THE CHEAP SEATS WITH STEVE CAMERON: Can’t dodge all these great Giant memories

Sometimes The Boss is right.

Or hits the jackpot with a wild guess, maybe.

That’s how he earns the big bucks, right?

I have to be honest here, and admit that I didn’t think the “Memories” column I scribble for each Sunday’s sports section would hold readers’ interest for very long.

“Oh, but they’ll love all your tales,” said The Boss, in that fun manner he uses to put a swift end to all conversation.

In plain English, he means: Get on with it!

Look, I’m thrilled that he seems to have been correct.

The proof would appear to be all the mail I get about those Sunday reminiscences, and believe me, I truly appreciate it when you take the time to write — whether you liked a column, or even if you disagree with my thoughts on, well...

Anything or anybody.

THE REASON I bring this up today is that if you took the number of emails I’d received on any particular column, and at least doubled it...

That might just about cover all the responses to last weekend’s piece about my first look at Willie McCovey.

If Willie Mac hadn’t hit 521 home runs and strolled into the Hall of Fame on the deeds of that huge Louisville Slugger...

He could have made it on a popular vote.

At least from this precinct.

Mentioning your emails about the McCovey column gives me a chance to promote an encore.

Yes, I see all those phones lighting up in the audience, just like at a concert.

You want more on Willie II (sorry, but Mr. Mays will ALWAYS be Willie Sr., in addition to our unanimous acknowledgment that he is the best all-around baseball player who has ever played the game).

It’s funny, but as a Giants fan almost from birth — I can’t stretch it quite that far since they were still in New York when I was born — I always felt willing to argue passionately that no one was better than Mays.

And yet…

It was Willie Mac who fired my adrenaline.

FROM THE first time I ever saw him in the batter’s box, McCovey gave me shivers of excitement.

He was so...

Ominous?

My friend John Mayberry, who played first base in Kansas City at a time when I was covering the Royals, held McCovey in such awe that — since John was almost the same size — he copied Mac’s swing, right down to those few terrifying swishes of the bat while awaiting a pitch.

John also witnessed something truly stunning at the beginning of his career, when he was a Houston prospect and got called up for a few weeks in September.

“We were in the Astrodome then,” John said. “When Willie Mac came up, I’m playing first base and I swear, I couldn’t get deep enough.

“But instead of killing me before I had chance to have a career, Willie hit a pop-up that was so high, we were all hurting our necks looking up for it.

“And then, this is the truth, the ball hit the damn roof of the dome. I mean, Willie Mac done hit the ROOF!”

I DON’T want to turn these columns into regular chapters from a book on Willie McCovey (The Boss is a Cubs fan, if you can believe that), but there actually was a point to mentioning McCovey today.

You may have missed the quick reference, but last Sunday’s story was the first of two parts.

So, if you’re as fascinated by McCovey as the mail seems to indicate, I wanted to give y’all a heads-up on Part II.

It’s about the last half-inning of the 1962 World Series — and, yeah, I can see some of you nodding your heads.

Besides doing some PR work on my own stuff today, though, I also wanted to ask a question.

I hope this one will generate more mail — and I’d be shocked if it didn’t.

OK, I’VE confessed to being a Giants fan for most of my life (not counting teams I’ve covered professionally, like the Royals for many years or the rebuilding Mariners now).

I also know we have a pretty large contingent of former Californians in North Idaho, so here’s my question...

Where are all you Dodgers fans?

Surely there are boatloads of Southern California immigrants lurking around here.

So talk to me, folks!

Hey, I’m not THAT closed-minded about “Dem Bums.”

Or even the hated Rams.

Well, maybe a little, but for decade after decade, you had the golden tones of Vin Scully to save you.

We don’t want to go totally crazy with this California stuff — look, you left for a reason — but if you’ve got a story, please share it.

And yeah, if you want to ignore the West entirely and just drool over the Cubbies, I’m sure The Boss will be pleased.

But the Yankees or Cardinals?

Nah.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. “Moments, Memories and Madness,” his reminiscences from several decades as a sports journalist, runs each Sunday.

Steve also writes Zags Tracker, a commentary on Gonzaga basketball, once per month during the off season.