done well this season, they wouldn't have any pitchers left. About the only thing they could try would be go back to tee-ball with no pitchers. Some say they are already doing that with human tees.

Q Is it is possible for there to be more than one blown save in one game? The example would be that David Weathers blows a ninth-inning save and the game goes extra innings. The Reds take the lead in the 11th, but Victor Santos blows the lead. Do both Weathers and Santos get blown saves? — Perry, Dayton

A That's a whole lot of BS (blown saves). And, yes, there could be three or four blown saves in one game by one team. An individual pitcher can get only one blown save a game, though. More than one blown save per game has happened several times with the Reds this year. Fortunately, the team gets only one loss per game because the Reds several times have lost one game three or four different times.

Q I'm happy that Jeff Keppinger and Norris Hopper are working out so well for the team, but I'm now worried that the powers that be might decide they can do without Ryan Freel next year. — Anita, Dayton

A You could say it is taking two guys to replace Freel and not be far from wrong. Keppinger and Hopper are two guys who have toiled long and hard in the minors, fighting labels that they aren't major-league quality players. Isn't that amazing? It's the same thing they said about Freel. I'll take a team full of Keppingers, Hoppers and Freels and take my chances — as long as you give me a good pitching staff, too. Don't worry about Freel. He'll land on his feet — if he doesn't first land on his head.

Q Why is Phil Rizzuto in the Hall of Fame and Dave Concepcion is not? For that matter, why is Ozzie Smith in the HOF and not Concepcion? — Michael, Monterey, Calif.

A Don't wave your finger under my nose on this one. I vote for Concepcion every year. His numbers are better than Rizzuto's and as good as Smith's. Guess Davey didn't do enough back flips. The writers didn't vote Rizzuto in. They passed on him. But The Scooter had a lot of buddies on the Veterans Committee and the old-boys network got him in the back door. He was good, but not as good as Concepcion. Concepcion's sin was that he signed with Cincinnati instead of New York. If he had played for the Yankees he would have been a first-ballot shoo-in.

Q Do the position players chatter encouragement to the pitcher? I'm a senior, and as a kid I heard chatter, and was encouraged to keep up chatter between pitches. — Bob, Huntington, W.Va.

A You mean like: "Hey, badda badda," or "Pitcher has a rubber arm," or "Hum-fire, baby, throw it past him?" That's what we yelled in Little League. There is a youth league in Cincinnati that bans taunting chatter. Something about lowering the opponent's self-esteem. Isn't that what it's all about? Anyway, you don't hear chatter on a big-league field. It's not cool. Players probably are too busy adding up incentive bonuses in their head between pitches.

Q Norris Hopper reminds me of the way Pete Rose played the game. How did he come to be with the Reds? — John, Morrow, Ohio

A I'm pretty sure Hopper doesn't bet on games, but he does have the other Pete Rose hustle. He doesn't slide head-first and he doesn't have the hitting ability, but he is fun to watch. He might be the best bunter I've ever seen. He has 13 bunt hits and the other teams knows he is going to push the ball past the pitcher on the right side and run like the wind. But they can't stop it. It is about as effective as Vince Lombardi's old Green Bay sweep.

Q What happened to the Sharper Image massage chairs former manager Dave Miley took out of the clubhouse from Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn in 2005? — Kyle, Louisville, Ky.

A Miley was carrying out orders from GM Dan O'Brien, a small-statured man who probably didn't want a face-to-belt buckle confrontation with the 6-6, 275-pound Dunn. For the rest of that year the chairs resided in the team chapel, which is part of the clubhouse. After that they disappeared, and it is hoped they now are in a nursing home and not part of some executive's office decor. I offered to take one to the press box but it never happened.

Q It seems to me that there have been way too many Tommy John surgeries on Reds or former Reds players. I know I don't have the same scoop on other teams as I do my hometown heroes, but arm troubles seem to be common here. — Eric, Cincinnati

A It's rampant in the industry and you notice it mostly with the Reds because you are a Reds fan. Ask Chicago Cubs fans about it. Or nearly any major-league team. Tommy John's name is mentioned in clubhouses more than Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio and Van Lingle Mungo combined.