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Obama Pardons Giants Great Willie McCovey's Tax Fraud Conviction

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- San Francisco Giants Hall of Famer Willie McCovey is among those who have received a pardon from President Barack Obama, days before the end of his presidency.

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McCovey, along with fellow Hall of Famer Duke Snider, was convicted of tax evasion in 1995 for failing to report earnings generated by autograph sessions and memorabilia shows. He was fined and received two years' probation after pleading guilty to the charges.

Snider died in 2011.

The 79-year-old McCovey was among the 273 comutations and pardons announced by the President Tuesday.

Nicknamed "Stretch" for his height and range at 1st base, McCovey spent 18 of his 22 major league seasons with the Giants and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.

He is among the most revered former Giants in team history, with a statue of him outside AT&T Park, a cove named for him beyond the ballpark's right field, and the team's annual Willie Mac Award given for leadership and inspirational play.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story also incorrectly stated that Duke Snider was also pardoned, based on published reports. We regret the error.

 


Carlos E. Castañeda is Senior Editor, News & Social Media for CBS San Francisco and a San Francisco native. You can follow him on Twitter or send him an email.

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