RIP Willie McCovey

[2muchcoffeeman]

****.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Yeah, he’d been in poor health for years and was something of a mysterious figure for such a great player.

I’ve lived in Mobile (his hometown) for a while now and I don’t remember the last time he made a public appearance here. Hank Aaron and Billy Williams, for example, return here often for different events.

It seems he had an especially bitter experience growing up, even by Jim Crow South standards.

 

[Moderator1]

**** is right. Damn. RIP

 

[FileNotFound]

Willie McCovey: Giants legend dead at 80

 

[maumann]

Mays, McCovey, Marichal, Cepeda, the Alous, Davenport, Haller, Lanier, Hart. It's a wonder that team only made one World Series appearance and never brought the pennant home. And imagine what McCovey's numbers might have looked like somewhere other than Candlestick Park.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Already a thread on this:

RIP Willie McCovey

 

[Vombatus]

Already a thread on this:

RIP Willie McCovey

Too bad it’s on Anything Goes.

 

[Starman]

Mays, McCovey, Marichal, Cepeda, the Alous, Davenport, Haller, Lanier, Hart. It's a wonder that team only made one World Series appearance and never brought the pennant home. And imagine what McCovey's numbers might have looked like somewhere other than Candlestick Park.

McCovey, Cepeda and Mays all got killed by Candlestick (and yes I know Willie hit 52 one year).

Just imagine if in 1958, the Giants traded Mays to the Red Sox. I'd guess he'd have hit about 800 career dingers.

 

[cyclingwriter2]

Mays, McCovey, Marichal, Cepeda, the Alous, Davenport, Haller, Lanier, Hart. It's a wonder that team only made one World Series appearance and never brought the pennant home. And imagine what McCovey's numbers might have looked like somewhere other than Candlestick Park.

Gaylord Perry was a giant for most of the decade as well.

But back to McCovey. Such an amazing hitter for that era. RIP.

 

[Tarheel316]

One of the all-time greats. RIP

 

[Steak Snabler]

Mays, McCovey, Marichal, Cepeda, the Alous, Davenport, Haller, Lanier, Hart. It's a wonder that team only made one World Series appearance and never brought the pennant home. And imagine what McCovey's numbers might have looked like somewhere other than Candlestick Park.

It’s often been written that the Giants of that era are the most underachieving team in MLB history.

 

[Webster]

He should have hit the ball 2 feet higher.

 

[Spartan Squad]

He should have hit the ball 2 feet higher.

My favorite Peanuts comic.

Damn this sucks. Been hearing stories of him on KNBR. I didn't realize he was basically wheeled into games where he watched on a stretcher. That is a true love of the sport.

RIP Stretch

 

[HanSenSE]

My favorite Peanuts comic.

Damn this sucks. Been hearing stories of him on KNBR. I didn't realize he was basically wheeled into games where he watched on a stretcher. That is a true love of the sport.

RIP Stretch

Not to be that guy, but the last couple of times I've seen Willie Mays, he's been in a wheelchair too.

What a team that was in the 60s. Seems like they finished second for like five years straight. Candlestick may have been the difference.

Been a tough offseason for the Giants. First Hank Greenwald, now Stretch. RIP.

 

[FileNotFound]

The thing that might have hurt that Giants team most was that the league expanded but the playoffs didn’t. If there had been divisions, they might have had a chance to knock off the Cardinals or Phillies in short series.

 

[BadgerBeer]

Way back in '71 0r '72 my first experience in team sports was Tee Ball and my team name was Willie McCovey. I had no idea who he was but I soon learned and he always was special because of that connection. RIP to the namesake of the 2nd place Tee Ball team of my youth (the highlight of my baseball "career").

 

[John B. Foster]

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Not to be that guy, but the last couple of times I've seen Willie Mays, he's been in a wheelchair too.

What a team that was in the 60s. Seems like they finished second for like five years straight. Candlestick may have been the difference.

Been a tough offseason for the Giants. First Hank Greenwald, now Stretch. RIP.

Willie's got to be pushing or past 90, right? Being in a wheelchair for public appearances would not be surprising, or necessarily a sign of total deterioration of health.

 

[John B. Foster]

Willie's got to be pushing or past 90, right? Being in a wheelchair for public appearances would not be surprising, or necessarily a sign of total deterioration of health.

He'll be 88 in May.

 

[Steak Snabler]

He'll be 88 in May.

Mays is the 3rd-oldest living Hall of Famer, after Tommy Lasorda (91) and Whitey Ford (90).

Hank Aaron will be 85 in February.