Dodgers great Davey Lopes
Baseball mourned the loss of Dodgers legend Davey Lopes at age 80; he was a key member of the iconic 1973–81 infield and finished his career with 557 steals and two National League stolen‑base titles. Lopes also won a Gold Glove in 1978, and his passing prompted widespread remembrance across MLB social channels. (x.com)
Davey Lopes didn’t just steal 557 bases in the major leagues; he stole them at an 83 percent success rate, which is better than Rickey Henderson’s 80.8 percent and Lou Brock’s 75.3 percent. He died on April 8 at age 80, and the reaction across baseball was immediate because that kind of efficiency is why players and coaches still talk about him like a template, not just a memory. (mlb.com) For most fans, Lopes is tied to one of the most recognizable Dodgers groups ever: the infield with Steve Garvey at first base, Bill Russell at shortstop, and Ron Cey at third base. That foursome started together in 833 games for Los Angeles, which Major League Baseball says is an infield record recorded by the Elias Sports Bureau. (mlb.com) Lopes was not a one-tool player who only ran fast. Baseball-Reference lists him with 155 home runs, 1,671 hits, 1,023 runs, a.263 batting average, and 42.4 wins above replacement, which is the kind of all-around total that explains four All-Star selections from 1978 through 1981. (baseball-reference.com) His best stealing season came in 1975, when he led the majors with 77 stolen bases. In that same season, Major League Baseball says he stole 38 straight bases without being caught, which stood as a major league record until Vince Coleman broke it in 1988. (mlb.com) He also gave the Dodgers power from second base, which is not where teams usually get it. Major League Baseball notes that his 28 home runs in 1979 are still second only to Jeff Kent’s 29 in 2005 for a primary Dodgers second baseman. (mlb.com) The Dodgers trusted him enough to name him the fifth captain in franchise history in 1977. That was during a stretch when Los Angeles reached the World Series in 1974, 1977, 1978, and finally won it in 1981, with Lopes at second base for all four trips. (mlb.com) His glove mattered too, not just his legs. Lopes won the National League Gold Glove Award at second base in 1978, which fit the way he played: quick first step, clean hands, and almost no wasted movement around the bag. (baseball-reference.com) The career was longer than many people remember because it did not end when he left the Dodgers after 1981. He played 16 major league seasons with the Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and Houston Astros, then spent nearly 30 more years coaching or managing with clubs including the Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, and Dodgers. (mlb.com) That coaching run included another championship when he was the first-base coach and baserunning instructor for the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies. So when teams and former players started posting tributes this week, they weren’t just remembering a star from the 1970s; they were remembering someone whose fingerprints were still on modern baserunning a generation later. (mlb.com)
