Posted on 10/31/2018 5:26:12 PM PDT by CaliforniaCraftBeer
“If you pitch to him, he’ll ruin a baseball,’’ rival manager Sparky Anderson once said. “There’s no comparison between McCovey and anybody else in the league.” He was the National League rookie of the year in 1959, the league’s MVP in 1969 and the comeback player of the year in 1977 when he kicked off a late-career renaissance by returning to the Giants after a three-year absence. In all, McCovey was a six-time All-Star whose career home run total ties him with Ted Williams for 18th on the all-time list. Before Barry Bonds passed him, McCovey had more home runs than any other left-handed hitter in N.L history. McCovey’s total includes 18 grand slams, a figure topped by only three players. He was inducted into Cooperstown on his first ballot, in 1986..
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good post.
I miss baseball already...
The Dodgers had a saying about McCovey: “He hits (Don) Drysdale like he owns him.”
Great pic from days before baseball players started wearing pajama bottoms. Rest in peace, Willie.
RIP to one of the greats.
He was National League so I never really got to see him but he was surely a classic.You know you’re getting old when those with whom you’re familiar start dying.
I still remember when Juan Marichal went after Johnny Roseboro with a bat, not cool.
I was a Dodger fan.
As an avid Dodgers fan back then his imposing figure sent chills of fear up my back every time he came to bat, knowing he could quickly uncoil his lanky frame and lash the ball 450 feet to right field. I’ve never seen any ball player any better at getting through the ball. Gone but certainly not forgotten.
Was that 69?
Oh word, he was one of the greatest.
Such a great comic.
Great ball player. God Bless.
My mom took us to quite a few Mets games at Shea in the 60’s.
I remember well the McCovey shift. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The first baseman would shift straight over second base with the rest of the infield playing deep on his pull side. One time while watching this he hit a pop-up straight to center field. All three outfielders were standing at the 410 mark in center watching it clear the wall. I thought it would never come down. Loved you, Willie!
My dad played catcher on the all Army team with Willie Mays. We moved to Vallejo in 1967 so dad took us to see the Giants. Marichal was on the mound, Mays in center, Mccovey on 1st. After the game Willie got dad into the club house and when he came out they had him loaded with swag, all autographed.
Of course we were just dumb kids and as soon as we got home we started playing ball with the autographed baseball. The bat was eventually used to hit rocks down the street, and the cards ended up in our bicycle spokes...
You beat me to it!
One of my favorite players as a kid...............
I remember the Red’s manager (Dave Johnson?) saying one time before a series with SF that teams should intentionally walk McCovey with the bases loaded. That situation occurred in one of the games and the Reds pitched to him and McCovey hit a grand slam.
A very well spoken individual. Asked his mama if she really still wanted him to be lawyer. Did get credit for being such a class individual. People thought more of the fear he presented in the batters box.
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