If you love sports, you probably have one that you prefer over the others. For me it is baseball, which I first enjoyed in the early 1950s when I sat in the right field bleachers of Wrigley Field as the Chicago Cubs played the Brooklyn Dodgers.

In many respects, following a baseball season is like reading a novel. The story unfolds over some length of time, each day bringing new elements into the plot that ultimately will evolve into the postseason and the World Series. Just as in an exciting work of literature, you will encounter twists, turns, surprises, happiness and sadness. Perhaps because it is the longest of sports seasons (and it seems to get longer every year) and it offers so many unique occurrences, baseball is a game of memories for a lifetime. Even today, I still recall events that I witnessed live at baseball games in the ’60s and ’70s.

In A TIME FOR REFLECTION, Jason Cannon celebrates the lives and careers of two baseball icons: Hall of Famers Willie McCovey and Billy Williams.

"Willie McCovey and Billy Williams were humble and kind men whose stories are wonderfully told in this exceptional biography."

As a member of the San Francisco Giants, McCovey hit more than 500 home runs and was voted Most Valuable Player in the National League in 1969. He and Willie Mays dominated the Giants lineup in the ’60s. Ironically, McCovey may be best known for making the final out of the 1962 World Series. With two runners on and the Yankees ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth, McCovey smashed a line drive that was caught by Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson. Inches either way, and the Giants would have won the World Series.

Williams never made it to the World Series as he spent most of his career with the Chicago Cubs. The National League Rookie of the Year in 1961, he was a consistent .300 hitter and run producer for the Cubs. From 1963 to 1970, he played 1,117 consecutive games, a National League record that stayed intact until 1983.

Cannon does a remarkable job of researching and putting into words the numerous achievements of McCovey and Williams. He benefited from interviewing many of their teammates, who willingly talked about their contributions to baseball as well as the adopted communities of San Francisco and Chicago. But the story truly begins in Mobile, Alabama, in 1938. The McCovey and Williams families experienced the evils of the segregated South and the economic struggles of the era. Both men grew up in strong families where hard work and Sunday church attendance were the rules. They would develop their baseball skills playing with Black teams made up of players who were many years older than them.

When McCovey and Williams were nine years old, their world suddenly changed. The Brooklyn Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson in 1947, and Major League Baseball became a dream for every young player regardless of race.

By the time McCovey was old enough for a professional contract, the Giants were actively scouting and recruiting Black players. At the age of 17, he traveled to a tryout camp and was signed by the Giants, who were still playing in New York. There he met Orlando Cepeda, who would be a teammate and lifelong friend. Both had very brief minor league careers, and by 1959 they were playing for the San Francisco Giants.

As a teenager, Williams barnstormed with Black professional players, including Satchell Paige. In 1956, he signed with the Chicago Cubs for $200 a month and a bus ticket. He became a full-time major leaguer just five years later.

A TIME FOR REFLECTION clearly recounts the racism that both players experienced. In the Texas League, they could not travel to games in Louisiana because state law prohibited mixed-race athletic contests. In other states, they stayed in separate hotels and ate in different restaurants than their teammates. At one point, Williams almost quit. But he was convinced by Buck O’Neil, who would become the first Black coach in the major leagues, to stay the course.

Willie McCovey and Billy Williams were humble and kind men whose stories are wonderfully told in this exceptional biography.