Willie McCovey 1980 Topps – Sully Baseball Card of the Day for February 28, 2017

Willie McCovey was called “Stretch.” And his career stretched over many eras. A Hall of Famer who played over 22 years and 4 different decades, McCovey almost nearly gave the Giants their greatest moment in team’s history twice in the same at bat.

Mac was a native of Mobile AL when the New York Giants signed him in 1954. They were the defending World Champion Giants when he signed on. Willie Mays was still there. As was Hoyt Wilhelm and Leo Durocher. My dad, a rabid New York Giants fan, was 13 years old when McCovey signed.

When he finished playing, my dad was 39 and I was 8 years old. That is quite a career.

When he made his big league debut with the Giants in 1959, they had settled in San Francisco. Willie Mays was still there. As was 1954 World Series hero Johnny Antonelli. But some new faces were on the squad, like Jim Davenport, Orlando Cepeda and Felipe Alou.

Big Mac didn’t make his debut until July 30th, but he made it a memorable one at Seals Stadium. He went 4 for 4 with a pair of triples, driving in 2 and scoring 3 times off of future Hall of Famer Robin Roberts.

In August, his first full month, he batted .373 and posted an OPS of 1.120, belting 8 homers and was named player of the month. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year.

By 1960, the 22 year old McCovey was a regular, but not putting up the eye popping numbers of his rookie campaign. In 1962, the Giants beat the Dodgers in a playoff for the NL Pennant with McCovey slugging 20 homers in just 91 games.

San Francisco would face the star studded defending World Champion Yankees in the World Series. McCovey hit a key homer in Game 2 that expanded the Giants lead to 2-0, which stood.

In Game 7 with the Giants trailing 1-0 to Ralph Terry,McCovey tripled with two outs in the 7th but was stranded at third when Orlando Cepeda struck out. It would not be the last near miss for McCovey in that game.

The Giants bullpen escaped a bases loaded nobody out jam in the 8th and in the 9th tried to rally. Down to the last out, Willie Mays doubled to right field but Matty Alou was held from scoring the tying run. McCovey  came up with the tying and World Series clinching runs on base.

McCovey hit a high deep drive to right field that hooked foul. If it stayed fair, it would have been the most dramatic home run in World Series history (and the pitcher, Ralph Terry, had forked up a World Series clinching homer just 2 years prior to Bill Mazeroski.)

Terry pitched again and McCovey hit a sharp line drive but Bobby Richardson was positioned perfectly and caught it. A little higher or to the left or right and it would have gone through, scoring Alou and Mays and the Giants would have been the champs.

As it was, the Yankees won and San Francisco would have to wait another 48 years for a World Series title. The crew that featured eventual Hall of Famers Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, Gaylord Perry, Willie Mays and McCovey would never win one.

In 1963, McCovey made his first All Star team at age 25. He led the league with 44 homers that season. In a pitchers era, McCovey consistently hit 30+ homers while seeing his OPS hover in the .900s. He led the league with homers, RBI, slugging and OPS in 1968.

In 1969, He took home the NL MVP with a traditional line of .320, 45 HR and 126 RBI while also leading the league in On Base, Slugging, OPS and OPS Plus and for the Sabermetrics crowd having the highest WAR for position players.

He helped the Giants make it back to the post season in 1971 and eventually saw his career take a detour to San Diego in 1973 and a handful of games with the A’s in 1976.

1977 saw his return to San Francisco and the result was his best season in years. He slugged .500 and launched 28 homers while batting .280. By 1978 he was in his 40’s and slowing down, but not before setting the mark for most home runs by a left handed National League hitter all time. He homered in 4 different decades, a feat matched only by Ted Williams, Rickey Henderson and Omar Vizquel.

He was elected to the Hall of Fame and the Giants award for best teammate and community service is the “Willie Mac Award.” The greatest and longest honor could be the fact that the body of water just beyond right field at new AT&T Park in San Francisco is known as McCovey Cove, even though he never played a game there. (Perhaps the Bonds Bay would have made more sense.)

