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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2010 > February > 04 > Entry
Dusty, Sheen, Meat Loaf and The Boss
CINCINNATI REDS MANAGER Dusty Baker was a big hit recently at the Wright State University First Pitch baseball dinner and was sincerely impressed with what he saw of the campus, particularly the Nutter Center.
“I always wanted to be BMOC (Big Man on Campus) but I signed a baseball contract when I was 18 and never went to college,” he said. “When I was about to be drafted, things weren’t too settled racially in the south and I said a prayer, ‘Lord, don’t let me get drafted by the Atlanta Braves.” Then came the draft and said Baker, “Wham, bam, I was drafted by the Braves and I said, ‘Lord, you didn’t here me, did you?’”
BAKER LOST his father, Johnny Baker Sr., a couple of months ago and he recalled how tough his dad was on him.
“He coached Little League in Sacramento and he cut me from the team when I was 8 because I threw my glove after I missed a ball,” said Baker. “The next year he cut me because I threw my bat after I struck out. I came back the next year and I quit the team when a guy threatened to hit me and I was scared. My dad wouldn’t let me come back on the team because he said, ‘I don’t want no quitters on my team.’”
DAYTONIAN RON BROOKEY is an Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer and coached Steve Yeager at Meadowdale High School. Brooked asked Baker about Yeager because the two played together for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1970s.
“Boomer?” said Baker. “You mean Boomer? We always called Yeager ‘Boomer.’ He was the best catcher I ever played with, but what I remember is how Boomer could go into the shower holding a cigarette in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other and get neither of them wet.”
Yeager is credited with an invention on the catcher’s mask. During a game a bat splintered in front of him and a large piece lodged in Yeager’s throat. This was before catchers began wearing hockey-type helmets. Yeager devised a piece of steel that hung from the chin padding of the mask that covered his throat.
After his baseball career, Yeager became a technical advisor on the movie Major League, which is why the movie is technically correct in all its baseball aspects. And Yeager appeared in a cameo role as a third base coach in the movie that starred Charlie Sheen as pitcher Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn.
ABOUT CHARLIE SHEEN. He was, and maybe still is, a huge fan of the Cincinnati Reds, probably because his actor father Martin Sheen was born in Dayton.
In the early 1990s, I was sitting in my press box seat in Dodger Stadium, head down as I pounded the keys on my laptop because I was near deadline. There was an empty seat next to mine and some guy sat down and began bombarding me with questions about Barry Larkin, Eric Davis and Rob Dibble.
I was busy, so I was terse and cryptic with my answers, never looking up. Finally, the guys says, “Would you like a cup of coffee?” To get rid of him, I said, “Yeah. Black. Two Sweet ‘n’ Lows.” The guy left to fetch the coffee and another guy two seats down leaned over and said, “Do you know who you keep ignoring? That’s Charlie Sheen.”
Well, he should never bother a writer on deadline - but I was more alert and polite when he returned with my coffee.
ANOTHER BRUSH with celebrity came in Philadelphia when singer/writer/actor Meat Loaf sang the National Anthem before a Phillies-Reds game. I loved Meat Loaf’s Bat out of Hell album. Along about the second inning I was again pounding the keys, head down, when I sensed somebody looking over my shoulder.
I hate that. I hate somebody watching me write. But when I realized it was Meat Loaf we struck up a nice conversation. He knows a lot about baseball. And later, whenever anybody brought up Meat Loaf, I always said, “Oh, yeah, my friend Meat. We’re on first-name basis.”
THEN THERE was the day I was standing at the batting cage during batting practice in New York’s Shea Stadium when a guy next to me said, “Don’t you just love Sean Casey’s all-out swing?”
I looked over and it was The Boss, Bruce Springsteen. For once I was speechless, when I knew I should have said, “We have something in common. I was born in the USA, too.
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By The Mick
February 8, 2010 10:05 PM | Link to this
Hal, Great story!I remember when I met Adam and Eve. I would tell you about it, however, I realize your stories go way back beyond mine. I know,you can write about it in the paper you were just busted for moonlighting in. Mick
By the magic rat
February 6, 2010 8:22 AM | Link to this
Case had a sweet swing, yes, but he was definitely not born to run
By Y-City Jim
February 5, 2010 12:38 PM | Link to this
Springsteen!!!! I’m jealous, Hal!
By Steve F
February 5, 2010 11:27 AM | Link to this
Hal, I heard a few years ago that Charlie Sheen owns the most coveted piece of baseball memorabilia…Babe Ruth’s 1927 World Series ring.
By Gary Maloy Jr
February 5, 2010 11:23 AM | Link to this
hehe. Hal, this story reminds of the time I met Tommy Lasagne… no, Lasorda out in Los Angeles. Christmas 1978. Right after the Dodgers’d lost to the Yankees (again). But I’ve told the story so many times… Suffice it to say that this big-mouthed 18 year-old from North Dayton managed to shut ol’ Lasagne’s mouth. I’ll never forget it to the day I die. Gawd I still hate the Dodgers. I hate the Phillies today because Davey Lopes coaches for them! I hate watching the World Series on ESPN’s international sending because Rick Sutcliffe does the color commentary. I HATE THE DODGERS!! hehe BRM=Forever. LRM=2010 and beyond.
By Jeremy
February 4, 2010 7:51 PM | Link to this
Nice story Hal. How about for your next story we tell all these guys asking for Johnny Damon to jump off that bandwagon. The guy didn’t get resigned by the Yankees because he refused a pay cut. The Reds can’t afford him and he’s getting up there in age anyway. How about the do the smart move and resign Gomes? Of course, you would have to feel the same way I do about both of those situations wouldn’t you?
By Mark
February 4, 2010 7:32 PM | Link to this
Yeah, and as far as I’m concerned, when it comes to Sports Writing, Hal, you’re The Boss.