McCovey Leads Induction of 3 Into Baseball Hall, Shows Big Men Do Cry

Willie McCovey entered the Hall of Fame in a light Sunday shower, thanking the “two families” that supported him during his 22-year, 521-homer career with the San Francisco Giants.

“Even though it’s raining it’s still a perfect kind of day for me, celebrating the pinnacle of my life and the pinnacle of my career,” he said.

McCovey was the 16th man to be elected in his first year of eligibility. Bobby Doerr and the late Ernie Lombardi were also enshrined Sunday as the Hall marked 50 years since the induction of its first five members.

McCovey, one of a family of 10 children from Mobile, Ala., also stressed the “second family” he played with and who “adopted” him. They were, he said, “men who offered friendship, counsel and understanding . . . “ McCovey, his eyes filled with tears, paused for several seconds, then concluded, “and expected nothing in return.”

McCovey, elected last January in the writers’ voting (Doerr and Lombardi were selected in March by the Veteran’s Committee), spent much of his career batting behind Willie Mays in one of the greatest 1-2 punches in baseball history. McCovey cut an imposing figure at 6 feet 4 inches and 200 pounds.

Mays was not present for Sunday’s ceremonies, keeping with his habit of usually not making the trip to Cooperstown. Ted Williams, a Boston Red Sox teammate of Doerr’s and a member of the Veteran’s Committee, did attend and, of course, was the only Hall of Famer present who did not wear a tie. In all, 21 of the other 55 living Hall of Famers were there, including Henry Aaron, who is also from Mobile. McCovey said he asked for number 44 because of his admiration for Aaron.

Doerr, a second baseman who played from 1937 through 1951, all with the Red Sox, mentioned a saying he once heard. “Each 24 hours the world turns over and someone is sitting on top of it,” he said. “I just hope I can sit up here on top of it just a little bit longer.”

He recounted a failed attempt by Williams to change his batting stance. “I said, ‘Ted, I’m just not comfortable with that,’ ” Doerr said. “He threw up his hands and said, ‘OK, if you want to be a lousy .280 or .290 hitter, go ahead.”

Doerr batted .288 for his career.

Lombardi, despite his .306 batting average, despite his 190 homers and 990 runs batted in, became best known for his slow feet. A catcher, he played with four teams between 1931-47, including the Cincinnati Reds for 10 years, and stole only eight bases.

Lombardi, known by his friends as an unhappy man outside baseball, was said to be bitter over not being elected to the Hall by the writers.

Lombardi once made an attempt on his own life but survived. He died in 1977 at age 69.