Willie McCovey died this week at the fairly ripe age of 80, and while he's rightfully remembered as one of the most fearsome hitters of his day, I'm incapable of thinking of old Stretch without reflecting on how the 1962 World Series ended.
It was the ninth inning of the seventh game, kids. The Yankees were clinging to a 1-0 lead. Ralph Terry had held the Giants to just two hits. But Matty Alou pinch hit to start the inning and dropped down a bunt single. Terry struck out the next two men but Willie Mays lashed a double into the right field corner, and only an outstanding play by Maris prevented the Giants from tying the game then and there.