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RIP Willie McCovey

jgannon

jgannon

AK Subscriber
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One of the greats has left us. Number 44. Played on some great Giants teams with Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, and the Alou brothers, amongst others.

Giants President and CEO Larry Baer released a statement that said, in part:

"For more than six decades, he gave his heart and soul to the Giants – as one of the greatest players of all time, as a quiet leader in the clubhouse, as a mentor to the Giants who followed in his footsteps, as an inspiration to our Junior Giants, and as a fan cheering on the team from his booth."

http://www.ktvu.com/news/willie-mcc...e8K5zADzd8biG5NHe1iL7G1gNrdbI5XBPiBCSS_Au8R-0


His 1969 Topps baseball card. The year he was the National League MVP.



They were...
 
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McCovey came out on the short end of one of the most famous plays in baseball, which occurred in he 7th game of the 1962 World Series. Here is the story of
"The McCovey Liner":

In the Fall Classic, the Giants and Yankees split the first six games – with notable events that included Whitey Ford’s record 10th World Series win in Game 1 and Chuck Hiller’s grand slam in Game 4 (the first grand slam by an NL player in World Series history).

Three days of rain in San Francisco delayed Game 6 until Oct. 15, and Billy Pierce’s complete game three-hitter in that contest set up Game 7 the next day.

With Ralph Terry and Jack Sanford facing off on the mound for the third time in the Series, the Yankees scored a run in the fifth inning when Tony Kubek’s double-play grounder scored Moose Skowron. At that point, the Giants had outscored the Yankees over the course of the Series by one run: 21-20.


Willie McCovey of the Giants lined out to Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson with men on second and third to end Game 7 of the 1962 World Series. McCovey was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1986. (Doug McWilliams/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)


Terry kept the Giants at bay through eight innings, but allowed a bunt single to Matty Alou to lead of the bottom of the ninth. Terry regrouped to strike out Felipe Alou and Hiller, but then Willie Mays doubled to right field – with only a brilliant throw by Roger Maris holding the speedy Matty Alou at third base.

With McCovey up next and Orlando Cepeda on deck, Yankees manager Ralph Houk had Terry pitch to McCovey with first base open. McCovey lined a ball that looked like a sure base hit before Richardson’s catch put an end to the Giants’ rally.


McCovey, who had tripled against Terry in the seventh inning but was stranded at third base, remembers the at-bat with vivid detail.


“I had a chance to be a big hero if I had gotten a hit and drove in those two runs,” McCovey said. “But it just didn’t happen.”

Terry, who surrendered Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off home run in the 1960 World Series, was named the World Series MVP. McCovey went on to record 521 home runs in his 22-year big league career and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1986.
 
That's a bummer.
May's, McCovey and Bobby Bonds where the team when I was a kid. I met Bobby around 2000 sitting on the porch of his home. I knew his son Rick and I could have gotten a signed ball and should have because he died soon after.

Now McCovey's gone, RIP

Hell May's is still kicking and he is quiet a bit older than these two, soon he'll be gone also.
 
mccovey1280_cahdxew1_8630u6iz.jpg


Number 44 greets Number 44...Hank Aaron congratulates Willie McCovey after the first of two home runs he hit in the 1969 All-Star Game. Cub third baseman, Ron Santo also congratulates McCovey.
 
4-2-7 said:
That's a bummer.
May's, McCovey and Bobby Bonds where the team when I was a kid. I met Bobby around 2000 sitting on the porch of his home. I knew his son Rick and I could have gotten a signed ball and should have because he died soon after.

Now McCovey's gone, RIP

Hell May's is still kicking and he is quiet a bit older than these two, soon he'll be gone also.
Click to expand...

Yeah, thankfully Willie Mays is still with us. He was born in 1931...
 
Met both Willies (Mays and McCovey) at a Toyota dealership in Kailua, Hawaii in about 1971 when they were doing an autograph session (along with Hal Lanier and Chris Speier) to build showroom traffic. I recall that while Mays kind of seemed like he'd rather have been somewhere else, McCovey tolerated the roiling mob of overwrought ten-year-olds with graceful good humor.

RIP, Stretch.
 
Growing up in the north bay when I did, in a over-the-moon Giants family no less, Willie McCovey was basically synonymous with everything good in the universe. What a talent. Just hearing his name brings back images of our old house, mom and dad futzing about, game playing on some portable radio out in the garden...sigh.
 
Great player! When I was a kid and baseball crazy he was at the top of his game, him and Mays! I like the baseball card in post #1, the one with Mays and McCovey, I always liked cards with more than one player on them. :angel: RIP
 
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