Either way, he remains a revered and beloved figure in Giants history. McCovey’s post career tax issues were pardoned by President Obama.

If only that ball did not hook foul or sailed past Richardson. What a legacy that would have been.

 

THE 34 TIMES WHERE A POST SEASON SERIES COULD HAVE WON BY EITHER TEAM ON THE SAME PITCH

 

Did you notice during the final Dodgers and Nationals game that there were a few moments where either team could have clinched when a pitch was thrown? A double play or an out would seal the deal for Los Angeles. A home run or an extra base hit would send Washington to the NLCS. A single pitch had the polar opposite fates for two teams.

How many times has this happened? How many times has a post season series come down to a moment where a single pitch could have clinched for either side?

I originally did this post for the Giants and Royals finishing the 2014 World Series. I am updating it for last night’s game.

While figuring this out, I picked a team where a hit, including a homer, would yield a walk off clincher for the home club.

I also took a visiting team where an out or a realistic double play would end the series. If a runner is on third with 1 out, the chances of a double play would be slim at best.

The list will not include memorable series like the 1960 World Series, 1975 World Series, 1980 NLCS, 1986 World Series, 2004 ALCS nor 2011 World Series. Oddly enough those years did not yield this scenario. The losing team and winning team were never on the verge of clinching at the same time in any of those years.

So lets find them, the ultimate post season at bats. This list will include One Game Playoffs, Wild Card Games, Division Series, League Championship Series and of course World Series.

1912 World Series
New York Giants at Boston Red Sox
Game 8 (Series included 1 tie.)

Bottom 10. Giants 2 – Red Sox 1.
1 out. Runners at first and third.
Double Play would win World Series for Giants.
Extra Base Hit would win World Series for Red Sox.

Giants Pitcher – Christy Mathewson.
Red Sox Batter – Tris Speaker.

Result – Speaker singled to right field to tie the game 2-2.
Red Sox would win the World Series two batters later when Larry Gardner hit a walk off sacrifice fly to drive home the winning run.

 

1926 World Series
St. Louis Cardinals at New York Yankees
Game 7

Bottom 9. Cardinals 3 – Yankees 2.
2 outs. Runner at first.
Out would win World Series for Cardinals.
Home Run would win World Series for Yankees

Cardinals Pitcher – Grover Cleveland Alexander.
Red Sox Batter – Bob Meusel.

Result – Babe Ruth, the runner at first, is caught stealing to end the game and clinch the World Series for the Cardinals.

1951 National League Playoff
Brooklyn Dodgers at New York Giants
Game 3

Bottom 9. Dodgers 4 – Giants 2.
1 out. Runners at first and third.
Double play would win Pennant for Dodgers.
Home Run would win Pennant for Giants.

Dodgers Pitcher – Ralph Branca.
Giants Batter – Bobby Thomson.

Result – Thomson homers to left field. The Giants Win the Pennant (The Giants win the Pennant.)

 

1962 World Series
New York Yankees at San Francisco Giants
Game 7

Bottom 9. Yankees 1 – Giants 0
2 outs. Runner at first.
Out would win World Series for Yankees.
Home Run would win World Series for Giants

Yankees Pitcher – Ralph Terry.
Giants Batter – Willie Mays.

Result – Mays doubles to right field. Baserunner Matty Alou is held at third base.

Bottom 9. Yankees 1 – Giants 0
2 outs. Runners at second and third.
Out would win World Series for Yankees.
A single or an error would win World Series for Giants

Yankees Pitcher – Ralph Terry.
Giants Batter – Willie McCovey.

Result – McCovey lines out to second baseman Bobby Richardson to clinch World Series for the Yankees.

 

1972 American League Championship Series
Oakland A’s at Detroit Tigers
Game 5

Bottom 9. A’s 2 – Tigers 1
1 out. Runner at first.
Double Play would win Pennant for A’s.
Home Run would win Pennant for Tigers.

A’s pitcher – Vida Blue.
Tigers batter – Mickey Stanley.

Result – Stanley grounds to shortstop. Runner is forced out but Stanley reaches first.

