Davey Lopes, a four-time All-Star second baseman and key member of the Los Angeles Dodgers' famed 1970s infield, has died at the age of 80. The Dodgers announced his passing on Wednesday. Lopes was one of baseball's greatest basestealers and later had a long coaching career.
The Los Angeles Dodgers mourned the loss of Davey Lopes, who passed away on Wednesday. Lopes played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1972 to 1987, spending his first 10 years with the Dodgers. He was part of the team's 1981 World Series championship squad and formed the longest-tenured infield in MLB history alongside Steve Garvey, Ron Cey and Bill Russell, playing 1,139 games together from 1973 to 1981, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Named the fifth captain in Dodgers history in 1977, Lopes helped the team reach the World Series in 1974, 1977, 1978 and 1981, winning the last one over the New York Yankees. During the 1981 series, he reached base nine times and stole four bases successfully. Lopes led the majors with 77 stolen bases in 1975, setting an MLB record with 38 consecutive steals that year, and paced the National League with 63 the next season. Over his career, he swiped 557 bases at an 83% success rate, ranking 26th all-time. A .263 hitter with 155 home runs, Lopes earned four straight All-Star nods from 1978 to 1981, won a Gold Glove in 1978 and posted 42.4 WAR per Baseball-Reference. After stints with the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros, he retired following the 1987 season. Lopes transitioned to coaching from 1988 to 2017, managing the Milwaukee Brewers from 2000 to 2002 with a 144-195 record. He also coached for the Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies — including their 2008 World Series winners — San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals, spanning nearly 45 years in the majors as player, coach or manager.
