SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The flags at AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, are flying at half-staff. Giants legend and Major League Baseball Hall of Fame player Willie McCovey died Wednesday. He was 80 years old. He had been in ill-health for a number of years. McCovey Cove, the splash zone at AT&T Park for dozens of towering home runs, is named for the beloved player.
During his career, nearly all of it spent with the Giants, the first baseman slugged 521 home runs including 18 grand slams. Bye, bye baby! McCovey collected 1,555 RBIs on his way to a lifetime batting average of .270.
“San Francisco and the entire baseball community lost a true gentleman and legend, and our collective hearts are broken,” Giants president and CEO Larry Baer said in a statement. “Willie was a beloved figure throughout his playing days and in retirement. He will be deeply missed by the many people he touched.
“For more than six decades, he gave his heart and soul to the Giants — as one of the greatest players of all time, as a quiet leader in the clubhouse, as a mentor to the Giants who followed in his footsteps, as an inspiration to our Junior Giants, and as a fan cheering on the team from his booth.”
Giants fans lucky enough to remember the legend’s glory days know he was part of a powerful Willie combo —McCovey and Mays. They played together for 13 seasons. McCovey retired in 1980.
He is survived by his wife Estella, daughter, Allison, and three grandchildren.
The Giants plan a public celebration of McCovey’s life at a later date.
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-Photo: SCULPTURE OF BASEBALL HALL OF FAME MEMBER AND FORMER SAN FRANCISCO GIANT WILLIE McCOVEY, McCOVEY COVE, SBC PARK, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AMERICA