Baseball 89: Willie McCovey

Willie McCovey defied words, which was why his death on Wednesday left so many struggling to explain him. McCovey was a quiet man, humble, an exemplar of the gentle giant. But as a hitter? As a force of nature? "You had to be there," Ray Ratto finally concluded. "Just trust me on that."

Willie McCovey was born in Mobile, Ala., almost four years to the da…