Bottom 9. A’s 2 – Tigers 1
2 outs. Runner at first.
Out would win Pennant for A’s.
Home Run would win Pennant for Tigers.

A’s pitcher – Vida Blue.
Tigers batter – Tony Taylor.

Result – Taylor flies out to center field. A’s win the pennant.

1972 World Series
Oakland A’s at Cincinnati Reds
Game 7

Bottom 9. A’s 3 – Reds 2
2 outs. Runner at first.
Out would win World Series for A’s.
Home Run would win World Series for Reds.

A’s pitcher – Rollie Fingers.
Reds batter – Pete Rose.

Result – Rose flies out to left center field. A’s win World Series.

American League East Division One Game Playoff

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

Bottom 9. Yankees 5 – Red Sox 4
1 out. Runner at first.
Double play would win Division for Yankees.
Home Run would win Division for Red Sox.

Yankees pitcher – Rich Gossage.
Red Sox batter – Jerry Remy.

Result – Remy singles to right field. Rick Burleson moves to second.

Bottom 9. Yankees 5 – Red Sox 4
1 out. Runners at first and second.
Double play would win Division for Yankees.
Extra base hit would win Division for Red Sox.

Yankees pitcher – Rich Gossage.
Red Sox batter – Jim Rice.

Result – Rice flies out to right field.

Bottom 9. Yankees 5 – Red Sox 4
2 outs. Runners at first and second.
Out would win Division for Yankees.
Extra base hit would win Division for Red Sox.

Yankees pitcher – Rich Gossage.
Red Sox batter – Carl Yastrzemski.

Result – Yastrzemski pops up to third baseman Graig Nettles. Yankees win Division.

 

1981 National League Championship Series
Los Angeles Dodgers at Montreal Expos
Game 5

Bottom 9. Dodgers 2 – Expos 1
2 outs. Runner at first.
Out would win Pennant for Dodgers.
Home Run would win Pennant for Expos.

Dodgers pitcher – Fernando Valenzuela.
Reds batter – Larry Parrish.

Result – Parrish walks. Pinch runner Jerry Manuel moves from first to second.

Bottom 9. Dodgers 2 – Expos 1
2 outs. Runners at first and second.
Out would win pennant for Dodgers.
Extra base hit would win Pennant for Expos.

Dodgers pitcher – Bob Welch.
Reds batter – Jerry White.

Result – White grounds out to second. Dodgers win pennant.

1992 National League Championship Series
Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta Braves
Game 7

 

Bottom 9. Pirates 2 – Braves 1
1 outs. Runners at first and second.
Double Play would win Pennant for Pirates.
Extra base hit would win Pennant for Braves.

Pirates pitcher – Stan Belinda.
Braves batter – Damon Berryhill.

Result – Berryhill walks. David Justice moves to third. Sid Bream moves to second.

 

Bottom 9. Pirates 2 – Braves 1
1 outs. Bases Loaded.
Double Play would win Pennant for Pirates.
Single would win Pennant for Braves.

Pirates pitcher – Stan Belinda.
Braves batter – Brian Hunter.

Result – Hunter pops up to second baseman.

 

Bottom 9. Pirates 2 – Braves 1
2 outs. Bases Loaded.
Out would win Pennant for Pirates.
Single would win Pennant for Braves.

Pirates pitcher – Stan Belinda.
Braves batter – Francisco Cabrera.

Result – Cabrera singles to left. Justice scores the tying run. Sid Bream somehow scores the winning run. Braves win NLCS.

 

(AP Photo/Hans Deryk)

1997 World Series
Cleveland Indians at Florida Marlins
Game 7

Bottom 9. Indians 2 – Marlins 1
1 outs. Runner on First.
Double Play would win World Series for Indians.
Home Run would win World Series for Marlins.

Pirates pitcher – Jose Mesa.
Braves batter – Charles Johnson.

Result – Johnson singles to right field. Moises Alou runs from first to third.

 

Bottom 9. Indians 2 – Marlins 1
1 outs. Runner on First and third.
Double Play would win World Series for Indians.
Extra base hit would win World Series for Marlins.

