#280 Willie McCovey

Take your pick of titles;  Stretch or Big Mac….The water outside of the Giants PNC field right field wall is known as McCovey cove a testimony to the man….HOF with incredible bulk that put the fear of God in pitchers…a natural swing know for making laser shots making infielder and pitcher alike to ask for hazard pay….Rookie season was mostly spent in AAA….Nevertheless took rookie of the year honors with .354 BA in essentially two months work after call up…despite this had to compete for playing time with fellow 1^st baseman and prior ROY Orlando Cepeda…neither were proficient in other positions leaving a Giant quandary…hence next 3 season averaged 260 at bat, with 17 HRs, and 50 RBIs…seeing the glut of slugging McCovey gets the nod in the outfield in 1963 with the sacrifice of defense for offense…Willie responds with NL best 44 home runs…..1964 is a down year hitting .220 a pattern eventually repeated over the course of his career….Returned to his 1^st base position in 1965 with Cepeda mostly on the DL return Willie to prominence…1966 with two compromised player incapable of outfield work, Cepeda is traded….McCovey enters a five year prime including two home run/RBI titles and an MVP award 1969…1971-72 were lost years as injuries equated to DL time….bounces back in 1973 (but not to the degree as in his prime years)….seeing high value is traded to the Padres…puts in two full years but stumbles in 1976….winded up in Oakland and failing .204 BA….a free agent took a flyer across the bay back to the Giants….Responded with his 3^rd major comeback in 1977…28 home runs and .280 BA….was able to contribute for a couple more Giant campaigns ….made 500 home run club 1978….HOF first ballot 1986.