This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/3/2020
A soft-spoken man on the star-studded San Francisco Giants teams of the 1960s, the great Willie McCovey was sometimes overshadowed by the likes of Mays, Cepeda and Marichal. But everyone, from the media and fans to his opponents, always respected Willie Mac's immense dead-pull power that became his majestic personal trademark and made him one of the most feared home run hitters of his era. By the end of his 22-year career, the imposing 6'4" slugger had belted 521 dingers and currently sits 20th (tied with Ted Williams and Frank Thomas) on the all-time list.
Featured here is the game-used ball McCovey launched for his 426th career blast on August 2, 1974 while playing for the San Diego Padres. It came at Dodger Stadium off fellow Hall of Famer Don Sutton. As usual, Willie Mac pulled it over the right-field fence and it landed in the visitor's bullpen. The ball was retrieved by a Padres reliever who ended up giving it to Padres coach and former big-leaguer Whitey Wietelmann, who provided a letter of provenance for verification. McCovey's autograph presents in 8-9/10 blue ballpoint with his inscription "MY 426TH HR" on the sweet spot. The Official National League (Charles Feeney) baseball is heavily soiled from use and but has just light toning from age, allowing Willie Mac's signature to pop nicely.
Comes with a full LOA from PSA/DNA (AH04374) along with the aforementioned LOA from the Padres coach who held on to it for nearly 30 years.