Hal McCoy
Encyclopedia
Hal McCoy is the Cincinnati Reds writer at FOXSportsOhio.com and a former beat writer
for the Dayton Daily News
(Dayton, Ohio
), covering the Cincinnati Reds
baseball
team. He was honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002 as the winner of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award, which is awarded annually "for meritorious contributions to baseball writing." He gained national attention in 2003 when he continued to cover the Reds despite a stroke in his left eye that left him legally blind.
School of Journalism. He played first base at Kent on a partial baseball scholarship.
since 1972. He was at the forefront of the Pete Rose
investigation, breaking many stories during the 1989 season while also covering the Reds on a daily basis. He is the writer that coined the title "Big Red Machine". He also covered the infamous reign of former Reds CEO Marge Schott
, the 1990 World Champion Reds, multiple baseball strikes and Reds' ownership changes. Unable to travel to Philadelphia for the NLDS in 2010, he broadcast live from his home on the post-game show for Games 1 and 2 on FOX Sports Ohio post-game wrapup.
He has won 43 Ohio and national writing awards and was the first non-Cincinnati newsperson elected to the Cincinnati Journalists Hall of Fame. McCoy has been the Cincinnati BBWAA Chapter Chair 22 times and was the BBWAA national president in 1997. He is the third writer from the Dayton Daily News
to win the J. G. Taylor Spink Award, joining Si Burick
(1982) and Ritter Collett
(1991).
that he was retiring at the end of the 2009 Cincinnati Reds
season. He stated that the Dayton Daily News "will no longer cover the Cincinnati Reds the same way it has in the past" because "they just can’t afford the more than a quarter of a million dollars a year" it costs to send him coast-to-coast. http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/cincinnatireds/entries/2009/08/06/the_hammer_fell_today_and.html
In response to a common misconception that the Dayton Daily News was forcing him to retire, McCoy wrote on August 7, 2009:
With his vision severely impaired, McCoy struggled during his trip to spring training in 2003. He considered retiring but cites a pep talk by then-Reds player Aaron Boone
("You can still do it. We'll help you.") as a reason he kept working. McCoy learned to adapt to the condition. He had his scorebook enlarged, uses a magnifying glass for small print, follows the game by TV monitor, and writes on a large-screen laptop with enlarged print.
Beat reporting
Beat reporting, also known as specialized reporting, is a genre of journalism that can be described as the craft of in-depth reporting on a particular issue, sector, organization or institution over time. Beat reporters build up a base of knowledge on and gain familiarity with the topic, allowing...
for the Dayton Daily News
Dayton Daily News
The Dayton Daily News is a daily newspaper published in Dayton, Ohio. It is owned by Cox Enterprises. In the 2010 Associated Press Society of Ohio newspaper competition that takes place every year, DaytonDailyNews.com was named "the best large-newspaper web site in Ohio".-History:On August 15,...
(Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
), covering the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team. He was honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002 as the winner of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award, which is awarded annually "for meritorious contributions to baseball writing." He gained national attention in 2003 when he continued to cover the Reds despite a stroke in his left eye that left him legally blind.
Education
He is an honors graduate from Kent State UniversityKent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
School of Journalism. He played first base at Kent on a partial baseball scholarship.
Writing career
McCoy has covered the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
since 1972. He was at the forefront of the Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
investigation, breaking many stories during the 1989 season while also covering the Reds on a daily basis. He is the writer that coined the title "Big Red Machine". He also covered the infamous reign of former Reds CEO Marge Schott
Marge Schott
Margaret Unnewehr Schott was the managing general partner, president and CEO of the National League's Cincinnati Reds franchise from 1984 to 1999...
, the 1990 World Champion Reds, multiple baseball strikes and Reds' ownership changes. Unable to travel to Philadelphia for the NLDS in 2010, he broadcast live from his home on the post-game show for Games 1 and 2 on FOX Sports Ohio post-game wrapup.
He has won 43 Ohio and national writing awards and was the first non-Cincinnati newsperson elected to the Cincinnati Journalists Hall of Fame. McCoy has been the Cincinnati BBWAA Chapter Chair 22 times and was the BBWAA national president in 1997. He is the third writer from the Dayton Daily News
Dayton Daily News
The Dayton Daily News is a daily newspaper published in Dayton, Ohio. It is owned by Cox Enterprises. In the 2010 Associated Press Society of Ohio newspaper competition that takes place every year, DaytonDailyNews.com was named "the best large-newspaper web site in Ohio".-History:On August 15,...
to win the J. G. Taylor Spink Award, joining Si Burick
Si Burick
Simon "Si" Burick was a sports editor and featured columnist for the Dayton Daily News for 58 years. Burick received the J. G. Taylor Spink Award on July 23, 1983, and was inducted into the writers section of the Baseball Hall of Fame...
(1982) and Ritter Collett
Ritter Collett
Ritter Collett was a sports editor and columnist for the Dayton Journal-Herald and Dayton Daily News for over fifty years. Collett, a native of Ironton, Ohio began his career in 1946 for the then-Dayton Journal...
(1991).
Retirement
On August 6, 2009, McCoy announced in his blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
that he was retiring at the end of the 2009 Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
season. He stated that the Dayton Daily News "will no longer cover the Cincinnati Reds the same way it has in the past" because "they just can’t afford the more than a quarter of a million dollars a year" it costs to send him coast-to-coast. http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/cincinnatireds/entries/2009/08/06/the_hammer_fell_today_and.html
In response to a common misconception that the Dayton Daily News was forcing him to retire, McCoy wrote on August 7, 2009:
"... I was NOT forced into retirement. I did not have to accept the buyout, which is a generous one year’s salary - one year’s pay for doing nothing, of which I’ve always been extremely competent at doing.
"It is MY choice to retire and my choice to take the buyout. I was not forced, coerced or threatened.
"Did I want to continue covering the Cincinnati Reds and major-league baseball? Absolutely. Positively. Definitely. But these are hard economic times and the newspaper is unable to do that at this time." http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/cincinnatireds/entries/2009/08/07/as_lawrence_welk_used_to.html
Eye condition
In 2001, McCoy's eyesight started to fail and the vision in his right eye blurred. Doctors diagnosed an eye condition that affects perhaps five percent of the population. He had a stroke in the optic nerve that left him with a permanent blurry spot. Although there was only a 15 percent chance he'd have a stroke in the left eye, he awoke in 2003 to find the vision in his left eye had blurred even worse because of another stroke. Tests determined that he has two small spots in his vision where he can see clearly. He has no peripheral vision.With his vision severely impaired, McCoy struggled during his trip to spring training in 2003. He considered retiring but cites a pep talk by then-Reds player Aaron Boone
Aaron Boone
Aaron John Boone is a former Major League Baseball infielder whose famous home run off Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield won the 2003 American League Championship Series for the New York Yankees. He played for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, Washington...
("You can still do it. We'll help you.") as a reason he kept working. McCoy learned to adapt to the condition. He had his scorebook enlarged, uses a magnifying glass for small print, follows the game by TV monitor, and writes on a large-screen laptop with enlarged print.