Redsground.com | Cincinnati Reds News, reds Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>Hal McCoy, the hall-of-fame Baseball writer for the Dayton Daily News, knows a thing or two about America's pastime. If you want to tap into that knowledge, send an e-mail to hmccoy@daytondailynews.com For more Ask Hal, log on to DaytonDailyNews.com/Reds. </div>Q President Obama went public with his March Madness bracket, only to be embarrassed. Has he picked a World Series winner, and if so is there any correlation between picking winners and solving economic crises? - Dave, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek A Who but you would inject politics into Ask Hal? The whole world is embarrassed by their NCAA brackets, including me. As far as I know he hasn't picked a World Series winner, probably because he is too busy watching the NBA playoffs and wondering if the NBA needs a bailout. Q While everybody was buzzing about shortstop Paul Janish's mound appearance, some of us wonder about what it might have done to his arm? - Carl, Yellow Springs A Nothing. He threw only fastballs and changeups and didn't risk his arm by snapping off breaking pitches. I've seen Janish many times taking infield and throwing more than 50 times across the infield, about double the distance of the pitching mound. I can recall outfielder Paul O'Neill and shortstop Dave Concepcion pitching an inning for the Reds . Their results were much better than Janish's five-run debacle and they came out of it with their arm still attached, as did Janish. Q Do you think Sean Casey, with his personality and love for the game, would make a good MLB coach or manager and can you see this in your crystal ball for the Reds ? - Cameron, Beavercreek A My crystal ball is very small and it snows when you shake it. Sean might make a good coach but he is too nice to be a manager. He'd try to play all 25 guys at once, and the last time I read the rule book that's not permitted. Q What did owner Bob Howsam and General Manager Dick Wagner see in Dan Driessen that caused them to trade Tony Perez? - Matt, Cincinnati A Has this question been simmering in your mind for 30 years? As I recall, they thought Driessen would be as good as Perez with the bat. He never was, and even if he had been he was so quiet that he could never be in the clubhouse what Perez was. As Howsam said many times, "The worst thing I ever did while running the Reds was trade Tony Perez." No, the worst thing he did was hire Wagner. Q With this steroids stuff, this is one generation that won't be represented much in the Hall of Fame. I'm still sticking with my sport and the guys who are legit, but who are they? - Gary, Columbus A Maybe they should add a wing in Cooperstown, The Steroids Room, and put all the cheaters in with a plaque over the door, "These are the guys who were superstars but felt the need to cheat, thus destroying their chances to get out of this room." Have faith, Gary. There are many straight-shooters out there, but ESPN doesn't glorify them for keeping needle plungers out of their butts. Q I wonder if Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips couldn't play Thursday after suffering whiplash while watching Bronson Arroyo throw batting practice Wednesday? - Bill, Villa Hills, Ky. A No whiplash, but maybe they caught colds from the breeze of baseballs whizzing past. But do you remember the game in Toronto last year when Arroyo gave up 11 runs in one-plus inning? He went 11-4 with a 3.42 ERA after that. Does history repeat itself? You betcha, bubba. Q I read that Bronson Arroyo keeps his boat, Nasty Hook, on the Ohio River during the season. Does he move it off the river when he pitches so it won't get sunk by a Baseball? - Mark, Bloomington, Ind. A Ah, it's pick on B.A. week, huh? If he docks on the Ohio side, closest to the park, he's OK. If he docks it on the Kentucky side, across the river, it might get hit. But I heard he put armor plates on it, just in case. Q Umpires seem to have big strike zones these days. I heard the umpire tracking system has been expanded to all parks. Is that information available to the general public and do the teams have access to it? - Steve, Indianapolis A You couldn't get that information from MLB if you locked them up in Guantanamo Bay. Talk about classified. That's for MLB eyes only. I see a lot of umpires with small strike zones, and ask Bronson Arroyo about Tim McClelland. Nobody is certain what MLB does with its tracking information because it seems all umpires still have their own zones.

