Interview with legendary Reds writer Hal McCoy

If there has been one staple in Cincinnati Reds baseball over the past few decades, it is Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News and Fox Sports Ohio. McCoy rivals Marty Brennaman as the most recognizable figure covering Reds baseball in the media, and his knowledge of the team and the game makes him widely respected around the league.

McCoy began covering the Reds at the right time in the midst of the great Cincinnati teams of the 1970's. McCoy invented the nickname of one of the most recognizable teams in the history of baseball, "The Big Red Machine," featuring Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, and Joe Morgan. Almost every casual baseball fan has heard of that saying to describe the unstoppable force that was the Reds in the 70's, and McCoy is the man responsible for the fitting phrase.

McCoy was also elected to Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame in the Class of 2003 when he was honored with the J.G. Taylor Spink Award by baseball writers across the country. He has seen and covered a large majority of the great triumphs such as World Series victories, and the downfalls of the organization like the Pete Rose gambling scandal throughout his illustrious career.

Today, Hal McCoy still covers the Reds for the forty-first time after going into the baseball writing business out of college at Kent State where he also played the sport of baseball. McCoy updates his blog with the Dayton Daily News, The Real McCoy, quite frequently by documenting his analysis on Reds games and other developments across baseball such as the All Star Game. One of McCoy's latest pieces is about the final All Star vote and how baseball fans got it right by not electing Yasiel Puig to the NL roster. 

McCoy also devotes his time during Reds home games to answering fans' questions on Fox Sports Ohio's website in the Game Day Center. He will answer all questions about the Reds thoughtfully and honestly. McCoy hasn't allowed an optical stroke that has partially blinded him since the early 2000's to impede his ability to produce top notch journalism. I recently had the chance to ask Hal McCoy some questions about the Reds at the halfway point in the 2013 season as well as a few other topics on the minds of Reds fans.

Rich Hidy: How would you compare the 2013 Reds at the midway point to last year's team and other Reds teams you've covered in the past?

Hal McCoy: That's a tough one due to the fact I've covered 41 Reds teams. And every team is different, so you can't slot them into a comparison with another team. As for last year's team, well, other than Joey Votto being out so much of the second half, last year's team was healthier. Votto was the only one missing and the rest of the team stepped up and filled the gap. With so many guys hurt this year it will be more difficult to cover all the holes.

RH: Zack Cozart has been struggling in the two hole going 2 for his last 25. Is there a quick fix on the roster? What do you think about Votto batting in the two spot?

HM: If there was a quick fix, manager Dusty Baker would implement it. There isn't. No true No. 2 hitter on the roster. Despite what the guy in Sports Illustrated said (and too many people have grasped this idea), Joey Votto is a No. 3 hitter. You try to have your best hitter in the three-hole to drive in runs and Votto clearly is the team's best hitter. He would be wasted in the two-hole.

RH: When this team gets healthy, how much of an impact do you expect Ludwick and the two relievers to have on the Reds in trying to climb up the division standings?

HM: I fear with all the time he has missed that Ludwick might not have much of an impact. But even if he doesn't produce, it will enable Baker to put him back in clean-up and put Brandon Phillips back in the two-hole. That, alone, should help. As for Sean Marshall and Jonathan Broxton, well, as of this writing the bullpen has gone 11 straight games without giving up a run. And I'm not a big Broxton fan. I believe the bullpen is fine without him, but the Reds have a big investment in him and will slip him right back into the set-up role.

RH: How do you judge Mesoraco this year in the big leagues? Do you think his ceiling as a young player is still high?

HM: Mesoraco is still young and still learning. Catching is probably the hardest position to learn because there is so much involved. I've been disappointed a bit in his defense, he has taken a step back. But he will improve on offense and has enough pop to be a productive player.

RH: What's one thing fans might not necessarily know about this year's team and how they get along in the clubhouse?

HM: While there is no true clubhouse leader like Scott Rolen, the clubhouse is outstanding. All the players get along and support each other - even the extra guys like Xavier Paul, Derrick Robinson, Cesar Izturis and Jack Hannahan. They all know their roles and accept them. Todd Frazier could eventually be a leader, but this is only his second season and needs to become a better player to take a leadership role.

RH: How have you enjoyed covering the Reds this season especially? What's the best part about your job?

HM: I just love covering baseball in general - the Reds and every other team. I love getting to see all the great players come through. And I enjoy interacting with players on the Reds like Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier, Homer Bailey, Bronson Arroyo and Mat Latos. They all have different personalties and they are fun to interview.

RH: How did Homer Bailey's no hitter stack up to some of the others you've seen like Browning's perfect game?

HM: Homer was probably even more dominating than Browning's because Bailey is a power pitcher and Browning was a finesse pitcher. I got the feeling that both teams just wanted to get the game over when Browning pitched. Because of rain the game didn't start until 10 p.m. and it drizzled most of the game and there were few fans in the stands. The opposing pitcher, Jerry Reuss, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Bailey only walked one, so was one batter away from a perfect game, too, and he totally dominated the Giants.

RH: As one of baseball's most distinguished writers, how do you feel about the direction the game is headed?

HM: I have loved baseball all my life - it has been my life. So I won't bite the hand that fed me and fed me well. The game is great, even with the DH, which I abhor, and the two wild cards. I don't like wild card teams winning the World Series when they didn't even win their divisions, but it does make it more exciting for the fans and keeps interest longer. That's a good thing. To me, though, the game is so great that it is tough for anybody to mess it up too much. 

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot