Willie McCovey Stats

Willie McCovey was born on Monday, January 10, 1938, in Mobile, Alabama. McCovey was 21 years old when he broke into the big leagues on July 30, 1959, with the San Francisco Giants. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Willie McCovey baseball stats page.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"This is the question I posed to Willie McCovey: You're the manager of the other team in a tie game with two outs and nobody on in the ninth. The batter is Willie McCovey, now... before I could finish, Willie broke in, 'I'd walk him.' Then he laughed. It's really no laughing matter to the San Francisco Giants' slugging first baseman, however. Because a lot of other managers would do the same thing." - Markus, Robert. Sportswriter. Baseball Digest: Willie McCovey - Baseball's Most Feared Batter. June 1971. Page 32.

Willie McCovey

Willie 'Stretch' McCovey Autograph on a 1970 Topps Baseball Card (#250 | <a href='../baseball_cards/baseball_cards_oneset.php?s=1970top01' title='1970 Topps Baseball Card Checklist'>Checklist</a>)

Willie 'Stretch' McCovey Autograph on a 1970 Topps Baseball Card (#250 | Checklist)

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Birth Name:   Willie Lee McCovey
Nickname:   Big Mac or Mac or Stretch
Born On:   01-10-1938  (Capricorn)
Place of Birth Data Born In:   Mobile, Alabama
Year of Death Data Died On:   10-31-2018 (500 Oldest Living)
Place of Death Data Died In:   Palo Alto, California
Cemetery:   Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, Colma, California
High School:   Central High School (Mobile, AL)
College:   None Attended
Batting Stances Chart Bats:   Left   Throwing Arms Chart Throws:   Left
Player Height Chart Height:   6-04   Player Weight Chart Weight:   210
First Game:   07-30-1959 (Age 21)
Last Game:   07-06-1980
Draft:   Not Applicable / Signing Bonus = $500

Willie McCovey

Willie McCovey Pitching Stats

- - Did Not Pitch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Willie McCovey

Willie McCovey Hitting Stats

1959 21 Giants 52 192 32 68 9 5 13 0 38 22 1 35 0 1 4 7 .354 .429 .656
1960 22 Giants 101 260 37 62 15 3 13 1 51 45 4 53 0 2 0 3 .238 .349 .469
1961 23 Giants 106 328 59 89 12 3 18 0 50 37 3 60 0 4 5 8 .271 .350 .491
1962 24 Giants 91 229 41 67 6 1 20 0 54 29 1 35 0 3 0 6 .293 .368 .590
1963 25 Giants 152 564 103 158 19 5 44 0 102 50 5 119 1 1 11 10 .280 .350 .566
1964 26 Giants 130 364 55 80 14 1 18 1 54 61 5 73 0 4 5 9 .220 .336 .412
1965 27 Giants 160 540 93 149 17 4 39 1 92 88 5 118 2 3 6 8 .276 .381 .539
1966 28 Giants 150 502 85 148 26 6 36 1 96 76 10 100 0 4 6 8 .295 .391 .586
1967 29 Giants 135 456 73 126 17 4 31 3 91 71 17 110 2 4 6 8 .276 .378 .535
1968 30 Giants 148 523 81 153 16 4 36 1 105 72 20 71 0 8 5 10 .293 .378 .545
1969 31 Giants 149 491 101 157 26 2 45 2 126 121 45 66 0 7 4 11 .320 .453 .656
1970 32 Giants 152 495 98 143 39 2 39 2 126 137 40 75 0 3 3 13 .289 .444 .612
1971 33 Giants 105 329 45 91 13 0 18 1 70 64 21 57 0 5 4 6 .277 .396 .480
1972 34 Giants 81 263 30 56 8 0 14 1 35 38 5 45 0 1 2 3 .213 .316 .403
1973 35 Giants 130 383 52 102 14 3 29 0 75 105 25 78 0 6 1 6 .266 .420 .546
1974 36 Padres 128 344 53 87 19 1 22 1 63 96 9 76 0 1 1 8 .253 .416 .506
1975 37 Padres 122 413 43 104 17 0 23 1 68 57 8 80 0 2 3 10 .252 .345 .460
1976 38 Padres 71 202 20 41 9 0 7 0 36 21 7 39 0 0 1 4 .203 .281 .351
1976 38 Athletics 11 24 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 4 0 0 0 0 .208 .296 .208
1977 39 Giants 141 478 54 134 21 0 28 2 86 67 16 106 0 3 0 16 .280 .367 .500
1978 40 Giants 108 351 32 80 19 2 12 0 64 36 8 57 0 2 0 12 .228 .298 .396
1979 41 Giants 117 353 34 88 9 0 15 0 57 36 2 70 0 3 1 7 .249 .318 .402
1980 42 Giants 48 113 8 23 8 0 1 0 16 13 2 23 0 3 1 3 .204 .285 .301
22 Years 2,588 8,197 1,229 2,211 353 46 521 18 1,555 1,345 260 1,550 5 70 69 176 .270 .374 .515

