Dodgers great Davey Lopes, an infield fixture and record-setting base stealer, dies at 80
Lopes holds the Dodgers' franchise record for most games played at second base with 1,134.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Davey Lopes, a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ record-setting infield of the 1970s and ‘80s and one of baseball’s premier base stealers, died Wednesday. He was 80. The Dodgers were informed of his death in Rhode Island by his former wife, Lin Lopes.
Lopes was a four-time All-Star during his 10 years with the Dodgers. He played in four World Series, winning the 1981 championship. He holds the franchise record for most games played at second base with 1,134.
His 1,145 games batting leadoff are second in the organization only to Maury Wills (1,279). Lopes was 27 years old when he made his MLB debut on Sept. 22, 1972.
The next season, Steve Garvey, Bill Russell, Ron Cey and Lopes began the first of 8 1/2 consecutive years starting together in the infield. Lopes established himself as one of the most prolific base stealers in baseball. He stole 418 bases as a Dodger, second-highest career total in franchise history behind Wills (490).