Hal McCoy

[Sea Ray]

Hal's really on a roll. On top of his Beattie announcement, I know see in the DDN that you can click on a Q & A with Hall of Famer Steve Garvey. Maybe I missed it, but what year did Steve Garvey go into the baseball Hall of Fame? This Dan Rather type reporting is really staining a wonderful writing career. I'm sure he'll blame his editor for this like he does everything else. I noticed that his sources became "outside sources" after Krivsky was hired. I doubt they were referred to outside sources in yesterday's paper, although I don't know they've pulled the link. This is getting beyond sad. His articles are blasphemy.

[KittyDuran]

I wonder if Hal writes the titles for his articles? Here is the Q&A:
http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/wsu/daily/0207garvey.html?UrAuth=`NcNUOcN]UbTTUWUXUWUZTZU^UWUbUaUZU]U_UcTYWVVZV

Garvey's career at first began against Reds
Former Dodgers great to speak at WSU baseball fundraiser
By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

Steve Garvey played 18 years for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, compiling a .294 career average with 272 home runs.

He played 1,207 consecutive games, was an All-Star 10 times and compiled a .393 lifetime All-Star average. Garvey was National League MVP in 1974 and a write-in All-Star that year and was the game's MVP. He hit .356 in 22 league championship games with eight homers and 21 RBIs and had a .319 average in 28 World Series games.

Garvey will be the featured speaker Wednesday night at Wright State's First Pitch Banquet, which raises money for the Raiders baseball program. He took some time last week to discuss his career and America's pastime.


Q — What do you remember about the heated Dodgers-Reds rivalry of the 70's?

A — I was a third baseman and we were going to play the Reds in a doubleheader in 1975. I didn't play the first game and got a pinch-hit single in the ninth. Cincinnati's Fred Norman was to pitch the second game and we couldn't handle him. Manager Walter Alston asked me if I had ever played first base and I said, yes, once in Little League and once in Triple-A. He said, 'Well, you're at first for the second game.' I got a couple of hits and Walter put my name down at first base from then on.


Q — What is your opinion of the state of baseball?

A — Today's players are bigger, stronger and faster. Are they technically better? No. And they don't seem to have the passion that guys like Pete Rose and I had. All we wanted to do was play every inning and get 200 hits. Players today don't have that passion. They are happy to play 145 to 150 games. And they aren't willing to do things like move runners over or bunt. I'd get six or seven bunt hits a year when I saw the third baseman playing back. Egos get in the way today.


Q — Where do you stand on baseball's steroids policy?

A — The game will be much better when MLB and the players union work closer together. The new steroids policy is a step in the right direction, but I'd like to see baseball adopt the Olympics policy — first offense a two-year suspension and second offense permanent disqualification. If the rule is that strict, then players won't take the chance.


Q — How do you feel about the designated hitter?

A — I'm a purist. I'd like to see pitchers hit and see managers get the opportunity to make decisions. It came into being because the American League didn't think its brand of baseball was as exciting as the National League and had to do something. That isn't the case now, but the DH is too entrenched to have it changed. I'm just glad the National League never went to it.


Q — How about the wild card in the playoffs?

A — It's good for the game, especially the fans. When I played we had just a best-of-five League Championship Series, which was full of pressure. Once you got through that, you had the best-of-seven World Series and that was more relaxed. It is more for television now and stimulates more fan interest. Same with interleague play. Attendance is up and it is good for the game. Fans should get to see Anaheim against the Dodgers and the Reds against the Indians.


Q — Who was the toughest pitcher you ever faced?

A — I was a guesstimator, a guy who watched for patterns and sequences. You couldn't do that with knuckleballer Phil Niekro. And there was (Houston's) J.R. Richard, who isn't in the Hall of Fame but threw 97 miles-an-hour fastballs, 92 miles-an-hour sliders and was 6-foot-8. He seemed to be releasing the ball from 50 feet.


Q — Who was the best player you played against?

A — I came in at the tail of the careers of Willie Mays and Hank Aaron and I played against and with Tony Gwynn. But day in and day out, I'd say Pete Rose. He was like me. He wanted to play every inning and he wanted a hit every at-bat and he wanted to win. We had the same work ethic. He wasn't the biggest, fastest or best player, but he got the most out of himself.


Q — You played 1,207 games in a row. How often did you play hurt?

