Do I hear 12? 13? 14?
I’m still having a hard time believing this 11 game losing streak is the longest since ’51. Man, there have been some bad teams since then. My buddy The Boney One texted me late last night: “this losing streak is the best thing that could happen to the Giants”. I was like, “Man, would it hurt you to read the blog once in a while?”
Loo’s story about meeting Mays and McCovey is worthy of a re-read in the main thread. I wonder when the Giants started taking care of McCovey financially? It clearly wasn’t happening in ’85. My guess is that the ownership group back didn’t give 2 shits about former players.
Note: this post from Loo is from 2012.
DJLoo said, on July 29, 2012 at 11:02 am (Edit)
I share all those awesome childhood memories of Stretch that you guys have the ability to lay out so eloquently. So as always you can count on me for a less cheerful one.
Mays & McCovey came to a card show/autograph signing thing in 1985. I was stunned to hear about it – the memorabilia craze hadn’t really taken off yet. It was held in the gymnasium of a Catholic School in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Another hero of mine, Joe Pepitone was also there. Autographs were cheap – maybe $20 for Mays, less for McCovey, and way less for Pepi. Laughed it up and took a great picture with Joe. Got to the M & M table where they were sitting side by side. Mays was somber and wouldn’t even look at me. McCovey was pleasant and shook my hand. I asked if they would allow my friend to snap a picture of me standing behind them. McCovey said sure and Mays grunted something. In the picture Stretch has a big smile. Mays looks like he’s getting a colonoscopy. Later on I was just hanging around outside across the street. McCovey came out (all alone!) limping visibly. I was struck by his outfit. Looked like he picked it up from the Salvation Army. An ill-fitting red checkered sport jacket and bright red pants that were at least 3 inches too short. I yelled out, “need a ride, Willie?”. He waved and said, “I’m alright, man!”. I stayed where I was and watched him slowly hobble down 65th Street. To me, it was the picture of a man down on his luck. He turned left at the corner and disappeared from my view. I have no idea how he could’ve had any idea where he was going around there.
I remember hoping that the neighborhood Guinz-aloons wouldn’t give him a hard time…
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
“In the picture Stretch has a big smile. Mays looks like he’s getting a colonoscopy.: lol I’m not sure the real Willie ever matched up with the Say Hey Kid persona I and many others grew up with.
Not with outsiders. The couple times I’ve ran across him he was standoffish. A friend of mine, his mom used to live at Sharon Heights in Menlo Park. We used to play frisbee golf (before it was a thing) at Sharon Park and went into the clubhouse to grab a beer and a burger. The place was dead empty except for Willie and his wife.
I didn’t say a thing as we walked by the table, but a buddy said ‘say hey!’ His eyes never left his plate. We sat down about 20′ away and I didn’t hear him make a sound. He and his wife silently eating.
There are infinite stories about people seeing Mays do great things on the field. Off the field, not so much…
I have to wonder what happened to Mays when the Giants moved west. Was he vilified? Did he catch a lot of racist shit? I mean I’m sure there was some, but this isn’t Alabama by any stretch.
His refusal to wear an ‘SF’ cap is a pretty big deal. Was he jealous of McCovey’s reception here? I just don’t get Mays’ apparent animosity toward the fans here that absolutely worship him.
yeah, there are famous stories about residents around St Francis Wood (I think that’s the name of the neighborhood) in SF trying to keep Mays from moving in.
That was my point, the reality didn’t match up with the jovial Say Hey kid persona. He says as much in his autobiography. In many ways, he was just an angry guy during his career. He may have mellowed in his retirement, I’m not really sure.
The simply picture must be found.
Chuck, when the Giants initially came to SF Mays was treated as if he was royalty come to live in the West. He was magic, as was his play. A couple of years in Cepeda and then McCovey came to be viewed as “home grown” but Mays was still the leader of the pack. Once with two runners on they tried to walk Mays, he swung at one of the outside pitches and popped up. He caught a lot of grief by no-nothing fans who favored their “local” Giants. He may have picked up some of that and reacted. Toward the end of his career the Giants gave him back to NY and the Mets. I don’t recall a lot of moaning or wailing when he left. McCovey has always been the man.
On a diff note- -it is so obvious now that Bochey is just not the guy to be the Manager in this dark era with little talent. They need to clean house and Boch needs to go upstairs. 0-11, unbelievable.
