Ron Cey
The squatty third baseman in the longest running infield in baseball history, Ron Cey was nicknamed "The Penguin." He hit 20 or more homers 10 times, and drove in 100 runs twice. In 1981 he earned a share of the World Series MVP as the Dodgers finally defeated the Yankees to win the championship. Cey hit 316 career homers and at the time of his trade to the Cubs he held the record for most homers by a Dodger in LA.
Played For
Los Angeles Dodgers (1971-1982)
Chicago Cubs (1983-1986)
Oakland Athletics (1987)
All-Time Rankings
Ron Cey ranks #23 among the Top 50 all-time at 3B. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1979
The Dodgers lost the division title to the Reds, but Cey wasn't the reason. He posted a .499 SLG mark and a .389 OBP. His performances in 1975, 1976 and 1981 were very similar.
Factoids
According to retrosheet, in the 10 years that they have data, Cey had a .531 slugging percentage against lefties and .428 versus righties. Over that same stretch Cey blasted the Cincinnati Reds for a .316, 14 homers, 38 RBI, and a .648 SLG in 55 games.
Born
Ronald Charles Cey was born on February 15, 1948, in Tacoma, WA.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: 3B
Primary Team: LAN
College: Washington State
Major League Debut
September 3, 1971
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1971
Chris Speier
Chris Chambliss
Ron Cey
George Hendrick
Dave Kingman
Jon Matlack
Doyle Alexander
Cecil Cooper
Darrell Porter
Nicknames
Penguin
Cey received the nickname "Penguin" while he was in the Dodgers' minor league organization.
Similar Players
None
Related Players
Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1993 |
BBWAA |
8 |
1.9% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1974 National League Championship Series
1974 World Series
1977 National League Championship Series
1977 World Series
1978 National League Championship Series
1978 World Series
1981 National League Championship Series
1981 World Series
1984 National League Championship Series
Awards and Honors
1981 ML WS MVP
Home Run Facts
Cey belted 316 home runs, 210 of which came against RHP, and 106 off lefties. He hit 166 at home and 150 on the road. He slugged seven grand slams, 47 three-run homers, and 87 two-run blasts, while he hit 175 solo shots; 17 times he blasted two Hr in one game, but he never hit three in a contest. He actually hit one inside-the-park homer, in 1983 for the Cubs. Cey hit home runs in 15 different ballpraks, and his first dinger came off Mike Caldwell on September 26, 1972.
Matchup Data
Cey performed well against Tom Seaver, belting eiught homers off the right-hander during his career, and posting a slugging average over .500 against him.
All-Star Selections
1974 NL
1975 NL
1976 NL
1977 NL
1978 NL
1979 NL
Best Strength as a Player
Power
Largest Weakness as a Player
Baserunning
Learn More about Ron Cey
RBI - Cey
In April 1977, Cey set a NL record when he drove in 29 runs. His hot start helped the Dodgers bolt to a 17-3 record under rookie manager Tommy Lasorda. In 1985, Dale Murphy tied Cey's RBI mark and in 1994 Andres Galarraga broke it. Cey finished the '77 season with a career-high 110 RBI, despite a .450 SLG percentage, one of the lower marks of his prime years.
Four x 30
On the last day of the 1977 season Dusty Baker hit his 30th home run. He joined Cey (30), Steve Garvey (33) and Reggie Smith (32) on the Dodgers with 30 or more homers. The 1977 Dodgers were the first team to have four men reach 30 dingers
Learn More about Ron Cey
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View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
