Willie McCovey, R.I.P.

Willie McCovey, one of the few MLB players whose career spanned four different decades, passed away after years of health problems. McCovey was 80.

Originally signed by the New York Giants in 1955, McCovey burst onto the big league scene in 1959 after the team moved to San Francisco. Despite only playing 52 games, his .354 batting average along with 13 HR and 38 RBI made him an unanimous choice for NL Rookie of the Year After several disappointing seasons, McCovey had a breakthrough season in 1963 when he led the NL with 44 home runs earning the first of six NL All-Star Team selections.

Nicknamed "Stretch", in an era where pitching was king, McCovey hit 30 or more home runs in six out of seven seasons. In both 1968 and 1969, McCovey led the NL in both HR and RBI earning his lone NL MVP in 1969. In addition to leading the league in HR and RBI, he also led the Senior League in OBP,  SLG, OPS & OPS+ that season.

The Giants would trade McCovey to the San Diego Padres prior the 1974 season. After two and a half seasons in San Diego, McCovey was sold to the Oakland A's before returning to the Giants in 1977. He would retire during the 1980 season finishing his career with 2,211 hits, 521 home runs and 1555 RBI. McCovey would be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot in 1986 with 81.4% of the vote.

Contemporary fans remember McCovey as the man named after McCovey Cove over the right field wall at AT & T Park in San Francisco where many home runs have been hit over the years. R.I.P.