Hal McCoy, the hall-of-fame Baseball writer for the Dayton Daily News, knows a thing or two about America's pastime. If you want to tap into that knowledge, send an e-mail to hmccoy@daytondailynews.com For more Ask Hal, log on to DaytonDailyNews.com/Reds.

Q President Obama went public with his March Madness bracket, only to be embarrassed. Has he picked a World Series winner, and if so is there any correlation between picking winners and solving economic crises? - Dave, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek

A Who but you would inject politics into Ask Hal? The whole world is embarrassed by their NCAA brackets, including me. As far as I know he hasn't picked a World Series winner, probably because he is too busy watching the NBA playoffs and wondering if the NBA needs a bailout.

Q While everybody was buzzing about shortstop Paul Janish's mound appearance, some of us wonder about what it might have done to his arm? - Carl, Yellow Springs

A Nothing. He threw only fastballs and changeups and didn't risk his arm by snapping off breaking pitches. I've seen Janish many times taking infield and throwing more than 50 times across the infield, about double the distance of the pitching mound. I can recall outfielder Paul O'Neill and shortstop Dave Concepcion pitching an inning for the Reds . Their results were much better than Janish's five-run debacle and they came out of it with their arm still attached, as did Janish.

Q Do you think Sean Casey, with his personality and love for the game, would make a good MLB coach or manager and can you see this in your crystal ball for the Reds ? - Cameron, Beavercreek

A My crystal ball is very small and it snows when you shake it. Sean might make a good coach but he is too nice to be a manager. He'd try to play all 25 guys at once, and the last time I read the rule book that's not permitted.

Q What did owner Bob Howsam and General Manager Dick Wagner see in Dan Driessen that caused them to trade Tony Perez? - Matt, Cincinnati

A Has this question been simmering in your mind for 30 years? As I recall, they thought Driessen would be as good as Perez with the bat. He never was, and even if he had been he was so quiet that he could never be in the clubhouse what Perez was. As Howsam said many times, "The worst thing I ever did while running the Reds was trade Tony Perez." No, the worst thing he did was hire Wagner.

Q With this steroids stuff, this is one generation that won't be represented much in the Hall of Fame. I'm still sticking with my sport and the guys who are legit, but who are they? - Gary, Columbus

A Maybe they should add a wing in Cooperstown, The Steroids Room, and put all the cheaters in with a plaque over the door, "These are the guys who were superstars but felt the need to cheat, thus destroying their chances to get out of this room." Have faith, Gary. There are many straight-shooters out there, but ESPN doesn't glorify them for keeping needle plungers out of their butts.

Q I wonder if Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips couldn't play Thursday after suffering whiplash while watching Bronson Arroyo throw batting practice Wednesday? - Bill, Villa Hills, Ky.

A No whiplash, but maybe they caught colds from the breeze of baseballs whizzing past. But do you remember the game in Toronto last year when Arroyo gave up 11 runs in one-plus inning? He went 11-4 with a 3.42 ERA after that. Does history repeat itself? You betcha, bubba.

Q I read that Bronson Arroyo keeps his boat, Nasty Hook, on the Ohio River during the season. Does he move it off the river when he pitches so it won't get sunk by a Baseball? - Mark, Bloomington, Ind.

A Ah, it's pick on B.A. week, huh? If he docks on the Ohio side, closest to the park, he's OK. If he docks it on the Kentucky side, across the river, it might get hit. But I heard he put armor plates on it, just in case.

Q Umpires seem to have big strike zones these days. I heard the umpire tracking system has been expanded to all parks. Is that information available to the general public and do the teams have access to it? - Steve, Indianapolis

A You couldn't get that information from MLB if you locked them up in Guantanamo Bay. Talk about classified. That's for MLB eyes only. I see a lot of umpires with small strike zones, and ask Bronson Arroyo about Tim McClelland. Nobody is certain what MLB does with its tracking information because it seems all umpires still have their own zones.