McCovey Chronicles · Jul 30, 2018
Willie McCovey debuted 59 years ago
Willie McCovey, this site’s namesake, made his major league debut on this date 59 years ago. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year award having played only 52 games (and in a 154-game season). He also got some MVP votes.
His debut came against the Phillies at Seals Stadium and he faced off against an eventual Hall of Famer, Robin Roberts, going 4-for-4 with two triples. He hit third, behind 28-year old Willie Mays, which is probably why the Giants were so successful with him: they hit their best player 2nd. Truly, the Giants were ahead of their time.