Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
RIP, Willie McCovey. A Look Back at What He Meant to the Giants
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
November 1, 2018

Share

SAN FRANCISCO — Willie McCovey, the sweet-swinging Hall of Famer nicknamed “Stretch” for his 6-foot-4 height and those long arms, died Wednesday. He was 80.

“He was so strong, and he had the gift of knowing the strike zone. There’s no telling how many home runs he would have hit if those knees weren’t bothering him all the time and if he played in a park other than Candlestick.” — Hall of Famer Hank Aaron

The San Francisco Giants announced McCovey’s death, saying the fearsome hitter passed “peacefully” on Wednesday afternoon “after losing his battle with ongoing health issues.”

A first baseman and left fielder, McCovey was a .270 career hitter with 521 home runs and 1,555 RBIs in 22 major league seasons, 19 of them with the Giants. He also played for the Athletics and Padres.

McCovey made his major league debut at 21 on July 30, 1959, and played alongside the other Willie — Hall of Famer Willie Mays — into the 1972 season before Mays was traded to the New York Mets.

McCovey batted .354 with 13 homers and 38 RBIs on the way to winning the 1959 NL Rookie of the Year award. The six-time All-Star also won the 1969 NL MVP and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986 after his first time on the ballot.

“You knew right away he wasn’t an ordinary ballplayer,” Hall of Famer Hank Aaron said, courtesy of the Hall of Fame. “He was so strong, and he had the gift of knowing the strike zone. There’s no telling how many home runs he would have hit if those knees weren’t bothering him all the time and if he played in a park other than Candlestick.”

McCovey Had Been Getting Around in a Wheelchair

McCovey had been getting around in a wheelchair in recent years because he could no longer rely on his once-dependable legs, yet was still regularly seen at the ballpark in his private suite. McCovey had attended games at AT&T Park as recently as the season finale.

“Willie McCovey was not only a great ballplayer but a great teammate. He didn’t have any fear. He never complained.” — Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda

“I love him so much. It’s a very sad day for me. We were very close,” Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda said in a telephone interview. “Willie McCovey was not only a great ballplayer but a great teammate. He didn’t have any fear. He never complained.

“I remember one time in 1960 they sent him down to the minor leagues after being Rookie of the Year the year before. He didn’t complain. He was very polite, he was very quiet. He was a great man, a great friend. I’m going to miss him so much. He didn’t say a bad word about anybody.”

While the Giants captured their third World Series title of the decade in 2014, McCovey returned to watch them play while still recovering from an infection that hospitalized him that September for about a month.

He attended one game at AT&T Park during both the NL Championship Series and World Series. He even waited for the team at the end of the parade route inside San Francisco’s Civic Center.

“It was touch and go for a while,” McCovey said at the time. “They pulled me through, and I’ve come a long way.”

Photo of Willie McCovey in 1980
In this July 3, 1980, photo, San Francisco Giants’ Willie McCovey raises his hands in salute to the cheering crowd in his last home appearance before retirement.  (AP File Photo/Robert Houston)

Thrilled the Giants Accomplished Something He Didn’t

McCovey had been thrilled the Giants accomplished something he didn’t during a decorated career in the major leagues.

Even four-plus decades later, it still stung for the left-handed slugging “Big Mac” that he never won a World Series after coming so close. The Giants lost the 1962 World Series to the New York Yankees.

He often thought about that World Series, and it remained difficult to accept. The Giants lost 1-0 in Game 7 when McCovey lined out to second baseman Bobby Richardson with runners on second and third for the final out.

“I still think about it all the time. I still think, ‘If I could have hit it a little more,'” he said on Oct. 31, 2014.

In 2012, he said: “I think about the line drive, yes. Can’t get away from it.”

McCovey narrowly beat out Mets pitcher Tom Seaver for the 1969 MVP award. McCovey led the NL in home runs (45) and RBIs (126) for the second straight year, batting .320 while also posting NL bests with a .453 on-base percentage and .656 slugging percentage. He was walked 121 times, then drew a career-high 137 free passes the next season.

He had been third in the ’68 voting for NL MVP, but after 1969 would never again finish higher than ninth.

He Gave His Heart and Soul to the Giants

McCovey and Ted Williams before him were among the first players to really face infield shifts as opponents tried to affect his rhythm at the plate.

“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.” — Larry Baer, team president and CEO

On Wednesday night, former teammate Felipe Alou recalled inviting McCovey to play winter ball with him in 1958 for Escogido in Alou’s native Dominican Republic.

McCovey got homesick, so a still-single Alou moved out of his parents’ home and into an apartment with his dear friend and teammate. They were roommates in the minors and majors, too. McCovey called Alou “Rojas,” his father’s last name. Alou called him “Willie Lee,” McCovey’s middle name.

“We had a great relationship. Incredible friend and player and individual,” Alou said. “I have so many good memories.”

McCovey was born on Jan. 10, 1938, in Mobile, Alabama. He had spent the last 18 years in a senior advisory role for the Giants.

“For more than six decades, he gave his heart and soul to the Giants,” team president and CEO Larry Baer said. “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.”

Said McCovey’s wife, Estela, whom he married this summer: “Every moment he will be terribly missed. He was my best friend and husband. Living life without him will never be the same.”

McCovey had a daughter, Allison, and three grandchildren, Raven, Philip, and Marissa. McCovey also is survived by sister Frances and brothers Clauzell and Cleon.

