San Francisco will face St. Louis Cardinals in MLB at Rickwood Field game on June 20
San Francisco Giants first baseman Willie McCovey greets teammate Willie Mays after Mays hit his 500th career home run in 1965 vs. the Houston Astros. McCovey and Mays were both born in Alabama, McCovey in Mobile, Mays in Birmingham. and The Birmingham News will be producing weekly stories that showcase the history of Rickwood Field, and history of baseball in the state of Alabama.
Mays helped the Mets reach the World Series in 1973 before retiring with a .301 lifetime batting average, 660 home runs, 24 All-Star Game appearances and 12 Gold Gloves. He was a first-ballot selection to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, and his total of 165.3 Wins Above Replacement in 23 seasons is fourth among hitters in MLB history, behind only Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Barry Bonds.
Known as “Stretch” for his strapping 6-foot-4 frame, McCovey returned after the 1980 season with 521 home runs and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986. When the Giants moved into what is now Oracle Park in 2000, they renamed the small section of San Francisco Bay beyond the right field grandstand McCovey Cove, in acknowledgement of the location where many of the lefty-swinging slugger’s home runs landed.
Rhodes spent seven seasons with the Giants and was never a full-time player, but in his lone World Series appearance went 4-for-6 with two home runs and seven RBIs. He died in 2009 at age 82, his nickname and surname living on after being co-opted by an iconic professional wrestler of the 1970s and 80s.
Worthington was ultimately lured back to baseball, and was the top relief pitcher on the Minnesota Twins’ 1965 World Series team. He retired after the 1969 season before enjoying a long career in coaching, and at age 95 the long-time Shelby County resident is among the oldest-living former major-league players.
Davenport later managed the Giants for part of the 1985 season, and also worked as a coach, scout and minor league manager for several other organizations. He died in 2016 at age 82, but his name lives on through Jim Davenport’s Pizza Palace, the Mountain Brook eatery his childhood friend Rex Hollis had named after him in 1964.
Wilson was briefly with the Cleveland Indians in 1949 before being awarded by the commissioner’s to the New York Yankees after both clubs claimed to have signed him to valid contracts, but never reached the majors before being traded to the Giants in late 1950. He got into 19 games with the Giants the following season, beating his former Black Barons teammate Willie Mays to New York by more than a month .
@River-Birmingham Rickwood Rickwood Field
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Bruce Bochy Shares Story About Giants Legend Willie MaysThe future Baseball Hall of Fame manager has plenty of stories to tell about the ‘Say Hey Kid’ from his time with the Giants.
Read more »
Willie Mays won't attend Negro League tribute game in AlabamaWillie Mays will not be attending the Negro League tribute game between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday, The San Francisco Chronicle confirmed.
Read more »
SF Giants: Bochy, Melvin share their Willie Mays memories ahead of Rickwood ClassicMays, the oldest living Hall of Famer, grew up near Rickwood Field and started his professional playing career there as a teenager.
Read more »
Willie Mays, San Francisco Giants Legend, Dies at 93Sam Kubota is a senior digital editor and journalist for TODAY Digital based in Los Angeles. She joined NBC News in 2019.
Read more »
Willie Mays, Giants’ electrifying ‘Say Hey Kid,’ has died at 93Willie Mays, the electrifying “Say Hey Kid” who was one of baseball’s greatest and most beloved players, has died. He was 93.
Read more »
Willie Mays, Baseball Hall of Famer and Giants Legend, Dies at Age 93The baseball world lost one of its greats on Tuesday afternoon.
Read more »