Hal McCoy

Harold S. McCoy

• Throws Left
• College Kent State University

• Born October 18, 1940 in Akron, OH USA

Biographical Information

An active journalist since 1961, Hal McCoy has worked the Cincinnati Reds beat for the Dayton Daily News since 1972. When his vision failed in his right eye in 2001, McCoy continued on the beat. In 2003, a stroke to his left optic nerve reduced his vision and made him legally blind. McCoy feared it would be the end of his career. He has, however, persevered and has made modifications, such as a large scorecard and following the game on television rather than on the field. The 2008 season marked his 37th season on the Reds beat. He is the longest tenured baseball beat writer in the country.

McCoy won the 2002 Spink Award for his meritorious service to baseball writing. He was the fourth writer from a non-Major League city to win the award, two of the others, Si Burick and Ritter Collett, were also from Dayton, OH.

Further Reading

• Hal McCoy: The Real McCoy: My Half-Century with the Cincinnati Reds, Orange Frazer Press, Wilmington, OH, 2015. ISBN 978-1939710147