Davey Lopes
After a late start, Davey Lopes starred as the second baseman in the famous 1970s Los Angeles Dodgers' infield, adding a nice blend of speed and power. Used in the leadoff role most of his career, he was one of the best base stealers of all-time, retiring with more than 550 swipes at a success rate of 83%. When Steve Sax came along, the Dodgers discarded Lopes but he stayed in the majors for six more years, stealing 47 bases at the age of 39.
Played For
Los Angeles Dodgers (1972-1981)
Oakland Athletics (1982-1984)
Chicago Cubs (1984-1986)
Houston Astros (1986-1987)
Managed
Milwaukee Brewers (2000-2002)
All-Time Rankings
Davey Lopes ranks #24 among the Top 50 all-time at 2B. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1979
With third baseman Ron Cey having one of his best seasons, and Lopes having a power-packed year, it's a wonder the Dodgers failed to win their third straight division crown. Lopes hit 28 homers, which was 11 more than he would ever hit in any other year. He also stole 44 bases in 48 tries.
Factoids
Davey Lopes rarely wore batting gloves during his career, but he almost always put on gloves when he reached base.
In the span of a week in 1974, Davey Lopes showed how multi-faceted he was offensively. On August 20, he hit three homers against the Cubs in Wrigley. On August 24, he stole five bases against the Cardinals in St. Louis, tying a major league record.
At the age of 39 and 40, Davey Lopes stole 47 and 25 bases respectively - both are major league records for a player that age.
Most Game-Ending Grand Slams
Alex Rodriguez... 3
Vern Stephens... 3
Cy Williams... 3
Bob Aspromonte... 2
Albert Belle... 2
Bobby Bonds... 2
Steve Finley... 2
Ruppert Jones... 2
Ralph Kiner... 2
Davey Lopes... 2
Mark McGwire... 2
Jim Presley... 2
Nomar Garciaparra... 2
David Eckstein... 2
Where He Played
On June 23, 1973, in the second game of a doubleheader, the Dodgers played Steve Garvey at first base, Lopes at second, Bill Russell at shortstop and Ron Cey at third base for the first time. Eight years later the quartet fueled the "Big Blue Wrecking Crew" to the World Series championship. In between, Los Angeles won more than 60% of it's games and made the post-season four times.
Born
David Earl Lopes was born on May 3, 1945, in East Providence, RI.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: 2B
Primary Team: LAN
College: Washburn
Major League Debut
September 22, 1972
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1972
Dwight Evans
Buddy Bell
Mike Schmidt
Bob Boone
Gary Matthews
Davey Lopes
Goose Gossage
Rick Reuschel
Garry Maddox
Related Players
Steve Garvey, Bill Russell and Ron Cey, Steve Sax, Joe Morgan
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1993 |
BBWAA |
2 |
.5% |
|
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 Division Playoffs
1981 World Series
1981 National League Championship Series
1984 National League Championship Series
1986 National League Championship Series
Post-Season Notes
In Game One of the 1978 World Series against the Yankees, in Dodger Stadium, Lopes had his biggest game. He blasted two homers and drove in five runs in LA's 11-5 victory.
Awards and Honors
1978 NL Gold Glove
Feats
In 1975, Lopes stole 38 bases in a row without being caught, setting a major league record.
Batting Feats
- August 20, 1974: 15 Total Bases...
Notes
With the A's in 1982, Lopes teamed with Rickey Henderson to steal 158 bases, a new record for teammates. Henderson got 130 bags, Lopes nabbed 28.
Hitting Streaks
18 games (1979)
15 games (1980)
All-Star Selections
1978 NL
1979 NL
1980 NL
1981 NL
Learn More about Davey Lopes
Search Amazon.com for Books about Davey Lopes ⇒
Search for Davey Lopes at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
