Davey Lopes

Davey Lopes
Los Angeles Dodgers – No. 15
Second baseman/Manager/Coach
Born: May 3, 1945 (1945-05-03) East Providence, Rhode Island
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 22, 1972 for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Last MLB appearance
October 4, 1987 for the Houston Astros
Career statistics
Batting average	.263
Home runs	155
Runs batted in	614
Stolen bases	557
Teams
As player Los Angeles Dodgers (1972–1981) Oakland Athletics (1982–1984) Chicago Cubs (1984–1986) Houston Astros (1986–1987) As manager Milwaukee Brewers (2000–2002) As coach Baltimore Orioles (1992–1994) San Diego Padres (1995–1999), (2003–2005) Washington Nationals (2006) Philadelphia Phillies (2007–2010) Los Angeles Dodgers (2011–present)
Career highlights and awards
4× All-Star selection (1978, 1979, 1980, 1981) 2× World Series champion (1981, 2008) Gold Glove Award winner (1978)

David Earle Lopes ( /ˈloʊps/; born May 3, 1945 in East Providence, Rhode Island) is a former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He batted and threw right-handed. He is currently the first base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He is of Cape Verdean descent.

Career

Playing

In a 16-season career, Lopes posted a .263 batting average with 155 home runs and 614 runs batted in in 1,812 games played.

Lopes spent nine seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers as their regular second baseman. Along with Steve Garvey (1B), Bill Russell (SS) and Ron Cey (3B), they formed the longest running infield in baseball history, which stayed together for eight and a half seasons.^{[citation needed]}

Used in the leadoff role most of his career, Lopes has been one of the most effective base stealers in baseball's modern era.^{[citation needed]} His 557 career stolen bases rank 25th all-time as of 2010, but his success rate of 83.01% (557 steals in only 671 attempts) ranks 3rd-best all time among players with 400 or more career stolen bases (behind Tim Raines and Willie Wilson). In 1975, Lopes stole 38 consecutive bases without getting caught, breaking a 53-year-old record set by Max Carey. Lopes' record was later broken by Vince Coleman in 1989. Lopes led the National League with 77 steals in 1975, and again with 63 the following season.

A rare blend of speed and power, Lopes hit a career-high 28 home runs in 1979, becoming one of only seven second basemen in NL history to have hit that many home runs in a season (Rogers Hornsby, Davey Johnson, Jeff Kent, Ryne Sandberg, Juan Samuel and Chase Utley are the others). He also hit 17 twice (1978 and 1983), appeared in four consecutive All-Star games from 1978–81, played in one Division Series, six NLCS and four World Series, including as a member of the 1981 World Champion Dodgers. Arguably Lopes' best World Series was against the Yankees in 1978, when he hit three home runs and seven RBIs.

Before the 1982 season, the Dodgers sent Lopes to the Oakland Athletics to make room for rookie second baseman Steve Sax, breaking up the longest playing infield in history who had been starters since 1974. With Oakland, Lopes teamed with Rickey Henderson to steal 158 bases, setting a new record for teammates. Henderson collected 130, Lopes 28. After that, Lopes also played with the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros. He stole 47 bases at the age of forty and 35 at forty-one, before retiring at the end of the 1987 season.

Coaching

Following his retirement as a player, Lopes coached for several teams, including stints as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers and first base coach for the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals. Lopes was hired as the Brewer's manager under Bud Selig's recommendation of hiring a manager with a minority background. He initially energized the team, which featured a high-powered offense although pitching woes and Lopes's own risky style of game management led to losing seasons.^{[citation needed]} Tired of the Brewers' continued poor performance and Lopes's media and field antics,^{[citation needed]} club management fired him as manager after 15 games into the 2002 season.

