In January he was elected to the Hall of Fame, becoming the 16th player to receive that honor in his first year of eligibility. “My friends and I played sports in the streets or empty fields. Having teammates talk about you is one thing. After two solid seasons with the Padres, McCovey hit .203 for them in 1976. With two outs, the Giants had Matty Alou at third and Mays at second. [2] McCovey was called "the scariest hitter in baseball" by pitcher Bob Gibson, seconded by similarly feared slugger Reggie Jackson. [21][24], McCovey is best remembered for the ferocity of his line drive batting style. “You just don’t like to see people you love suffer,” said Morgan, whose mother recently died. He doubled off Bobby Castillo, driving home Rennie Stennett from first base with the winning run. Willie McCovey, the Hall of Fame first baseman who played 19 of his 22 seasons with the San Francisco Giants and slugged 521 career home runs, died Wednesday at age 80. [5] He won the NL Player of the Month Award in August, his first full month in the majors (.373, 8 HR, 22 RBI). “I’m fortunate,” McCovey said. McCovey had the distinction of winning the Most Valuable Player Award in the All-Star Game (he homered twice in the NL’s 9-3 win in Washington) and for the National League. ... Uncle Mac thank you for your mentorship and unconditional love for me and my family. “It didn’t seem so today,” McCovey deadpanned. Contact SABR, 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, http://dev.sabr.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/McCoveyWillie1970.jpg, /wp-content/uploads/2020/02/sabr_logo.png, immortalized by Giants fan Charles Schulz, http://community.baseballhall.org/page.aspx?pid=786, http://baseballhall.org/hof/mccovey-willie, http://voices.yahoo.com/willie-mccovey-foot-either-way-88749.html. [17], In 1976, McCovey struggled, and lost the starting first base job to Mike Ivie. "Every moment he will be terribly missed," said McCovey's wife, Estella, whom he married this past summer. Rich Murray’s career would not be described as McCovey-esque: Murray played in a total of 57 games, batting .216 with four homers. His best year statistically was 1969, when he hit 45 home runs, had 126 RBI and batted .320 to become the National League MVP. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Join our linker program. McCovey recently developed another infection and was hospitalized late last week. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. [18], On June 30, 1978, at Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium, McCovey hit his 500th home run, and two years later, on May 3, 1980, at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, McCovey hit his 521st and last home run, off Scott Sanderson of the Montreal Expos. As The Chronicle’s Bruce Jenkins wrote, “McCovey was called back by a deafening ovation, and he was clearly moved. The 10,114 fans at Seals Stadium got a pretty good inkling McCovey would have a brilliant career. In his book Ball Four, pitcher Jim Bouton wrote about watching the slugger blast the ball in batting practice, while making "little whimpering animal sounds" in response to each of McCovey's raw power drives. From 1962 through ’64, McCovey and Cepeda alternated between first base and the outfield. Longtime Cincinnati Reds manager Sparky Anderson would say he feared McCovey more than any other hitter. 44, Willie McCovey. He hit .354, with 13 home runs and 38 RBIs in 52 games that season and was named Rookie of the Year. The trade wasn’t a complete shock — the Giants had dealt Mays to the Mets a year earlier — but McCovey, who hit 29 homers in 1973, wasn’t ready to concede his career was near its end. In 1959 he was named the National League Rookie of the Year. [22], In September 2003, McCovey and a business partner opened McCovey's Restaurant, a baseball-themed sports bar and restaurant located in Walnut Creek, California. Stevens’ account in The Chronicle noted, “Yankee manager Ralph Houk had the audacity to permit Terry to pitch” to the left-handed power hitter. In late September he was on the field to present this year’s Willie Mac Award to reliever Will Smith. You can’t cry about it.”, “I think it’s fair to say McCovey has never been as highly acclaimed as he deserved,” longtime Dodgers pitcher Don Sutton said in 1986. Two years later, the sport's most prominent sabermetric analyst, Bill James, ranked him 69th, and the 9th-best first baseman. Willie Lee McCovey (January 10, 1938 – October 31, 2018) was an American professional baseball player. Willie McCovey of the San Francisco Giants raises his hands in salute to the cheering crowd after he was replaced in the lineup in a game with the Cincinnati Reds, July 3, 1980. Some defensive statistics Copyright © Baseball Info Solutions, 2010-2020. At 6-foot-4, McCovey was a towering presence at the plate. He towered over them. July 30, 1959 Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Player. View Willie McCovey's Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos). Or write about sports? “With sound effects, he made it seem real. The Associated Press contributed to this report. McCovey thanked then-Giants manager Joe Altobelli for the opportunity. McCovey was traded by the Giants to the San Diego Padres in 1973. [10], The moment was immortalized in two Peanuts comic strips by Charles M. Willie McCovey hits his 513th career home run on June 16, 1979, passing Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews on all-time list. 708 days ago. [6][17], McCovey returned to the Giants in 1977 without a guaranteed contract, but he earned a position on the team. “As the guy who hit the ball over Bobby Richardson’s head in the seventh game,” replied McCovey. [19], In his 22-year career, McCovey batted .270, with 521 home runs and 1,555 RBIs, 1,229 runs scored, 2,211 hits, 353 doubles, 46 triples, 1,345 bases on balls, a .374 on-base percentage and a .515 slugging percentage. This remained the major league mark for 33 years until broken by fellow Giant Barry Bonds. In late August, San Diego sold him to the A’s, with whom he went 5-for-24 without an extra-base hit. (AP Photo/RHH). [6] With Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson having retired at the end of the 1976 season with 755 and 586 home runs respectively, McCovey began 1977 as the active home run leader with 465. That year, he led the league in home runs (45), RBIs (126) and on-base percentage (.453). Pain is a terrible thing. For 22 years on the field and many more after retiring, Willie was a superb ambassador for the Giants and our game.". Year Team League; 1963: San Francisco Giants: NL: 1966: San Francisco Giants: NL: 1968 McCovey’s 1977 numbers: .280, 28 homers and 86 RBIs. Willie McCovey didn't just stretch above the players of his time. McCovey, born on Jan. 10, 1938, could hit the ball hard even as a child. He was a six-time All-Star, three-time home run champion, MVP, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986 in his first year of eligibility, only the 16th man so honored, at the time. pic.twitter.com/7cWguIR6SD. In 1995, he and retired Brooklyn Dodgers outfielder Duke Snider were convicted of tax fraud for failing to report income earned at autograph and memorabilia shows. The statement also quoted McCovey’s daughter, Allison. Willie McCovey Stats, Fantasy & News. The Chronicle’s Bob Stevens wrote that McCovey, “whom they call ‘Stretch,’ arrived at Seals Stadium just before game time and wound up owning it.”.
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