Behind the scenes for Hal McCoy’s most memorable Reds story: ‘I tore the paper out of my typewriter’

I chose to accept, even though it might be the most difficult assignment of my professional career. After all, during the last 45 years of covering the Cincinnati Reds I have written, by rough estimate, close to 8,000 baseball stories through blood, sweat and tears.

Choose one? Choose the best? Is there a best?

No, I won’t even attempt that one.

Most memorable? Again, so many. The Pete Rose gambling investigation saga for most of 1989 was unforgettable, but it involved a daily string of summer-long stories as the investigation unfolded and the Dayton Daily News was at the forefront.

So, the most memorable story involves one of the most memorable games in World Series history — Game 6, 1975, Cincinnati Reds vs. Boston Red Sox in historic and ancient Fenway Park.

The Reds led the series three games to two, needing one victory to take home the trophy.

It appeared the Reds had it won, leading 6-3 in the eighth inning and I began typing away in the press box atop the dark green stands behind home plate.

The Red Sox had two on and two outs in the eighth inning with Bernie Carbo at the plate against Rawly Jackson Eastwick III, an accomplished artist and student of Andrew Wyeth and an outstanding relief pitcher.

Carbo was originally with the Reds, drafted No. 1 in 1965, one spot ahead of Johnny Bench. On a 2-and-2 pitch, one strike from escaping, Eastwick’s fastball was reversed over the center field wall by Carbo, tying the game, 6-6.

I tore the paper out of my typewriter, disgusting ripping it into small pieces and dropped it into a nearby wastebasket.

And the game droned on at 6-6 through the ninth, 10th and 11th. At one point, when he was batting, Pete Rose turned to catcher Carlton Fisk and said, “Isn’t this a great game?”

Twice earlier in the game the Reds had intentionally walked Fisk. But when the bottom of the 12th arrived, Fisk was leading off against Pat Darcy, the Reds’ eighth pitcher of the night.

Then came one of baseball’s most famous images. On a 1-and-0 pitch, Fisk hit a sky-scraping fly ball down the left field line toward the foul pole above the 37-foot high wall called The Green Monster.

As left fielder George Foster drifted back, Fisk was a few feet from home plate, jumping up and down and flailing his arms toward fair territory, imploring the ball to stay fair.

It did. It struck the foul pole four hours and one minute into a World Series Classic. The Red Sox won, 7-6, tying the World Series at three wins apiece and sending it to a Game Seven.

In the pressbox, I inserted some Western Union copy paper into my green portable Olivetti type writer and began pounding out the story.

Some 25 years later, the History Channel did a documentary on baseball beat writers and I was flattered to be included. As part of the story, I was asked to pick out my favorite story and to read the first few paragraphs while they showed on the screen what I was writing about.

I chose Game 6 of that World Series and when they told me to read the first few paragraphs while they showed Fisk dancing on the baseline, I was frightened.

I was young, only three years into covering baseball. What if I blew it and my description didn’t match what actually happened.

Then the documentary came out and it was one of my proudest moments. As I read my story and Fisk’s image flickered on the screen, my description of his home run matched perfectly with everything he did and everything that happened.

The Reds came back and won Game 7, even though many people still believe the Red Sox won that World Series with Fisk’s home run. And Game Seven was memorable, too, but even though The Bad Guys won, it remains the most memorable story of my career.

And that career includes the Pete Rose gambling saga, Rose’s 44-game hitting streak, Rose’s passing of Ty Cobb to become The Hit King, Tom Browning’s perfect game, Johnny Bench’s last career home run on Johnny Bench Day in Riverfront Stadium, the Reds’ 1990 World Series sweep of the Oakland Athletics, Ken Griffey Jr.’s 600 home run chase and pitcher Rick Wise hitting two home runs in one game against the Reds.

Coincidentally, Rick Wise was with the Red Sox in 1975 and pitched the top of the 12th. He gave up two hits, but struck out Cesar Geronimo to end the inning and leave the score at 6-6 and Wise was the winning pitcher when Fisk homered.