From 1973 to 1981, the Los Angeles Dodgers played a majority of their games with a starting infield consisting of four players: Steve Garvey at first base, Davey Lopes at second, Ron Cey at third, and Bill Russell at shortstop. Beginning on June 23, 1973, and lasting until Game 6 of the 1981 World Series, the quartet set a record in Major League Baseball for the length of time the same four players were designated as starters at those positions—eight-and-a-half years.
On June 13, 1973, the quartet of players, Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Ron Cey, and Bill Russell, played together for the first time as an infield, [1] Garvey having entered the game as a substitute in the fourth inning. [2] On June 23, against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium, they were the starting infield, and remained as such for a majority of Dodger games through the rest of the 1973 season, plus eight more seasons. [3] This longevity gave the quartet a record in Major League Baseball for the same four players designated as starters [lower-alpha 1] for the four infield positions. [3] [6] The identification of the best infield in the history of major league baseball is a perennial topic of discussion. [7] Most discussions focus on particular individual seasons, but the 1970s-era Dodgers players were the greatest as measured by their establishment of an objectively-measured accomplishment: the length of time they played together. [8]
The head scout for the Dodgers, Al Campanis, is credited with bringing the players to the team. [6] The group was put together by manager Walter Alston and third-base coach Tommy Lasorda and had been nurtured by coach Monty Basgall. [9] Garvey was the first baseman, Lopes played second base, while Russell played shortstop and Cey was at third base. Three of the players came to the Dodgers playing at different positions than the ones where they ended up. Initially, Russell and Lopes were both outfielders, while Garvey was a third baseman. [6] On Opening Day of the 1973 Dodgers season, Russell was the only one of the four to start. [5] [10]
With the Dodgers, the four players went on to record a total of 21 All-Star Game appearances while capturing four National League pennants and one World Series championship. [11] Garvey was a four-time Gold Glove recipient, and Lopes received it once. [12]
The last game the four players played together was the Dodgers' victory over the New York Yankees in Game 6 of the 1981 World Series at Yankee Stadium. [13] The longevity of the group is attributed to each of the players playing at their peak, the winning record of the Dodgers, and the similarity in temperament and age of each of the men. [9] According to writer Gary Kelin, "free agency and the sport's evolving financial structure make it improbable that any group will equal its longevity." [9] They are still known among Dodger fans as "The Infield", [14] while W. R. Bill Schroeder, writing in the Baseball Research Journal in 1980, described them as the "Durable Dodger Infield". [11] [15]
Garvey left for the San Diego Padres on a contract of $6.6 million over five years in the winter of 1983. He helped provide a veteran presence for the Padres in four full seasons, plus part of a fifth, with the team while also setting a record for most consecutive games played by a National League player in his first game back at Dodger Stadium. [16] [ failed verification ] His streak, which had begun in September 1975, lasted until 1983 at 1,207 games, which was third-longest in MLB history at the time. Lopes was sent away by the Dodgers before the 1982 season started due to a trade to the Oakland Athletics that gave rookie Steve Sax the chance to start at second base. The same happen to Cey, who was traded by the Dodgers to the Chicago Cubs in 1983. Russell's career with the Dodgers ended in 1986, having played all 17 years with the team, with his games played being second-most in franchise history and the most since the franchise moved to Los Angeles; he joined the team as a coach in 1994 before being hired to manage them in 1996, where he led them to one playoff appearance in three years.
The 1981 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1981 season. The 78th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the National League (NL) champion Los Angeles Dodgers. It marked their third Series meeting in five years and was their 11th overall Series meeting. The Dodgers won the Series in six games, as the Yankees had done in the teams' prior two Series meetings, in 1977 and 1978. This was the Dodgers' first title since 1965, their first victory over the Yankees since 1963, and third overall Series win over the Yankees.
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Steven Patrick Garvey is an American former professional baseball player and candidate in the upcoming 2024 United States Senate election in California. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1987.
Ronald Charles Cey, nicknamed "the Penguin", is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1971 through 1987, most notably as an integral member of the Los Angeles Dodgers teams that won four National League pennants and one World Series championship. A six-time All-Star, Cey was named the World Series MVP after leading the Dodgers to victory during the 1981 World Series. He ended his career playing for the Chicago Cubs and the Oakland Athletics. Cey was nicknamed "The Penguin" for his slow waddling running gait by his college coach, Chuck "Bobo" Brayton.
David Earl Lopes is an American former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He batted and threw right-handed. He played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and Houston Astros; he managed the Milwaukee Brewers.
William Ellis Russell is an American former shortstop, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. Russell played his entire 18-year, 2,181-game career with the Los Angeles Dodgers as the starting shortstop for four National League pennant winners and one World Series championship team. He also served as the team's manager from 1996 to 1998.
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The 1977 National League Championship Series was a best-of-five matchup between the West Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies. It was the ninth NLCS in all. The Dodgers beat the Phillies three games to one and went on to lose the 1977 World Series to the New York Yankees.
The 1978 National League Championship Series was a best-of-five matchup between the West Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies. It was the tenth ever NLCS and a rematch of the 1977 series between the same teams. The Dodgers beat the Phillies three games to one before they lost the World Series to the New York Yankees.
The 1981 National League Championship Series was a best-of-five series to end the 1981 National League season. It was the 13th NLCS in all. The series featured the first-half West Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the second-half East Division champion Montreal Expos. The Dodgers won the series three games to two over the Expos, thanks to a ninth-inning home run in Game 5 by Rick Monday in what has ever since been referred to as "Blue Monday" by Expos fans.
Romanus"Monty"Basgall was an American professional baseball player, manager, coach and scout. A former second baseman who appeared in 200 Major League Baseball games for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Basgall became a longtime member of the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization who served as the bench and infield coach for Hall of Fame managers Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda for 14 seasons (1973–86). During that time, he worked with four National League pennant winners, as well as the 1981 World Series-champion Dodgers. Basgall was born in Pfeifer, Kansas, graduated from high school there, and attended Sterling College.
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The 1978 season ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers winning their second straight National League pennant and losing to the New York Yankees in the World Series again. Dodger coach Jim Gilliam died at the end of the season and his uniform number, 19, was retired by the team prior to Game 1 of the World Series; the team also wore a black memorial patch with Gilliam's number during the World Series. Unlike the previous Dodger team, no member of the team hit 30 home runs after seeing four members hit that mark the previous season.
The 1977 Los Angeles Dodgers season saw Tommy Lasorda in his first full season at the helm of the Dodgers, replacing longtime manager Walter Alston as manager of the team near the end of the previous season. The Dodgers won the National League West by 10 games and defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in four games in the NLCS, then lost to the New York Yankees in the World Series. This edition of the Dodgers featured the first quartet of teammates that hit 30 or more home runs: Steve Garvey with 33, Reggie Smith with 32, and Dusty Baker and Ron Cey, who both hit 30. The Dodgers duplicated this feat again 20 years later in 1997.
The 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League West by four games over the Cincinnati Reds, then beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLCS before losing to the Oakland Athletics in the World Series.
The 1973 Los Angeles Dodgers finished the season in second place in the National League West with a record of 95–66.
The 1969 Los Angeles Dodgers finished in fourth place in the new National League West, eight games behind the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers' record for 1969 was 85–77, which was nine wins better than 1968.
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