Pirates pitcher – Jose Mesa.
Braves batter – Craig Counsell.

Result – Counsell lines to right field. Alou tags and scored to tie the game.

Marlins would win World Series in bottom of the 11th.

 

2001 World Series
New York Yankees at Arizona Diamondbacks
Game 7

Bottom 9. Yankees 2 – Diamondbacks 1
1 outs. Runners on First and Second.
Double Play would win World Series for Yankees.
Triple or Home run would win World Series for Diamondbacks.

Pirates pitcher – Mariano Rivera.
Braves batter – Tony Womack.

Result – Womack doubles to right field. Pinch runner Midre Cummings scores to tie the game.

Diamondbacks would win the World Series two batters later on Luis Gonzalez’s single.

2002 American League Division Series
Minnesota Twins at Oakland Athletics
Game 5

Bottom 9. Twins 5 – Athletics 4
2 outs. Runner on First.
Out would win Division Series for Twins.
Home Run would win Division Series for Athletics.

Twins pitcher – Eddie Guardado.
Athletics batter – Ray Durham.

Result – Durham hits a foul pop to the second baseman. Twins win Division Series.

 

2002 National League Division Series
San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves
Game 5

Bottom 9. Giants 3 – Braves 4
1 out. Runners on First and third.
Double play win Division Series for Giants.
Home Run would win Division Series for Braves.

Giants pitcher – Robb Nen.
Athletics batter – Chipper Jones.

Result – Jones hits into a double play to the first baseman. Giants win Division Series.

 

2003 American League Division Series
Boston Red Sox at Oakland Athletics
Game 5

Bottom 9. Red Sox 4 – Athletics 3
2 outs. Runners on Second and third.
Out would win Division Series for Red Sox.
Single would win Division Series for Athletics.

Red Sox pitcher – Derek Lowe.
Athletics batter – Chris Singleton.

Result – Singleton walks.

Bottom 9. Red Sox 4 – Athletics 3
2 outs. Bases loaded.
Out would win Division Series for Red Sox.
Single would win Division Series for Athletics.

Red Sox pitcher – Derek Lowe.
Athletics batter – Terrence Long.

Result – Long strikes out looking. Red Sox win Division Series.

2006 National League Championship Series
St. Louis Cardinals at New York Mets.
Game 7

Bottom 9. Cardinals 3 – Mets 1.
1 out. Runners on Second and third.
Double play would win Pennant for Cardinals.
Home run would win Pennant for Mets.

Cardinals pitcher – Adam Wainwright.
Mets batter – Jose Reyes.

Result – Reyes lines out to centerfield.

Bottom 9. Cardinals 3 – Mets 1.
2 outs. Runners on Second and third.
Out would win Pennant for Cardinals.
Home run would win Pennant for Mets.

Cardinals pitcher – Adam Wainwright.
Mets batter – Paul LoDuca.

Result – LoDuca walks to load the bases.

Bottom 9. Cardinals 3 – Mets 1.
2 outs. Bases loaded.
Out would win Pennant for Cardinals.
Extra base hit would win Pennant for Mets.

Cardinals pitcher – Adam Wainwright.
Mets batter – Carlos Beltran.

Result – Beltran strikes out looking. Cardinals win pennant.

2009 American League Central Division Playoff
 Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins.
 

Bottom 10. Tigers 5 – Twins 4.
1 out. Runners on first and third.
Double play would win Division for Tigers.
Extra base hit would win Division for Twins.

Tigers pitcher – Fernando Rodney.
Twins batter – Matt Tolbert.

Result – Tolbert singles, scoring Michael Cuddyer to tie the game. Alexi Casilla moves to third.

Twins would win game, and Division, in the bottom of the 12th.

2012 National League Division Series
San Francisco Giants at Cincinnati Reds.
Game 5

Bottom 9. Giants 6 – Reds 4.
1 out. Runners on first and second.
Double play would win Division Series for Giants.
Home run would win Division Series for Reds.

Giants pitcher – Segio Romo.
Reds batter – Jay Bruce.

