Hal McCoy's Favorite Cities

TW: Hal McCoy is a hall-of-fame baseball writer for the Dayton Daily News, one of the few remaining writers with some style. Unfortunately given the current and future economics of newspapers his type who follow baseball teams around the country are a dying breed. This will be his last year as his paper has chosen to join the trend and end their baseball beat. The Reds, my team, which as recently as two years ago had three beat writers will now have one whose future is likely also dubious. This will change the nature of sports reporting. No on-site perspective, merely generic PR releases from the teams and whatever the internet chatter can gin up.

Below is Hal's run-down of his favorite NL cities. I might not agree with his exact rankings but he gets the top five cities right.

From Hal McCoy at the Dayton Daily News:
"ONE: San Diego — I think I saw it rain once in 37 years in San Diego. They rolled out the tarp to cover the field and it shredded into pieces because it was rotted from non-use. The airport, though, is right downtown with one main runway and the approach takes you between tall building and I swear I once saw a lawyer counting his money as we passed his office window.
TWO: Denver — A great ballpark, the mountains with snow on them in mid-summer and a lively downtown. The only detriment is that if I walk at a fast pace (which I haven’t been able to do for five years) I am quickly out of breath due to the thin air. That’s what I tell myself.
THREE: San Francisco — You can eat at a different restaurant every day and seldom will you be disappointed. The walk between restaurants, though, is fraught with street beggars, one on every corner. I always tell them, “I gave to the last guy.” There was a guy once on Fisherman’s Wharf who had a sign, “I won’t lie, I want money for beer.” I gave him $5.
FOUR: Washington, D.C. — Until the Nationals came into the league, I hadn’t been to the nation’s capital since I was in the fifth grade and won a trip as an elementary school crossing guard. I was Lieutenant McCoy of the schoolboy patrol. The last three years I have been able to catch up on my sightseeing duties, plus there is a great cigar bar in which you can get a hand-rolled cigar and a Tangueray and tonic for, oh, about $100.
FIVE: Chicago — Big and eclectic, but not too big like New York City. My favorite steak house (The Saloon), my favorite pizza (Giordano’s) and my favorite Mexican joint (El Mexicano) are in the Windy City, but to tell the truth, I think it’s windier in Milwaukee. Folks think I probably love Wrigley Field. Wrong. Great place to watch a game, but horrible conditions for the poor w"