Willie McCovey

Willie McCovey Fielding Stats

1959 Giants 1B 51 49 1,224 458 9.0 453 424 29 5 29 n/a n/a n/a .989 9.99
1960 Giants 1B 71 65 1,701 605 8.5 596 557 39 9 42 n/a n/a n/a .985 9.46
1961 Giants 1B 84 79 2,130 735 8.8 724 669 55 11 55 n/a n/a n/a .985 9.18
1962 Giants 1B 17 11 279 113 6.6 112 105 7 1 12 n/a n/a n/a .991 10.84
1962 Giants LF 45 42 870 71 1.6 69 68 1 2 1 n/a n/a n/a .972 2.14
1962 Giants RF 12 11 234 14 1.2 14 14 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 1.62
1963 Giants 1B 23 14 432 158 6.9 157 143 14 1 5 n/a n/a n/a .994 9.81
1963 Giants LF 133 130 3,279 237 1.8 224 218 6 13 0 n/a n/a n/a .945 1.84
1963 Giants RF 3 1 30 3 1.0 3 3 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 2.70
1964 Giants 1B 26 21 570 198 7.6 191 177 14 7 19 n/a n/a n/a .965 9.05
1964 Giants LF 78 75 1,776 96 1.2 90 86 4 6 1 n/a n/a n/a .938 1.37
1964 Giants RF 5 5 105 9 1.8 8 7 1 1 0 n/a n/a n/a .889 2.06
1965 Giants 1B 156 150 3,900 1,410 9.0 1,397 1,310 87 13 93 n/a n/a n/a .991 9.67
1966 Giants 1B 145 139 3,663 1,390 9.6 1,368 1,287 81 22 91 n/a n/a n/a .984 10.08
1967 Giants 1B 127 123 3,324 1,317 10.4 1,302 1,221 81 15 102 n/a n/a n/a .989 10.58
1968 Giants 1B 146 146 3,771 1,429 9.8 1,408 1,305 103 21 91 n/a n/a n/a .985 10.08
1969 Giants 1B 148 148 3,747 1,483 10.0 1,471 1,392 79 12 116 n/a n/a n/a .992 10.60
1970 Giants 1B 146 146 3,723 1,366 9.4 1,351 1,217 134 15 117 n/a n/a n/a .989 9.80
1971 Giants 1B 95 95 2,385 906 9.5 891 828 63 15 80 n/a n/a n/a .983 10.09
1972 Giants 1B 74 73 1,794 658 8.9 649 617 32 9 52 n/a n/a n/a .986 9.77
1973 Giants 1B 117 116 2,760 1,018 8.7 1,006 930 76 12 89 n/a n/a n/a .988 9.84
1974 Padres 1B 104 103 2,523 873 8.4 862 815 47 11 59 n/a n/a n/a .987 9.22
1975 Padres 1B 115 115 2,748 1,067 9.3 1,052 979 73 15 94 n/a n/a n/a .986 10.34
1976 Padres 1B 51 51 1,164 468 9.2 464 420 44 4 39 n/a n/a n/a .991 10.76
1977 Giants 1B 136 136 3,237 1,145 8.4 1,132 1,072 60 13 93 n/a n/a n/a .989 9.44
1978 Giants 1B 97 95 2,184 775 8.0 765 721 44 10 49 n/a n/a n/a .987 9.46
1979 Giants 1B 89 86 2,172 798 9.0 788 740 48 10 60 n/a n/a n/a .987 9.80
1980 Giants 1B 27 26 705 255 9.4 253 241 12 2 18 n/a n/a n/a .992 9.69
1B Totals 2,045 1,987 50,136 18,625 9.1 18,392 17,170 1,222 233 1,405 n/a n/a n/a .987 9.90
LF Totals 256 247 5,925 404 1.6 383 372 11 21 2 n/a n/a n/a .948 1.75
RF Totals 20 17 369 26 1.3 25 24 1 1 0 n/a n/a n/a .962 1.83
22 Years 2,321 2,251 56,430 19,055 8.2 18,800 17,566 1,234 255 1,407 n/a n/a n/a .987 9.00

