"The fans sitting up there are helpless. They can't pick up a bat and come down and do something. Their only involvement is in how well you do. If you strike out or mess up out there, they feel they've done something wrong."

"If you pitch to him he'll ruin baseball. He'd hit 80 home runs. There's no comparison between McCovey and anybody else in the league." — Sparky Anderson

"McCovey didn't hit any cheap one[s]. When he belts a home run, he does it with such authority it seems like an act of God. You can't cry about it." — Walter Alston

"On ground balls hit down to the second baseman, there's no need to throw, the second baseman just hands the ball to Willie (McCovey)." - Jim Murray