UPDATE, 7:25 p.m.: …. Pitcher Madison Bumgarner.
Hardly a surprise that the guy who will be entrusted with the ball for Wednesday's wild-card play-in game could win the Giants' most prestigious award. I understand last year's winner, Hunter Pence, was second in the voting of players and coaches.
"Willie, if you're watching, we wish you a speedy recovery," Bumgarner said in his acceptance speech, "and we all look forward to seeing you at the ballpark soon.
"It's humbling to win an award named for such a great ambassador of the game."
ORIGINAL POST: I just talked to Giants executive Mario Alioto. He visited Willie McCovey in the hospital and said Stretch plans to watch tonight's Willie Mac Award ceremony.
Unlike past years, when we and the winner would get a heads-up, the Giants are doing this game-show style and will surprise everyone with the announcement.
Ten former winners held a news conference to share McCovey stories and talk about winning the award. Their cracking voices made it clear that McCovey's absence would make for an emotional ceremony.
"It's special being here and it's going to be really hard not having him here," 1989 winner Dave Dravecky said. "This award is set apart from all the rest, and it's because of who the man is.
When the Giants marked the 25th anniversary of Dravecky's cancer-comeback game in 1989, they presented him a photo he had taken with McCovey.
Hunter Pence accepts the 2013 Willie Mac Award a year ago, as Willie McCovey joins in the applause.
"That photo now sits in my office, where everybody can see it," Dravecky said. "That photo, of all my baseball photos, is probably my most precious one."
Darrell Evans (1983) played with McCovey and asked everyone to pray for Stretch.
"Hopefully we can get Willie back out here, and all of us can help him get well," Evans said. He is a big part of our lives. This is one of the great honors you can have as a player, as person."
Robby Thompson (1991) echoed the importance of the award to the recipients, saying, "This award is not one you receive and you go home and stick it under your bed. You put it up on the wall and display it with a lot of pride."
Meanwhile, Buster Posey is out of the lineup because of a tight back, which got him an early exit from Thursday's game. Manager Bruce Bochy said Posey underwent an MRI but could have played. The Giants just don't want him to now.
"With where we're at, we're better off giving him a day and make sure we don't risk an injury here," Bochy said. "Basically, we're just being very cautious."
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