Hal McCoy reflects on Hall of Fame career in new memoir

For fans of Cincinnati Reds baseball, there are many ways for them to read about their favorite team, and then there is the best way for them to sit down and really read and learn about the team from the Queen City.

That source is none other than Hall of Famer Hal McCoy, who is in his 43rd year of reporting and giving his opinion on the Reds. This year, McCoy has released a memoir spanning his entire sportswriting career in a book titled "The Real McCoy: My Half-Century with the Cincinnati Reds."

McCoy – winner of the 2002 J.G. Taylor Spink Award, earning him a spot in the National Baseball Hall of Fame – will be holding a book signing at the Highland County District Library on Thursday, July 9 at 6 p.m. in Hillsboro. He will have books available for purchase to sign.

McCoy will also speak about his book in a program before the signing, which is free and open to the public.

For McCoy, the book doesn't mean an ending of his career, but more of a way to tell the stories of his career that he has never put in print while writing for the Dayton Daily News.

"I really enjoy meeting all of the fans with these book signings,” McCoy told The Highland County Press. "It is a pleasure to finally meet the people I've dealt with in emails and talk to them in person. It is really fun to visit places like Hillsboro, where I don't go too often."

McCoy has lived the life many only can dream of, saying he's "never had a real job," as he’s traveled across the country to cover the game he loves, baseball.

"There are three things that I love about my career," McCoy said. "I love baseball, I love to write and I love to travel. I get to do all three and get paid to do it. I don't consider it a real job because I get to do what I love."

In the 224-page book published by Orange Frazer Press, McCoy talks about the great teams of the Reds he's covered, including "The Big Red Machine," the 1990 World Series champion wire-to-wire club and even some of the not-so-great seasons in the history of Cincinnati baseball.

Which was Hal's favorite?

"I started with the Big Red Machine in 1973, and everyone thinks that is my favorite, but my favorite team I've covered is the 1990 Reds," McCoy said. "They beat Oakland in four games to win the World Series, and nobody expected them to do that.

"Lou Piniella came in, and nobody after spring training expected them to do what they did. Pete (Rose) was banned in '89, and they were starting over with Lou."

Having the same career spanning over four decades in covering Major League Baseball, McCoy has witnessed a lot of changes to "America's Pastime.” When asked the biggest difference he's seen in professional baseball, McCoy said one thing in particular has “changed the game.”

"The money," the Hall of Famer said in two simple, but true words. "When I first started, the players didn't make much more than the writers, but the money got so big we don't associate with the players like we used to.

"Money has changed the game so much."

McCoy now has a different schedule than he's kept for the majority of his career, so there are changes there as well. He said they are welcome changes, but he does miss some of the aspects of being a full-time traveling beat writer.

Today, McCoy covers home games at Great American Ball Park, but he also blogs about the team, writes daily articles and still has his Sunday "Ask Hal" column, which is a favorite of many Reds and baseball fans alike.

"The biggest difference for me as a writer is for 37 years, I never missed a road trip, covered almost every game," he said. "Now in covering the home games, I can say I don't miss the hassles of traveling. I don't miss working at the ball park late, then getting up at 6 a.m. for a flight.

"I do miss all the great people I met and became friends with on the road. I met a lot of great people."

The fans of the Reds have been lucky enough to have not only a writer who is in the Hall of Fame still covering the team, but a Hall of Fame broadcaster who also is still active on the radio in Marty Brennaman, who was the 2000 Ford C. Frick Award winner.

"It is absolutely amazing that my career and Marty's basically started at the same time with covering the Reds," McCoy said. "I started in '73, and Marty was '74.

“For 42 years, our careers have paralleled … we are still active in covering the Reds and both in the Hall of Fame. Something like that doesn't happen often."

With all of the stories, all of the time spent traveling and the thousands of bylines and deadlines met and gone, how did McCoy decide it was finally time to write his book?

"I procrastinated for about five years, but once I quit being a traveling beat writer, Orange Frazer Press sent me a note about writing a book, but I tucked it away and forgot about it," McCoy said. "I never considered writing a book, but I finally sat down in my man cave, and my wife was sitting right next to me. I got the laptop out and just started typing, then showed her what I had written.

"She looked at me and said, ‘Where's chapter two?’ I didn't think I would be able to do it, but 55,000 words later, I had a book. It was just a stream of consciousness, and I let it flow. I put down stories … I wanted to take fans into the clubhouse, and I wanted to entertain."

The book has had much success, as many baseball fans, not just fans of the Reds, have given kudos to McCoy's work. It isn't just fans who have read his book, either; former Reds players have told McCoy they've also read it as well.

"Seven former Reds have told me they've read the book, including Eric Davis and Sean Casey," McCoy said. "I was surprised when Tony Perez said he's read the book as well.

"We were on an elevator together, as Tony works for the Miami Marlins currently. Another gentleman on the elevator asked Tony if he'd read the book, and he said yes, he read it in Miami."

On the day of the interview, McCoy had an off day because the Reds didn't have a game, but McCoy is still very active in covering the Reds. When speaking about the current ball club, he pulls no punches when asked if he is surprised by where the 2015 Reds are currently in the standings.

"Coming out of spring training, I predicted the Reds to finish last," he said. "Looking at the standings right now, they are pretty much doing what I expected.

"This team will absolutely make changes before the trade deadline. I'm almost positive Johnny Cueto will be gone because he's a free agent after the season. There is a possibility of Mike Leake because he's also going to be a free agent, and both of them are going to cost a lot of money to sign."

McCoy doesn't just have opinions and educated thoughts on the current Reds ball club, but he also spoke about the all-time hit king, Pete Rose, whom he considers the best, but he is also realistic about the latest reports that Rose bet on baseball while he was still a player.

The Hall of Famer McCoy reported on Rose in '89 when he was banned from baseball, while also covering Rose during his greatest days in a Reds uniform.

"His (Rose) chances were slim before, but now with the recent news, that was the last nail in the coffin," McCoy said. "He won't be reinstated, which means he won't be getting into the Hall of Fame.

"It is unfortunate because on the field, he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. It was great covering Pete. He was one of the best and a good friend. When he talked, he would fill up a notebook. To hear him talk baseball was and is fascinating. He was so much fun."