OSF
Don’t recall any racist stuff.
for example, https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2007/11/15/discrimination-s-f-style-hit-mays/
Yup, veiled racism in the form of nimby. This kind of wonderfulness got Trump elected.
Chuck, you work for MSNBC on Morning Joe??? 😂
Chuck’s opinion is consistent with most of the Trump supporters I know. Anybody else see Black Klansman yet? It’s a very good movie. Tense, funny and in the end both emotionally devastating and absolutely convincing in its portrayal of the persistence of racism in the USA and the relationship of racism to Trump’s election.
I’m actually talking Democrats, Xoot. The Democrat elite Pelosi/Speier/Clinton ‘liberal’ is a huge problem with the party. And their supposed altruism comes with a shit-ton of condescension. Not gonna go too political here, but the Dems are doomed to failure if the party stays in its current mode.
Hard left is making inroads, and the Dems could very well shoot themselves in the feet yet again with infighting if they don’t embrace that.
Mays talks about the racism in his autobiography, how neighbors in the one rich neighborhood tried to keep he and his wife from moving in.
Lot of people didn’t like Mays. Local heroes that came out of PCL who went on to stardom elsewhere were all white guys. Lot of Irish and Italian, maybe not real into blacks and latins that came to dominate stars of late 50s and 60’s Giants teams.
The other part was Mays was seen as “uppity” rich guy who lived in Atherton, had wife with expensive tastes and drove Caddy. St. Francis Wood is long way from the hood too in terms of tony-ness and exclusivity.
He always said he loved NYC where I’m sure he was much bigger celebrity and more appreciated. Can’t blame him one bit. Guy gave his heart and soul to baseball in the City and no one liked the Stick, ever.
I know a Berkeley woman who bumped into Mays in a doctor’s office waiting room about 10 years ago. She knows nothing about baseball but she recognized him and asked if he was the Say Hey Kid. Being who she is she asked if he would be interested in helping a specific youth orchestra in Berkelely with fund raising. Mays was friendly and gave her an autographed baseball and said, “sell this on ebay.” Apparently he was carrying at least that one baseball with him. Can’t remember how much it sold for.
Mays and McCovey came from the period where they did not make the exorbitant money that is in today’s game. I think that sticks in Mays’ craw but not McCovey. Stretch just did not stretch his dollars and just took it in stride.
The old Giants owner from the 80s could not give a shot about the old-time Giants and they were never a part of the team until Magowan took over
Interesting deal with David Wright, who will be activated and then be on the field at last Mets homestand. Hasn’t officially used the word “retirement” but apparently will still collect $27 mil for remaining 2 yrs on contract.
Also Mets because of the insurance deal they bought will only be on hook for $6 mil or so of it.
Thought I read something day ago about how once they do activate him it does affect how much they owe him as it voids part of the insurance.
What’s wrong with him? I seem to remember he had shoulder issues or some such…
Is that the Matt Cain “Beaned”in the head insurance deal for David Wright?
He was never the same player after that.
David Wright also has neck problems. At the end he could barely throw the ball to firstbase. It was an issue during the World Series vs. KC in ’15.
I’ve read several political-related books lately, three of them by Republicans who are not Trump supporters. The so-called Never Trumpers. It’s interesting to get their view. The books are:
Trumpocracy- by David Frum
Gaslighting America- by Amanda Carpenter
Everything Trump Touches Dies- by Rick Wilson
Remember that Joe DiMaggio was the prodigal son for San Franciscans, born and raised in Martinez, played for the Seals, extremely popular, so when Mays arrived from NY he was going up against that as well. He had a tough time in SF for the first couple of years. At some point, his great play won people over.
lol, relief pitcher Ross just blasted one off Kershaw.
This is pretty cool:
And this:
Pedro Strop pulls hamstring running out a DP unsuccessfully, with a healthy T LaStella on bench.
Remember when Casilla did that, jacked himself running out groundball despite being told by Bochy not to even swing?
Would be very cool if neither Cubs nor Dodgers got into playoffs.
Interesting to see what will happen to Oakland, especially if Yanks hold onto WC lead. A’s would wind up playing at least 1 and maybe 3 games on road vs. NY and then if they win, Boston….with severely shorthanded group of SPs.
My wife met him when she worked for the President’s Club for Continental at SFO. in the 90s. I think he was around 84. He gave her a business card that is around here somewhere.
Dodgers still on the outside looking in. Let’s keep it that way. Not that we’ll have any trouble losing in the Himalayas.