Willie McCovey

Willie McCovey Miscellaneous Stats

1959 Giants 2 0 1.000 2 0 n/a 14.8 5.5 5.1 - - -
1960 Giants 1 1 .500 36 0 n/a 20.0 4.9 5.1 - - -
1961 Giants 1 2 .333 23 0 n/a 18.2 5.5 6.6 - - -
1962 Giants 3 3 .500 22 0 n/a 11.5 6.5 4.2 - - -
1963 Giants 1 1 .500 7 0 n/a 12.8 4.7 5.5 - - -
1964 Giants 2 1 .667 27 0 n/a 20.2 5.0 6.7 - - -
1965 Giants 0 4 .000 7 0 n/a 13.8 4.6 5.9 - - -
1966 Giants 2 1 .667 8 0 n/a 13.9 5.0 5.2 - - -
1967 Giants 3 3 .500 11 0 n/a 14.7 4.1 5.0 - - -
1968 Giants 4 2 .667 2 0 n/a 14.5 7.4 5.0 - - -
1969 Giants 0 0 .000 1 0 n/a 10.9 7.4 3.9 - - -
1970 Giants 0 0 .000 6 0 n/a 12.7 6.6 3.9 - - -
1971 Giants 0 2 .000 10 0 n/a 18.3 5.8 4.7 - - -
1972 Giants 0 0 .000 8 0 n/a 18.8 5.8 7.5 - - -
1973 Giants 1 0 1.000 13 0 n/a 13.2 4.9 5.1 - - -
1974 Padres 1 0 1.000 24 0 n/a 15.6 4.5 5.5 - - -
1975 Padres 1 0 1.000 7 0 n/a 18.0 5.2 6.1 - - -
1976 Padres 0 0 .000 20 0 n/a 28.9 5.2 5.6 - - -
1976 Athletics 0 0 .000 4 0 9 0.0 6.0 0.0 - - -
1977 Giants 3 0 1.000 5 0 n/a 17.1 4.5 5.6 - - -
1978 Giants 1 0 1.000 12 0 n/a 29.3 6.2 5.5 - - -
1979 Giants 0 2 .000 29 0 n/a 23.5 5.0 6.2 - - -
1980 Giants 0 0 .000 22 0 n/a 113.0 4.9 7.1 - - -
22 Years 26 22 .542 306 0 9 15.7 5.3 5.3 - - -

Willie McCovey

Willie McCovey Miscellaneous Items of Interest

1959 San Francisco Giants 44 $12,000.00 - -
1960 San Francisco Giants 44 $13,500.00 - -
1961 San Francisco Giants 44 $13,500.00 - -
1962 San Francisco Giants 44 $17,500.00 - Stats
1963 San Francisco Giants 44 $25,900.00 Stats -
1964 San Francisco Giants 44 $37,000.00 - -
1965 San Francisco Giants 44 $34,500.00 - -
1966 San Francisco Giants 44 $42,000.00 Stats -
1967 San Francisco Giants 44 $55,000.00 - -
1968 San Francisco Giants 44 $60,000.00 Stats -
1969 San Francisco Giants 44 $85,000.00 Stats -
1970 San Francisco Giants 44 $110,000.00 Stats -
1971 San Francisco Giants 44 $110,000.00 Stats -
1972 San Francisco Giants 44 $125,000.00 - -
1973 San Francisco Giants 44 $125,000.00 - -
1974 San Diego Padres 44 $110,000.00 - -
1975 San Diego Padres 44 $110,000.00 - -
1976 San Diego Padres 44 $110,000.00 - -
1976 Oakland Athletics 44 "     "     - -
1977 San Francisco Giants 44 $85,000.00 - -
1978 San Francisco Giants 44 $85,000.00 - -
1979 San Francisco Giants 44 $70,000.00 - -
1980 San Francisco Giants 44 $70,000.00 - -

