The Last Tradition: I saw Willie McCovey at the tail end of his career. But, my father saw him in-person in his prime. He told me nobody hit the baseballs harder than Stretch. MORE
BFH addition-
Here is the line drive that haunted McCovey his entire life. Having never won a world series, he always felt this hot smash, had it gotten by Richardson, if he hit it a little harder, a little earlier, a little later, he’d be a champ.
He was still a champ.
80? Damn, now I’m feeling old. RIP Mr. McCovey.
You saw him in his “crime?”
Racist!
Loco, looks like she fixed it. I was going to say something but I wasn’t sure if she had a hidden message there.
Not a Champ, an unbelievable champ. A Champ on top of a lamp! So long ago, when my grandfathers were kicking butt and my dad was a youngin’.
I’d bet that SF Giants lineup of Willie McCovey and Willie Mays gave opposing pitchers the Willies facing them when they came up to bat and especially Dodgers pitchers.
The McCovey Clan of Cerritos are his kin. And similar in size. not athletes. I was a Dodger fan 60 years ago’ but my NoCal kin would rave about “Stretch’s” ability to put away 6 # of pork chops at dinner!
His kin are nice folk and thing/thught well of Willie.
Giants Mays and McCovey were the National League M & M boys when the NYY had Mantle & Maris.
For quite a long period from the mid-50’s into the 80’s the NL won most All-star games and had, I think, I slight edge in WS victories. But now the AL has been the tougher league the past 10 years or so. This last WS was pitiful, the Dodgers just the best representative of a very weakened NL.