Inspired by the book Few and Chosen: Defining Giants Greatness Across the Eras by Giants great Bobby Thomson and Phil Pepe, I thought I would devote my nickname meme to Giants players for the next several months.
Willie McCovey, Stretch, was a great first baseman for the San Francisco Giants. Everyone loved him when I was growing up. Some people liked McCovey more than Willie Mays because McCovey had started out in San Francisco. I loved watching him hit line drives. I loved watching him stretch out to take a throw at first.
I was shattered when he went to the Padres in 1974. I was very happy when he came back in 1977. He earned the Comeback Player of the Year award.
We were at a game at Candlestick in 1980, one of his last, I think, when he reached first base. I don't remember who was hitting behind him, but suddenly McCovey took off for second; it looked as if he was trying to steal the bag. Because of knee problems, it had been a long time since he had stolen a base. The stadium went silent, the catcher threw the ball to second, and he was out. It turned out to be a broken hit and run play.
Willie McCovey is in the Hall of Fame, where he belongs. Despite mobility problems, he spends a lot of time at the ballpark and shares his wisdom with the players. Every year the Giants players and coaches vote to give the Willie Mac Award to a player who embodies Stretch's qualities of leadership and spirit.
I took the photo of Willie McCovey's statue, across China Basin, also known as McCovey Cove, from the ballpark on 21-September-2007.
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