First base coaching

Drawing upon his experience as a proficient base-stealer during his time as a player, Lopes contribution as the Phillies first-base coach has been praised by players and coaches alike.^{[citation needed]} He is known for his careful observation of the opposing pitcher and how he times the pitches with a stop-watch.^{[citation needed]} Runners rely heavily on his judgement when determining the optimal pitch to steal second or third base on.^{[citation needed]}

In each of his Lopes' three seasons with the Phillies, the team led the majors in stolen base percentage, including the best in MLB history in 2007 – 87.9% (138-for-157). They finished second or third in total steals each of those seasons.

On November 22, 2010 he was named the first base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Managerial records

Team	Year	Regular Season				Post Season
		Won	Lost	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
MIL	2000	73	89	.451	3rd in NL Central	–	–	–	–
MIL	2001	68	94	.420	4th in NL Central	–	–	–	–
MIL	2002	3	12	.200	6th in NL Central	–	–	–	(fired)
Total		144	195	.425

Statistics

Career hitting

G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
1,812	6,354	1,671	232	50	155	1,023	614	557	833	852	.263	.349	.388	.737

Controversy

In 2001 Lopes was the target of controversy following statements he made regarding stolen-base king Rickey Henderson. Managing a game for the Milwaukee Brewers, Lopes was enraged that Henderson had stolen second base in the seventh inning, while Henderson's Padres held a seven-run lead. Lopes said that this violated an unwritten rule against "showing up" the opposing team. Lopes was quoted, "He was going on his ass. We were going to drill him." Henderson withdrew from the game as a result.

Personal life

Lopes was diagnosed with prostate cancer following a routine physical in February, 2008.

Highlights

• 4-time All-Star (1978–1981)
• First in the All-Star Game vote (1980)
• NL Gold Glove Award (1978)
• Twice led NL in stolen bases (1975–76)
• His career 557 stolen bases ranks him 24th in All-Time list
• Ranks sixth in All-Time list with an 83.01% stolen base success rate
• Ranks second in Dodgers history with 413 steals behind Maury Wills (490)
• In the 1978 World Series against the Yankees, hit two home runs and drove in five runs in Game One, and added another HR in the sixth and final game.
• Stole five bases in the 1981 NLCS
• Stole four bases in the 1981 World Series
• Set a NLCS record (since broken) with eight career stolen bases
• Tied an NL record (since broken) with five stolen bases in a game (1974)

Feats

• On August 20, 1974, Lopes set a club record (since broken by Shawn Green) with 15 total bases in a Dodgers 18–8 victory against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Lopes hit three home runs, a double and a single, as Los Angeles totaled 48 bases, also a team record.

• In 1975, Lopes set a MLB record by stealing 38 consecutive bases without getting caught, breaking a 53-year old mark set by Max Carey. Lopes' record was broken by Vince Coleman in 1989.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball stolen base records
• List of NL Gold Glove Winners at Second Base
• List of major league players with 500 stolen bases
• List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
• List of Major League Baseball stolen base champions

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
• Baseball Library
• The Baseball Page
• San Diego Padres
• Davey Lopes Los Angeles Dodgers Online
• Providence RI Recreation Facility named in honor of Davey Lopes
• Philadelphia Phillies Bio

Sporting positions
Preceded by Curt Motton	Baltimore Orioles First Base coach 1992–1994	Succeeded by Jerry Royster
Preceded by Dan Radison	San Diego Padres First Base coach 1995–1999	Succeeded by Alan Trammell
Preceded by Phil Garner	Milwaukee Brewers Manager 2000–2002	Succeeded by Jerry Royster
Preceded by Alan Trammell	San Diego Padres First Base coach 2003–2005	Succeeded by Tye Waller
Preceded by Don Buford	Washington Nationals First Base coach 2006	Succeeded by Jerry Morales
Preceded by Marc Bombard	Philadelphia Phillies First Base coach 2007–2010	Succeeded by Sam Perlozzo
Preceded by Mariano Duncan	Los Angeles Dodgers First Base Coach 2011–present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Lou Brock	National League Stolen Base Champion 1975–1976	Succeeded by Frank Taveras