Good day all!
On the blog today, my pick
for the National league's first baseman of the 1960's, and I went with
Hall of Fame slugger Willie McCovey:
McCovey,
who did also see a
significant amount of time over in the outfield between 1962 and 1964,
put in just enough time at the first base position to get my pick for
the decade honor.
All he did was lay down the foundation
for a future Hall of Fame induction, leading the league in homers three
times, runs batted in twice, slugging three twice, and also capping off
the decade with an M.V.P. award in 1969.
He was so feared at the plate, that even in a line-up that
featured other hitters like Willie Mays and Bobby Bonds, he was
intentionally walked 45 times in 1969, setting the Major League record
at the time (later obliterated by Barry Bonds decades later).
A Rookie of the Year in 1959, M.V.P. in 1969, and six-time
all-star, "Stretch" was part of an incredible slugging trio during his
early days in San Francisco, teaming up with two other future Hall of
Famers, Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda.
By the time he retired in 1980, he crushed 521 home runs, collected
over 2000 hits, drove in over 1500, and left his mark as one of the
most feared sluggers of his generation.
In 1986, his first year of eligibility, he was voted into the Hall of Fame with 81.4% of the ballots cast.