Result – Bruce flies out to left.

Bottom 9. Giants 6 – Reds 4.
2 out. Runners on first and second.
Out would win Division Series for Giants.
Home run would win Division Series for Reds.

Giants pitcher – Segio Romo.
Reds batter – Scott Rolen.

Result – Rolen strikes out. Giants win Division Series.

2014 American League Wild Card Game
Oakland Athletics at Kansas City Royals

Bottom 9. Athletics 7 – Royals 6.
1 out. Runner on second.
Double play would win Wild Card for Athletics.
Home run would win Wild Card for Royals.

Athletics pitcher – Sean Doolittle.
Royals batter – Nori Aoki.

Result – Pinch runner Jarrod Dyson steals third. Aoki hits game tying sacrifice fly.

Royals win Wild Card in bottom of 12.

2014 World Series
San Francisco Giants at Kansas City Royals
Game 7

Bottom 9. Giants 3 – Royals 2.
2 out. Runner on third.
Out would win World Series for Giants.
Home Run would win World Series for Royals.

Giants pitcher – Madison Bumgarner.
Royals batter – Salvador Perez.

Result – Perez pops up to the third baseman. Giants win the World Series.

 

2014 National League Division Series
Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington Nationals
Game 5

Bottom 9. Dodgers 4 – Nationals 3.
1 out. Runner on first.
Double Play would win Division Series for Dodgers.
Home Run would win Division Series for Nationals.

Dodgers pitcher – Kenley Jansen.
Nationals batter – Jayson Werth.

Result – Werth walks. Bryce Harper moves to second base.

 

Bottom 9. Dodgers 4 – Nationals 3.
1 out. Runner on first and second.
Double Play would win Division Series for Dodgers.
Extra Base Hit would win Division Series for Nationals.

Dodgers pitcher – Clayton Kershaw.
Nationals batter – Daniel Murphy.

Result – Murphy pops up to second base. Runners do not advance.

Bottom 9. Dodgers 4 – Nationals 3.
2 outs. Runner on first and second.
Out would win Division Series for Dodgers.
Extra Base Hit would win Division Series for Nationals.

Dodgers pitcher – Clayton Kershaw.
Nationals batter – Wilmer Difo.

Result – Difo strikes out. Catcher Carlos Ruiz throws to first baseman Adrian Gonzalez after the ball was dropped. Dodgers win the Division Series.

 

 

It has happened 34 times in 20 different games.

7 times, the game continued when a batter reached base. 6 times the second out of the inning was recorded.

11 times, the clinching out was recorded.

6 times, the game was tied. In each of those 6 instances, the team that tied the game would go on to win the series.

2 times, the Thomson homer and the Cabrera single, the home team got a walk off game winning hit.

So when BOTH teams face a situation where they can clinch, it has gone 12-8 in favor of the pitching team.

Five Hall of Fame batters came up in the situation (Speaker, Mays, McCovey, Rice and Yaz) not including Pete Rose and Chipper Jones, who hit into the only series ending double play from this scenario.

Four Hall of Fame pitchers were on the mound in these moments (Mathewson, Alexander, Fingers and Gossage.) Mariano Rivera will eventually make it five Hall of Fame pitchers. Madison Bumgarner could very make it six. Clayton Kershaw will probably make it seven.

Mathewson faced Speaker, Fingers faced Rose and Gossage faced Rice and Yaz in the ultimate match ups of greatness.

And Babe Ruth was the only player caught stealing to end it, spoiling Bob Meusel’s chance at immortality.

So this October, take a look to see if we get to see another match up like this, one where a single pitch could mean glory or never ending agony for both teams.

 

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – June 21, 2016

Topps

Larry Herndon was my guest today. We talked about his early days with the San Francisco Giants and playing in the Cardinals organization during the 1970’s.

That and more on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Justin Upton, Doug Fister, Mark Reynolds, Clayton Kershaw, Steven Wright, Ketel Marte, Marcell Ozuna and Madison Bumgarner all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball yesterday.

See the updated listing of WOB on MLB Reports

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