Two Living Legends

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 I'm happy these two icons of baseball in the 1960s (and 1950s) are still with us.  Both Willie Mays from the Giants and Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers.

Both started on New York teams that moved to California in the late 50s.  Koufax had just retired when I started following baseball, but was a commentator on the NBC game of the week.  I learned of Mays through an article in the Scout magazine Boys Life.  Since Seattle did not have a team at the time, I adopted the San Francisco Giants as my favorite baseball club.

This picture was posted in the Sandy Koufax fan group on Facebook. 

Willie McCovey Dead At 80

Willie McCovey, Hall Of Fame 1st baseman for the San Francisco Giants, has died at 80.  McCovey played alongside the great Willie Mays to form one of the best homerun hitting duos in baseball at the time.  

McCovey's 18 career grand slams are the most in National League history.  The body of water behind right field in the Giant's stadium is name McCovey Cove after the popular slugger. 

Since Seattle did not have a team when I first started watching baseball in the 1960s, the Giants were my favorite team.  Decades later, I ate in McCovey's a restaurant in Walnut Creek named after him.

Lincecum Signs With Mariner Division Rivals

 

Seattle area native Tim Lincecum has signed a free agent contract with Seattle Mariner's arch division rivals, the Los Angeles Angels.  The former San Francisco Giants ace is coming off of hip surgery.  Lincecum has two no-hitters, won two Cy Young Awards and has helped the Giants win three world series championships.  It is too early to figure what effect Lincecum's signing will have on the Mariner's play-off chances.

New Lincecum Bobblehead

I got a new Tim Lincecum bobble head from the Giant Hurler's dad, Chris.  Chris is a frequent customer at The UPS Store in Crossroads in Bellevue.  Tim Lincecum is a two time Cy Young Award winner, a three time World Series champion and has so far, pitched 2 no hitters.

The Giants Win The World Series

The Giants have won the World Series for the third time in five years, quietly making them every bit the force that the Yankees were in the late 1990s. The KC Royals put up a great fight, taking the series to 7 games.  What is striking to me is how low in stature the World Series has become.  When I was younger, kids would bring transistor radios to school, classroom TVs were turned on, and it would transcend baseball.  Today, it barely gets mentioned on the sports radio station.  I would imagine it's different in the host cities.  I hope to find out one of these years.

World Series To Begin

The World Series begins tonight with the San Francisco Giants, the only survivor of 4 California teams to go to post season and the Kansas City Royals, a cinderella story that should give the Mariners hope.  Actually, I find it hard to believe that they're still playing baseball!

Seattle Product Lincecum Hurls First No-Hitter

San Francisco Giant ace pitcher Tim Lincecum, a Seattle native, whose dad, Chris, comes into our store often, just pitched his first no-hitter as his team beat the San Diego Padres 9-0.  This has been a tough year for Lincecum who halfway through the season, had up to now, not gotten an out in the 8th inning in any of his starts.  Lincecum has won 2 Cy Young awards and has 2 World Series rings.

Lee Vs Lincecum In World Series Opener

The two outstanding pitcher's who oppose each other in Game 1 of this year's World Series have Northwest ties. Tim Lincecum grew up in the area and attended Liberty High School in Renton and the University Of Washington. Cliff Lee, is kind of a stretch, he spent the first three months of this season as a Seattle Mariner. The two pitchers are a contrast in styles, Lincecum is long hair and has an unorthodox style, Cliff Lee is button-down and business. Amazingly though, Lee is the journeyman playing for his fourth team in four seasons. Lincecum has been a Giant his entire career. Both men have won the Cy Young, Lincecum won his second last year. The Rangers are seeking their first World Series championship, the Giants have not won a title since 1954 when they were the New York Giants.

300 Wins For Randy Johnson

Randy Johnson was able to get his 300th win today as his San Francisco Giants beat the Washington Nationals 5-1
The veteran left-hander will be remembered as one of the greatest players to put on a Seattle Mariner uniform. Seattle Times columnist Larry Stone pays tribute to Johnson.

Seattle Product Tim Lincecum Wins NL Cy Young

San Francisco Giant pitching Phenom Tim Lincecum won the National League Cy Young award. He joins Mike McCormick who won the award back in 1967, the first year the award was given in both leagues. An interesting fact is that the Giants did not go to the post season in either instance. In fact only Steve Carlton, of the Philadelphia Phillies has won the Cy Young pitching for a worst team Lincecum, attended Liberty High School in Renton, his Father Chris Lincecum, often comes into the UPS Store in Bellevue where I work.

Happy Birthday To Willie Mays

Former Centerfielder Willie Mays, my first sports hero turns 77 today. While playing with the New York Baseball Giants in the 1950s, Mays was part of a legendary triumvirate of Center fielders in New York that included Mickey Mantle of the Yankees and Duke Snider of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers and Giants of course moved to Los Angeles and San Francisco respectively in 1958. Mays of course, played for the San Francisco Giants until the early 1970s when he was traded to the New York Mets. After reading about Mays in a magazine article in 1967, I suddenly became a big baseball fan.