McCovey Presented The ‘Willie Mac Award’ Each Season

McCovey said that 2010 victory, when the Giants won the franchise’s first World Series championship since moving from New York in 1958, helped eased the pain for players like him, Juan Marichal, Mays and Alou. Seeing San Francisco in the Fall Classic again brought those smiles back to McCovey’s face.

“We’re kind of getting spoiled,” he said in 2012. “This is two in three years. People don’t realize how hard it is to get here. We’ve been pretty lucky.”

McCovey presented the “Willie Mac Award” each season — except in 2014 while dealing with complications from the infection — an honor voted on by the players, coaches and training staff to recognize the team’s player most exhibiting McCovey’s inspirational example both on the field and in the clubhouse. He was there this year as reliever Will Smith was honored.

“Something I will cherish forever,” Smith wrote on Wednesday. “May he Rest In Peace.”

When San Francisco opened its new waterfront ballpark in 2000, the cove beyond the right-field fence was named “McCovey Cove” in appreciation of all he did for the organization. There’s a statue of McCovey’s likeness on the other side of the water from where those splash hits land.

“Willie McCovey was one of our game’s greatest power hitters. He won the National League MVP in 1969 and, alongside fellow Hall of Famer and Alabama native Willie Mays, was a key part of many memorable Giants’ teams,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “For 22 years on the field and many more after retiring, Willie was a superb ambassador for the Giants and our game.”

The Giants said a public celebration of McCovey’s life would be held at a later date.

DON'T MISS

From Blue Cheese to Bacon: Peanut Butter Pairings That Will Shock You

DON'T MISS

Challengers Seek Seats on Tulare County Irrigation District Boards

DON'T MISS

Shy Pup Finds Hope with Foster Family, Evasion from Euthanasia

DON'T MISS

Does Dill Have Magical Powers? What People Once Believed Food Could Do

DON'T MISS

Let’s Keep Innovative Partnerships Crucial to Combating Climate Change: Fresno Dairy Manager

DON'T MISS

Immediate Threat: Mussel Invades California’s Delta, First Time in North America

DON'T MISS

Two-Time Cy Young Winner Blake Snell Opts Out of Contract with Giants

DON'T MISS

No Matter the Outcome, We Are the True Losers of This Election

DON'T MISS

Russia’s Swift March Forward in Ukraine’s East

DON'T MISS

Rapper Young Thug Is a Free Man. Here Are Things to Know About His Plea.

UP NEXT

Seahawks Aim to Reignite Ground Game Against Rams After Recent Struggles

UP NEXT

Where Have the Top Transfers in College Basketball Landed?

UP NEXT

49ers Seek to Shake off the Super Bowl Hangover in the Second Half of the Season

UP NEXT

Dodgers Celebrate World Series Win, Look to Repeat With Ohtani’s Return to Pitching in 2025

UP NEXT

Bulldogs’ DB Cam Lockridge Is Ballin’ Out, Has Sights Set On NFL

UP NEXT

Rams Brace for Reunion With Former Star LB Ernest Jones as Seahawks Matchup Looms

UP NEXT

Cavaliers Blow Out Lakers as Bronny James Scores First NBA Points

UP NEXT

Yankees Star Shines and Stumbles in World Series Loss

UP NEXT

World Series: Freddie Freeman Wins MVP Award After Tying Record With 12 RBIs

UP NEXT

Los Angeles Sees Bus Burned, Store Thefts and Rowdy Crowds After Dodgers Win World Series

Does Dill Have Magical Powers? What People Once Believed Food Could Do

7 hours ago

Let’s Keep Innovative Partnerships Crucial to Combating Climate Change: Fresno Dairy Manager

8 hours ago

Immediate Threat: Mussel Invades California’s Delta, First Time in North America

20 hours ago

Two-Time Cy Young Winner Blake Snell Opts Out of Contract with Giants

20 hours ago

No Matter the Outcome, We Are the True Losers of This Election

21 hours ago

Russia’s Swift March Forward in Ukraine’s East

21 hours ago

Rapper Young Thug Is a Free Man. Here Are Things to Know About His Plea.

21 hours ago

AMOR Wellness Trunk-or-Treat Brings 700 Mendota Residents Together for Halloween Fun

21 hours ago

What Kind of Trouble Is Miguel Arias Trying to Stir Up This Time?

21 hours ago

MrBeast Probe Ends With Some Employees Fired but Finds No Proof of Sexual Misconduct Allegations

22 hours ago

From Blue Cheese to Bacon: Peanut Butter Pairings That Will Shock You

Peanut butter is a childhood staple for many in the United States. Whether it’s a classic PB&J sandwich, a fluffernutter, cookies ...

6 hours ago

6 hours ago

From Blue Cheese to Bacon: Peanut Butter Pairings That Will Shock You

6 hours ago

Challengers Seek Seats on Tulare County Irrigation District Boards

6 hours ago

Shy Pup Finds Hope with Foster Family, Evasion from Euthanasia

7 hours ago

Does Dill Have Magical Powers? What People Once Believed Food Could Do

8 hours ago

Let’s Keep Innovative Partnerships Crucial to Combating Climate Change: Fresno Dairy Manager

20 hours ago

Immediate Threat: Mussel Invades California’s Delta, First Time in North America

20 hours ago

Two-Time Cy Young Winner Blake Snell Opts Out of Contract with Giants

21 hours ago

No Matter the Outcome, We Are the True Losers of This Election

Search

Send this to a friend