Catch of the Day: A Hartford Harpoon Blog

[DrewV]

McCoy named as interim Hartford GM


Majority harpoon shareholder Dennis Hall announced this morning that former GM (and briefly, Charleston) GM Ricky McCoy will serve as interim President of Baseball Operations for the Harpoon.

McCoy, 47, spent four years as the General Manager of the Duluth Warriors and a brief stint as the GM of the Charleston Statesmen.

Gathered with reporters in the Grey Davidson III Memorial Conference Room, McCoy offered a brief interview, the transcript of which is detailed below.

Michael Pennnington, Hartford Times: Ricky, you vanished from Charleston without a trace and turned up in Korea four months later. Can you tell us what prompted that sudden disappearance, and assure Hartford fans they won’t suffer the same treatment?

McCoy: No.

Melissa McHenry, FNN Channel 7: Mr. McCoy, Melissa McHenry, Channel 7. Reports from the ownership represented by Dennis Hall indicate that you are serving as ‘interim President of Baseball Operations.’ Are you aware of any continued search for a more qualified candidate, or is Mr. Hall planning on retaining you for 2035?

McCoy: I don’t know. Ask Dennis Hall.

Mellissa McHenry, FNN Channel 7: Respectfully, the majority interest of the Hartford Harpoon rests with Dennis Hall after the Davidson sale, and they’ve made their announcement. Are you looking for a house in Hartford, Ricky?

McCoy: If I am, Melissa, you’ll be the last to know.

Amiah Al-Sadoud, Connecticut Courier: Mr. McCoy, Amiah Al-Sadoud, The Courier. You were often referred to as a “firehouse seller” in Duluth. You balanced the budget, but at the cost of a winning team. Is that the strategy with your hire in Hartford? And can you comment on the rumors that there are talks of relocating the team to a more tangible market?

McCoy: King Solomon couldn’t make Duluth into a winning team in 2029. And I forgot the second half of your question. Next.

Michael Pennington, Hartford Times: Ricky, the Andy Sharp trade is widely regarded as the worst trade in PEBA history. Can you comment on the long-term effects of the trade in Duluth, and what you learned as a General Manager from the trade that you plan on employing in Hartford?

McCoy: Yeah, if anyone from Florida approaches you about a trade at Winter Meetings, pour orange juice in their gas tank. Does anyone have any questions about the Hartford Harpoon?

James Finch, Sporting Club of New England: Ricky, do you plan to take the team in the same direction as the late General Manager, or do you have your own plans for 2035?

McCoy: I didn’t know Dusty King, but his passion and intellect were clear from every moment he spent with the franchise. We’re honoring his vision for the rebuild and look forward to seeing the fruit of his vision for Hartford. No more questions, thanks.

Ricky McCoy, the former college baseball athlete and career Army officer, is 249-347 in PEBA.

Michael Pennington is a Hartford Harpoon beat reporter for the Hartford Times.

[DrewV]

Hartford, Connecticut
September 25th, 2034

GM Ricky McCoy is already dug in to the Hartford rosters, with several Minor League moves across the franchise and a spring cleaning of the International Complex.

With the ship of the season well-sailed, the flurry of rebuild trades submitted at the deadline places Hartford in a long gaze toward the future, maybe 2038, and there is some cause for hope with a pitching farm that includes Sotatsu Kobayashi, Greg Abutin, Isaac Kennedy and Euan MacKinlay (who McCoy drafted while at Charleston). Each of these pitchers has the potential for a lay job in a future Hartford rotation, but none of them appear to have star potential. In fact, Hartford's farm is bereft of flashy, exciting talent, and the McCoy Front office has their work cut out for them in re-tooling the organization for a fully committed rebuild.

The HHBC is enduring a slump of biblical proportions, without a single batter on the roster over .300. Nearly the entire infield is below the Mendoza Line. Most journeyman talent in that infield is due to depart this year for Free Agency, and general consensus around Mack Stadium is that you may as well write "good riddance" in the sky.

Still, Hartford's not without strengths--namely a cheap and effective young pitching corps--perhaps not the dynamo callups Hartford fans hoped for in years past, but still reliable, and pitching relatively well, despite Hartford's inability to win on any day but Sunday this month. RP James Berridge, who is out with a sore shoulder, was on quite the run this season with a .078 WHIP over 29 innings. Alas for a fastball, but the young Scotsman is developing into a fine closer, despite his 4-game slump and subsequent injury. Look for him to lock down the role for good in 2035.

Another strength of Hartford is a good market, loyal fans, and a decent amount of cash to save for a sunnier day. There is notable pitching coaching established up the personnel chain, and it's clear that someone clever set up the framework for a pitching prospect factory. Key to success in the Hartford rebuild is the continuation of this machine, orienting on young talent and setting conditions for a forward-thinking and balanced system. Like all storms, this one is going to get worse before it gets better.

[Borealis]

I'm looking forward to seeing how the Harpoon fare - they aren't too far removed from some playoff runs, so there's hope!

[DrewV]

A Fine End: Walk-Offs and Duels at Mack Stadium
Hartford, CT
10/2/2024

Eager to place a lackluster season behind them, Hartford closes the book on 2034 and looks toward the offseason with a new General Manager and eyes on a better tomorrow.

This week marks the return for enigmatic (interim) Ricky McCoy, President of Baseball Operations, whose determined Harpoons finished the final stretch out 4-2 on a long homestand against two longtime IL Seaboard Rivals.

Hartford Skipper León Fernández deserves a raise, as both pinch-hitting calls for RF Roberto López resulted in walkoff victories. It was one of three walkoff wins for Hartford this week, and despite everything, one could not help but feel the electricity in Mack Stadium as the game-ending series saw plenty of pitching duels and dramatic late-inning hits.

October marked the edge of steam for the Harpoon, who fell unceremoniously to Arlington in their final match of the year after a week of seat-edge baseball. The Harpoon left 8 on base in their 7-2 defeat against Arlington despite a good performance by 1B Felix Zavala and Catcher Mu-Sang Ch’oe.

The loss seemed to disperse the atmosphere of hope and excitement that marked the last week at Mack Stadium, where the team provided three walk-offs and some top-notch pitching from a called-up roster of rising prospects.
The future of Hartford is uncertain, but as this long season draws to an inglorious close, the Harpoon fan cannot help but look to the horizon and see some hope in this final week of baseball.

The Harpoon now turn their eyes to the approaching offseason, with rumors of trade deals already circulating at Mack Stadium. Keep in touch with the Catch of the Day for weekly updates on hot stove action as Hartford heads into a perilous Free Agency.

Until next year.