Hall-of-fame baseball writer Hal McCoy knows a thing or two about America’s pastime. If you’d like to tap into that knowledge, send a question to halmccoy1@hotmail.com. For more Ask Hal, log on to DaytonDailyNews.com/reds.

Q: After being handed those three easy wins by the Houston Astros, did Dusty Baker and his players have a problem looking at themselves in the mirror the next morning? — Dave, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek
A: Easy wins? Did you watch the last two games when Drew Stubbs saved them in the ninth inning? And judging from the facial hair on most Reds, few of them ever look in the mirror, and if they did, some would frighten themselves to death.

Q: One could argue that the best move the Reds made in the off-season was not re-signing Coco Cordero, so is the best move right now at the trade deadline to make no move at all? — Mark, Bloomington, Ind.
A: That’s no argument. That’s fact. Cordero or Chapman? Discussion over. The Reds could use a legitimate leadoff hitter, but where would he play? Big trades sometimes can mess with chemistry and right now the Reds seem to be playing with a deluxe well-stocked professional chemistry kit.

Q: Watching runners respect Jay Bruce’s arm makes me wonder who had the best arm of any Reds player you saw and who had the best arm on any team you’ve seen? — Keith, Xenia
A: Paul O’Neill’s left arm doubled as a rocket launcher. He threw so hard the Reds even used him as an emergency pitcher. Too bad he had to take that arm to New York. I saw Roberto Clemente only once before he died in a plane crash, but I saw him throw a ball straight as taut cable from the right-field corner to third base to eradicate a runner going from first to third. The guy was so stunned he stared at Clemente the entire time he ran off the field to the first base dugout, then tripped and fell down the steps.

Q: If balloting for the Cy Young Award were held today, which Reds pitcher would receive the most support, Johnny Cueto or Aroldis Chapman? — Jerry, Dayton
A: Cueto, for sure. It’s tough for a relief pitcher to win the Cy Young, unless there are no starting standouts. And there are. Even though Cueto still leads the league in ERA, he wouldn’t win. The Reds have never had a Cy Young winner and with R.A. Dickey of the Mets owning a 13-2 record he probably would win. Cueto might even finish behind Kyle Lohse, Gio Gonzalez, A.J. Burnett and Matt Cain. And this time we couldn’t blame Tony La Russa.

Q: Players break bats all the time, so on a 10-game trip how many bats does a player take? — Walt, Tremont City
A: Depends on how many he can sneak into the bat bags before equipment manager Rick Stowe says “no more.” Some players break a lot of bats, some hardly ever break bats. Aaron Boone used to break about one a day and then he’d raid the lockers of other players, especially Adam Dunn’s. It varies, but most take about half a dozen.

Q: George Grande was not the master of ceremonies at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Was this his decision? — Mike, Trapp, Ky.
A: He hasn’t done it the last two years and told me, “I had such a great time doing it I thought it was time for somebody else to enjoy the thrill.” I hope that’s true because George was fantastic at introducing the Hall of Famers. Strangely, I stayed this year at the Inn of Cooperstown in Room 12. My third day there, the owner asked me, “Do you know George Grande? You are staying in the room he stayed in for 20 years?” Talk about sheer coincidence.

Q: In light of the Washington Nationals putting an innings limitation on pitcher Stephen Strasburg and the fact that the same five starters have pitched all year for the Reds, is there any concern about endurance or durability for any of them and might somebody be shut down for the playoffs? — Nathan, Dayton
A: First things first — make the playoffs. And all five must continue to stay healthy and that’s a real finger-crosser. If the Reds clinch a spot in early mid-September I can see the starters going only five innings to stay sharp and preserve innings, but none is on a pitch or innings count. If the Reds make it, all five will be knocking on Dusty Baker’s door to say, “Me, me, me. Pitch me.”

Q: Were you surprised by the glowing remarks Barry Larkin made during his induction speech about how much Dave Parker meant to his career when it seemed that Parker was surly and wasted a lot of talent? — John, Vandalia
A: Parker was a great teammate, a clubhouse leader, one of the funniest guys I ever encountered (mostly off-color humor). No, I wasn’t surprised. Wasted talent? He played 19 years and hit .290 with 339 home runs and 1,493 RBIs. There are Hall of Famers with much worse numbers.

Q: Who was your favorite obscure Reds player and what is a good story about him? — Scott, Sidney
A: That would be a pitcher with the same first name as you, Scott Brown. He appeared in only 10 games in 1981 and was 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA. He was from Louisiana Bayou country and not very worldly. He threw hard but knew nothing about breaking pitches. When he saw a teammate throwing a curveball, he asked, “How do I get one of those?” His teammates sent him to a sporting goods store to buy a box of curveballs — and he actually went.