McCovey Cove is named in honor of former San Francisco Giants baseball player Willie McCovey.
The body of water in San Francisco Bay is officially called China Basin, but the section alongside Oracle Park, the Giants’ ballpark, that lies outside right field is widely known as McCovey Cove. Credit for suggesting the name originally is given to sportswriters Mark Purdy and Leonard Koppett.
Splash hits are recorded when Giants players hit home runs that land in the Cove on the fly and an electronic counter on the right field wall keeps a tally of the total since the ballpark opened in 2000. Barry Bonds was the first to hit a home run that landed in the water on May 1st, 2000.