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Willie Lee McCovey was a Major League Baseball player with the San Francisco Giants (1959-1973), San Diego Padres (1974-1976), Oakland Athletics (1976), and San Francisco Giants (1977-1980). Did you know that McCovey, when he was only 17 years old, was playing with the 1955 Sandersville Giants in the minor leagues and hit nineteen home runs? Called up to the show when he was only 21, Mac went four-for-four against Hall-of-Famer Robin Roberts in his debut on July 30, 1959, hitting two triples and two singles. Stretch played in only 52 games his rookie season, but had a 22-game hitting streak (a record for San Francisco Giants rookies that still stands, four shy of the all-time team record), hit thirteen home runs, finished with a .354 batting average and won the Rookie of the Year Award. Join Baseball Almanac as we take a look at some additional numbers of interest as they relate one of the most feared sluggers in Major League history:

2 - Willie McCovey hit his last home run on May 3, 1980, ending his career with the second most home runs by a left-handed hitter, at that time in baseball history. The one lefty slugger ahead of Big Mac on the all-time list was named Babe Ruth!

3 - Willie McCovey hit three pinch-hit grand slams during his career, tying the National League record set by Ron Northey (Grand Slam Records).

5 - Willie McCovey hit exactly three-hundred home runs during the 1960s (1960-1969), one of only five to reach that summit during that decade. The other four, along with their home run totals during the '60s, were; Frank Robinson (316 HRs), Willie Mays (350 HRs), Hank Aaron (375 HRs), and Harmon Killebrew (393 HRs).

18 - Willie McCovey hit eighteen grand slams during his career, a National League record to this day (Grand Slam Records).

44 - Willie McCovey wore #44 every year he played with the San Francisco Giants and in 1980, they retired the number in his honor.

52 - Willie McCovey played in 52 games in 1959, his rookie year, but finished the season with a 22-game hitting streak, a .354 batting average, thirteen home runs, and a Rookie of the Year Award - the fewest games played by a non-pitcher Rookie of the Year award winner.

56 - Willie McCovey was ranked fifty-sixth by The Sporting News when they released their list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players in the history of baseball.

81.4 - Willie McCovey, on his first Hall of Fame ballot, received 346 of 425 possible votes, 81.4, making him a first ballot inductee in 1986. [See Plaque Below]

231 - Willie McCovey hit 231 of his 521 home runs in Candlestick Park, the most hit there by any player in ballpark history.

521 - Willie McCovey hit 521 career home runs. He joined the 500 Home Runs Club on June 30, 1978. He hit his final home run on May 3, 1980. When he hung up his cleats later that year, he was tied with Ted Williams on the Top 1,000 home runs chart.

WILLIE MCCOVEY ROOKIE CARD

Willie McCovey Rookie Card | 1960 Topps Baseball Card (#316 | Checklist)
Baseball Almanac Research Library

Baseball historian Bill James in The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (Free Press Publishing. 13 June 2003. Page 436.), ranked Stretch as the 9th best first baseman in baseball history and wrote, "If he (Willie McCovey) played in the 1990s with the DH and the modern parks, he'd hit 800 home runs." Simply stated, McCovey was feared at the plate: Hall of Fame manager Walt Alston, "When he belts a home run he does it with such authority it seems like an act of God." Hall of Fame Manager Sparky Anderson, "If you pitch to him he'll ruin baseball. He'd hit 80 home runs. There's no comparison between McCovey and anybody else in the league." Managers weren't the only ones to respect Big Mac's ability as illustrated by this memorable passage in Jim Bouton's classic Ball Four (Wiley Publishing. 12 July 1990. Page 385.):

A group of terrorized pitchers stood around the batting cage watching Willie McCovey belt some tremendous line drives over the right-field fence. Every time a ball bounced into the seats we'd make little whimpering animal sounds. "Hey, Willie," I said. "Can you do that whenever you want to?" He didn't crack a smile. "Just about," he said, and he hit another one. More animal sounds.

Willie McCovey Hall of Fame Plaque

Willie McCovey | National Baseball Hall of Fame Plaque | Class of 1986 (HOF)

Willie McCovey is one of only twenty-nine players in baseball history to have played in Major League baseball games in four different decades and, one of only four — along with Ted Williams, Rickey Henderson, and Omar Vizquel — to hit a home run in four different decades.