McCovey Cove is the unofficial name of a section of San Francisco Bay beyond the right field wall of Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, named after famed Giants first baseman Willie McCovey. The proper name for the cove is China Basin, which is the mouth of Mission Creek as it meets the bay. The cove is bounded along the north by Oracle Park, with a ferry landing and a breakwater at the northeast end. The southern shore is lined by China Basin Park and McCovey Point. To the east, it opens up to San Francisco Bay, while the west end of the cove is bounded by the Lefty O'Doul Bridge, named after San Francisco ballplayer and manager Lefty O'Doul.
Naming
The name was coined thanks to two sportswriters. Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News wrote an article suggesting naming the body of water after McCovey, though his original suggestions were 'McCovey Channel,' 'McCovey Stream' or 'McCovey Run.' Purdy then noted the more 'lyrical' name of 'McCovey Cove' was suggested by his colleague Leonard Koppett, a writer for the Oakland Tribune.[1] The name did not take long to become very popular, although the moniker has never become official.
Features
On game days, fans take to the water of McCovey Cove in boats and even in kayaks, often with fishing nets in the hope of collecting a home run ball. This echoes what used to happen during McCovey's playing days. Before Candlestick Park's upper deck was extended, the area behind right field was occupied by three small bleacher sections and a lot of open space. Kids in those bleachers would gather behind the right field fence when "Stretch" would come to the plate. There may also be a link to the fact that Willie McCovey was one of only a few that hit home runs over the scoreboard and into a public swimming pool at Montreal's Jarry Park, the Expos' home from 1969 to 1976. The fact that balls can be hit into a water basin over the right field wall in San Francisco is somewhat of a tribute/salute to Willie McCovey's legend when he visited Montreal.[citation needed]
Just beyond the wall is a public waterfront promenade. Across the cove from the ballpark is McCovey Point and China Basin Park, featuring a statue of McCovey at the mouth of the Cove. At his feet are small plaques commemorating the winners of the Willie Mac Award, named in McCovey's honor. Along the southern shore of the cove, between McCovey Point and the O'Doul Bridge, is a walkway featuring plaques showing the Opening Day Roster of every Giants team from 1958 through 1999. Just south of the statue of Willie McCovey is Barry Bonds Junior Giants Field, a t-ball sized baseball diamond.[2]
"Splash hits" are recorded only when Giants players hit home runs that land in McCovey Cove on the fly. These hits are tallied on an electronic counter on the right field wall. As of August 29, 2019, 81 "splash hits" have been hit into the Bay by Giants players since the park opened; 35 of those were by Barry Bonds.[3] The only Giants other than Bonds to have reached the Cove more than once are Brandon Belt with nine, Pablo Sandoval with eight, Denard Span with five, and six players with two each: Felipe Crespo, Michael Tucker, Ryan Klesko, Aubrey Huff, Andrés Torres, and Brandon Crawford. Twelve other Giants' players have accomplished the feat just once. Carlos Beltrán's "splash hit" on September 14, 2011, marked his 300th career home run. Klesko is currently the only player to have splash hits as both a Giant and as an opposing player through the 2019 season. Tyler Colvin's "splash hit" on May 12, 2014, was also his first hit for the Giants and occurred in his first at bat at Oracle Park since joining the team.[4]
Two "splash hits" have been walk-off home runs: Barry Bonds' on August 19, 2003, and Brandon Crawford's on April 13, 2014.
As of the end of the 2019 season, Bonds is the only Giant to record a "splash hit" in the postseason. Bonds did so in the 5th inning of Game 3 of the 2002 National League Championship Series on October 12, 2002.
When the stadium hosted the 2007 Home Run Derby, McCovey Cove was heavily featured in promotional materials, and the namesake slugger presented each participant with special bats before the competition. However, the difficulty of hitting McCovey Cove with a home run was shown, as none of the eight sluggers competing were able to hit water, and all four left-handed batters (who are more likely to hit home runs to right field, and thus, to the Cove) were eliminated in the first round of the contest. The only player to hit water was Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers, who did so on a foul ball.[5] Fielder would eventually hit McCovey Cove with a fair ball on July 20, 2008, as the 17th visiting player to hit a home run into the Cove.
No right-handed hitter has ever hit an opposite field home run into McCovey Cove, though Giants catcher Buster Posey has come close several times.
Three visiting pitchers have surrendered multiple "splash hits": Liván Hernández, Rodrigo López, and John Thomson. López is the only pitcher to give up a splash hit as a member of two visiting teams.
36 non-Giants players have hit the cove 51 times. Of visiting players who have hit the cove, Carlos Delgado, Carlos González and Adam LaRoche have performed the feat the most, doing it three times each. Current Major League Baseball players Max Muncy, Curtis Granderson, and Bryce Harper, and former Major League Baseball players Luis Gonzalez and Cliff Floyd are the only other visiting players to do so twice. David Ortiz, Mitch Moreland, and Adam Dunn are the only three American League players to hit the cove. Delgado, LaRoche, and Harper are the only three players to have hit home runs into McCovey Cove as members of two visiting teams.
Two visiting players have hit McCovey Cove on the fly in the postseason. Rick Ankiel hit the water on the fly in the 11th inning of Game 2 of the 2010 National League Division Series on October 8, 2010; his run would go on to be the winning run for the Atlanta Braves. Ankiel's home run was the second in postseason history to be hit straight into the cove. Bryce Harper became the second visitor to hit the water in the postseason in the 7th inning of Game 4 of the 2014 National League Division Series on October 7, 2014, as a member of the Washington Nationals.