A — I had a lot of migraine headaches. Sometimes I'd slide into third base with a triple and I'd get up and my head was spinning. I played with hairline fractures, hamstring pulls, the flu. But I played. I just wanted to play.

[KittyDuran]

BTW - I sent an email to the DDN's Sports Editor to correct the misleading title...

[Sea Ray]

I don't know if Hal writes the titles or not but someone needs to inform him of what they're adding to his columns because this reflects on him. I'd love to know who thought Garvey was in the Hall. If Hal's health is such that he cannot read his columns or see what's being written then it is time to hang it up. This is not a typo. this is misinformation.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by Sea Ray

I don't know if Hal writes the titles or not but someone needs to inform him of what they're adding to his columns because this reflects on him. I'd love to know who thought Garvey was in the Hall. If Hal's health is such that he cannot read his columns or see what's being written then it is time to hang it up. This is not a typo. this is misinformation.

I would think Garvey's in some hall of fame somewhere.

[KittyDuran]

I sent another email to the sports editor at the DDN:

In reference to the incorrect title of the Q&A with Steve Garvey - some fans believe this reflects badly on Hal (even if he didn't approve of the title) and someone at DDN needs to inform him of this.

Many of these fans are reeling and angry of the misinformatiton of the Beattie hiring and Hal's apology, and believe he should retire.

Any information would be appreciated...

Thanks!

[KittyDuran]

Oh, crap! I misspelled "information"...

[Cedric]

Originally Posted by KittyDuran

I sent another email to the sports editor at the DDN:

In reference to the incorrect title of the Q&A with Steve Garvey - some fans believe this reflects badly on Hal (even if he didn't approve of the title) and someone at DDN needs to inform him of this.

Many of these fans are reeling and angry of the misinformatiton of the Beattie hiring and Hal's apology, and believe he should retire.

Any information would be appreciated...

Thanks!

Redszone members are always reeling and angry about something. No need to retire Hal.

[RFS62]

Originally Posted by KittyDuran

Oh, crap! I misspelled "information"...

That should add to their shame. Even people who can't spell caught his mistake.


:

[KittyDuran]

Originally Posted by Cedric

Redszone members are always reeling and angry about something. No need to retire Hal.

Right, but Hal's a special case... (like Marty)

[Sea Ray]

I was disappointed in Hal's response. This was his letter to me which comes across as a crotchety old man,

Number one, I don't write the headlines. No. 2, that headline was not in the newspaper, only on the web-site and somebody there wrote the headline. It was quickly taken down when it was discovered. However, I do think he BELONGS in the Hall of Fame and vote for him every year, but I do know he ISN'T in the Hall of Fame.

And thanks for kicking a guy when he's down.

Hal

I would have hoped he'd say something like " I was apalled when I checked our website and confirmed what you told me. There's no excuse for such an aggregious error to make it to our website. I will have it corrected immediately. I value accuracy above all else in reporting and I regret that this one fell through the cracks."

Instead he makes excuses like the fact that it was correct in the print edition of the DDN and it wasn't his fault. Way to pass the buck, Hal. That's like the pitcher saying "that gopherball to lose the game wouldn't have happened if the catcher hadn't called for a fastball".

[NJReds]

Originally Posted by Sea Ray

I was disappointed in Hal's response. This was his letter to me which comes across as a crotchety old man,

Crotchety? You told the guy to quit? What'd you expect...for him to say "Thanks for that - we've corrected the headline and I put all of my stuff in a cardboard box." ?

Reporters and columnists have zero influence on headlines. They file their story and that's the end of it. It goes to the copy desk and the desk figures out where it's going to go and what the headline and sub-heads will be.

[15fan]

Dear Hal.

This brings back fond memories of the old Fastball.com days when you told us that the Reds were going to sign Delino DeShields to play 2b.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[registerthis]

Originally Posted by NJReds

Crotchety? You told the guy to quit? What'd you expect...for him to say "Thanks for that - we've corrected the headline and I put all of my stuff in a cardboard box." ?

Reporters and columnists have zero influence on headlines. They file their story and that's the end of it. It goes to the copy desk and the desk figures out where it's going to go and what the headline and sub-heads will be.

Seriously. Hal deserves some flak for the Beattie article, but this is truly making a mountain of a molehill.

[westofyou]

Blaming Hal for the headline on a web site is like blaming Richard Petty for Jeff Gordon.