Remembering Davey Lopes — The Man Who Made Things Happen

Some players wait for the game to come to them. Davey Lopes preferred to grab it by the collar, swipe second, and take third just to make a point.

Lopes, who passed away at the age of 80, carved out a remarkable 16-year major league career, most notably with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he became the engine at the top of the lineup during one of the franchise’s golden eras. A late arrival to the big leagues, debuting at 27, he played the game with a sense of urgency that suggested he had no time to waste.

And he didn’t.

Over his career, Lopes stole 557 bases, doing so with an efficiency that still ranks among the best the game has ever seen. In 1975, he rattled off 38 consecutive stolen bases without being caught, a streak that turned pressure into an art form. Pitchers rushed. Catchers guessed. Infields cheated. And Lopes kept running.

But to reduce him to speed alone would miss the full picture. He had surprising pop for a second baseman, belting 28 home runs in 1979, and was a key part of a Dodgers infield that became one of the most stable and successful units in baseball history alongside Steve Garvey, Bill Russell, and Ron Cey. Together, they weren’t just good, they were constant. In an era of roster turn over, they stayed, they produced, stayed some more, and they won.

Lopes earned four consecutive All Star selections from 1978 to 1981 and took home a Gold Glove in 1978. He also played a vital role in the Dodgers’ 1981 World Series championship, contributing both at the plate and, of course, on the bases, where his instincts often changed the rhythm of an entire game.

From a Mets vantage point, Lopes was the kind of opponent who never seemed to go away. Against the New York Mets, he hit .267 with 107 hits, 10 home runs, and 72 runs scored in 115 games. More than the numbers, it was the disruption, turning singles into doubles, doubles into headaches, that defined his presence.

After his playing career, Lopes stayed in the game for decades, passing along his knowledge as a coach with several clubs, including the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals. His fingerprints were all over some of the most efficient baserunning teams in modern baseball, a testament to a baseball mind that never stopped working.

His journey to the majors was anything but easy. Raised in Rhode Island in a large family with limited means, Lopes leaned on sports as both an outlet and a path forward. He carried that edge with him throughout his career, a quiet determination that eventually blossomed into leadership. Teammates respected him not because he demanded it, but because he earned it.

Davey Lopes didn’t just play the game, he affected it. Every time he reached base, something was about to happen.

And more often than not, it did.

R.I.P. 15