Recent from talks
Wes Covington
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Wes Covington
John Wesley Covington (March 27, 1932 – July 4, 2011) was an American professional baseball left fielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1956 through 1966 for the Milwaukee Braves, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He stood 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), weighing 205 pounds (93 kg; 14.6 st). Covington batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Born in Laurinburg, North Carolina, Covington attended Laurinburg High School then transferred and graduated from Hillside High School in Durham, where he was a football star. He didn't begin playing baseball until 1950 but his skills caught the eye of Boston Braves scout Dewey Griggs. Covington was offered a contract and assigned to the Class C Eau Claire Bears in 1952. While playing for the Eau Claire Bears, he first met team-mate Hank Aaron Covington roomed with Aaron and catcher Julie Bowers, who had played in the Negro leagues, at the local YMCA that season.
Aaron and Covington became friends that year. Aaron said, “My closest friends on the Eau Claire Bears were (Wes) Covington and especially Julie Bowers. I often wonder what happened to Bowers … I haven’t heard from since 1952.”
In 1957, Covington again found himself in the minors playing for the Wichita Braves. Braves had elected to go with Bobby Thomson. Covington was not happy about this development and when he tried to find out why he was demoted he got the run-around from management. He was finally called up after the Braves had traded Thomson away to the New York Giants with Ray Crone and Danny O'Connell for Red Schoendienst. Covington's return sparked the 1957 Braves down the stretch and helped them win the World Series. Covington hit .284, with 21 home runs, and drove in 65 runs, in just 96 games over the second half of the 1957 season.
Covington's defensive play in the 1957 World Series was stellar. His two breathtaking catches in left field in game 2 and in game 5 helped to preserve victories for the Braves and pitcher Lew Burdette. Covington hit .208 for the series with 6 strikeouts and stole a base.
In 1958 Covington had career-high numbers when he hit .330 with 24 home runs with 74 RBIs in 90 games. In a game on May 31, 1958, against the Pittsburgh Pirates, against starter Ron Kline, Aaron, Mathews and Covington hit back to back to back home runs in the first inning in a game the Braves won 8–5.
Once again the Braves went to the World Series where they again met the Yankees, only to lose the series in 7 games. Covington played in all 7 games and hit 269 with no home runs and 4 RBIs.
Covington first started having problems with his knees in 1958 when he slide into 2nd base in spring training game and was out of action until May 2. On August 20, 1959, he tore an ankle ligament and missed the remainder of the regular season.
Hub AI
Wes Covington AI simulator
(@Wes Covington_simulator)
Wes Covington
John Wesley Covington (March 27, 1932 – July 4, 2011) was an American professional baseball left fielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1956 through 1966 for the Milwaukee Braves, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He stood 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), weighing 205 pounds (93 kg; 14.6 st). Covington batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Born in Laurinburg, North Carolina, Covington attended Laurinburg High School then transferred and graduated from Hillside High School in Durham, where he was a football star. He didn't begin playing baseball until 1950 but his skills caught the eye of Boston Braves scout Dewey Griggs. Covington was offered a contract and assigned to the Class C Eau Claire Bears in 1952. While playing for the Eau Claire Bears, he first met team-mate Hank Aaron Covington roomed with Aaron and catcher Julie Bowers, who had played in the Negro leagues, at the local YMCA that season.
Aaron and Covington became friends that year. Aaron said, “My closest friends on the Eau Claire Bears were (Wes) Covington and especially Julie Bowers. I often wonder what happened to Bowers … I haven’t heard from since 1952.”
In 1957, Covington again found himself in the minors playing for the Wichita Braves. Braves had elected to go with Bobby Thomson. Covington was not happy about this development and when he tried to find out why he was demoted he got the run-around from management. He was finally called up after the Braves had traded Thomson away to the New York Giants with Ray Crone and Danny O'Connell for Red Schoendienst. Covington's return sparked the 1957 Braves down the stretch and helped them win the World Series. Covington hit .284, with 21 home runs, and drove in 65 runs, in just 96 games over the second half of the 1957 season.
Covington's defensive play in the 1957 World Series was stellar. His two breathtaking catches in left field in game 2 and in game 5 helped to preserve victories for the Braves and pitcher Lew Burdette. Covington hit .208 for the series with 6 strikeouts and stole a base.
In 1958 Covington had career-high numbers when he hit .330 with 24 home runs with 74 RBIs in 90 games. In a game on May 31, 1958, against the Pittsburgh Pirates, against starter Ron Kline, Aaron, Mathews and Covington hit back to back to back home runs in the first inning in a game the Braves won 8–5.
Once again the Braves went to the World Series where they again met the Yankees, only to lose the series in 7 games. Covington played in all 7 games and hit 269 with no home runs and 4 RBIs.
Covington first started having problems with his knees in 1958 when he slide into 2nd base in spring training game and was out of action until May 2. On August 20, 1959, he tore an ankle ligament and missed the remainder of the regular season.
Recent media