It’s embarrassing to say – but I had never been to McCovey’s Restaurant – until this weekend. That’s when I made my first visit to one of the best sports-themed restaurants anywhere – certainly equal to Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant in New York.
McCovey's Restaurant in Walnut Creek, California.
The Walnut Creek eatery is a shrine to the San Francisco Giants – and their Hall of Fame first baseman, Willie McCovey, who has surrounded the booths with authentic jerseys of All-Star players mostly from his era and beyond.
The McCovey All-Stars
Note the Jackie Robinson (#42) jersey above, along with three players who all made #14 famous: Vida Blue of the Giants, Ernie Banks of the Cubs and Pete Rose of the Reds. This place is a must for baseball fans – and even if you don’t appreciate the world’s greatest game, you will love the food: house-smoked BBQ baby back ribs, grilled fish tacos, burgers, hot dogs and a wide variety of salads.
Best of all, I got to meet owner Rocky Dudum, who told me the story of how he first met Willie McCovey in 1958 when the Giants had just moved to San Francisco. 
- Rocky Dudum, Owner of McCovey’s Restaurant
Rocky was a furniture manufacturer and provided many of the players with couches, beds and sofas for their homes. Rocky became good friends with Willie McCovey and ended up mentoring the young star on the ways of the world. Rocky would later open and run the restaurant honoring the San Francisco great.
McCovey’s was the perfect place to eat lunch with my friend Paul Hirsch, a director with the Society for American Baseball Research.
Paul Hirsch of SABR
Paul is a rabid Dodger fan, but no one razzed him at McCovey’s, where baseball fans can feel welcome, no matter what team they root for.
Next on the agenda was a book signing at Barnes & Noble in Walnut Creek, where I got to see long time friends Marty Gonzalez, Tom Stilwell and Sydnie Kohara.
Tom Stilwell worked with me in the KNTV newsroom 2006-2009
Sydnie Kohara, my former colleague from KCRA
It was a fun event and we ended up selling every copy of Baseball Between Us in the store. Next up is a book signing at Pomona College in Claremont, California on April 28th.
