Davey Lopes, Dodgers star and elite base stealer, dies at 80
Davey Lopes, a four-time Major League Baseball All-Star and one of the game's premier base stealers, has died at age 80. The Los Angeles Dodgers confirmed his death in a statement released Wednesday. Lopes spent most of his 16-year playing career with the Dodgers.
Lopes debuted with the Dodgers at age 27 in 1972 and remained until 1981, contributing to their 1981 World Series championship. He anchored second base alongside first baseman Steve Garvey, third baseman Ron Cey and shortstop Bill Russell, forming an infield that played 833 games together—an MLB record according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Lopes stole 557 bases in his career, ranking 26th all-time, and led the National League in 1975 with 77 and in 1976 with 63. That year, he set a major league record with 38 consecutive steals without being caught, later surpassed by Vince Coleman. He won a Gold Glove at second base in 1978 and finished with a .263 batting average, 1,671 hits, 155 home runs and 614 RBI over 1,812 games.
After retiring, Lopes coached for 45 straight years, including as bench coach for the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres, manager of the Milwaukee Brewers from 2000-02 and first base coach for the Padres, Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies until his retirement in 2017.