Hall of Famer Willie McCovey died today, Wednesday. He was 80 years old and in poor health:

Nicknamed “Stretch” for the long arms and legs attached to his 6-foot-4 frame, McCovey and fellow Hall of Famer and Alabama native Willie Mays comprised the core of San Francisco Giants teams that gave opposing pitchers The Willies. McCovey’s pull power was so prodigious that the China Basin that sits beyond the right-field wall at AT&T Park is affectionately referred to as “McCovey Cove,” though McCovey never played there.

A statue of McCovey sits at the mouth of the Cove, which would have made for a fine target in his playing days.

“He could hit a ball farther than anyone I ever played with,” Mays once said of McCovey.

My thought go out to his family, friends, and fans.

McCovey came up at age 21 in 1959 and impressed immediately, posting a .354/.429/.656 slash line in 219 PA. He led the NL in home runs three times, RBI twice, walks once, and slugging percentage three times. His best season was either 1963 or 1970, although his 1970 line looks better. I suspect that 1963 was a low offensive year in the NL, and McCovey managed to lead the league with 44 homers. He played until 1980, although 1977 would be his last good year at the plate. His final slash line came in at .270/.374/.515, and his 521 home runs tied him with Ted Williams, and they would eventually be joined by Frank Thomas.