Dave Lopes R.I.P.

Dodger Great Dave Lopes R.I.P.

By David A. Avila

Dave Lopes, the long-time second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 1970s, died on Wednesday. He was 80 years old.

Though not very tall, Lopes had those thick thighs and could hit the high gear of speed faster than most as his 557 career stolen bases will attest.

The speedy Dodger second baseman was part of the Major League Baseball record-setting infield that stayed together for 883 games. Once Lopes became the regular second baseman for the team it began to win ball games and supplant the power Cincinnati Reds.

Speed was long a mainstay for the Dodgers ever since Branch Rickey, the Hall of Fame general manager, got involved with the team while in Brooklyn. It was Rickey who brought in Jackie Robinson to break the color barrier in 1947. Robinson also added his speed and from that point on Dodger teams always had a speed burner on its roster.

During the late 1950s Maury Wills led the team in steals and soon was joined by Willie Davis and Jim Gilliam. Those three Dodgers were a main component of the “Go-go Dodgers” of the early 1960s/ Their ability to manufacture runs with their speed along with great pitching led the Dodgers to the top of the standings throughout the 1960s.

But when Wills and Davis were traded the lack of speed by the Dodgers left a void. Then came Lopes in 1972 for a handful of games which saw him steal four bases in four attempts. The next year he was on the roster for good and he stole 36 bases. In 1974 he managed 77 steals and led the National League. The Dodgers also went to the World Series that year.

What I remember most is the day Lopes stole five bases in one game. He was a terror if he wanted to be. He set a record for stealing 38 consecutive bases without getting caught. He was a wizard at reading a pitchers moves. The record was later broken by Vince Coleman.

Lopes became the linchpin for the Dodgers who along with Steve Garvey, Bill Russell and Ron Cey became a regular scenario for Dodger teams and won the National League pennant four times. They won the World Series in 1981 against the New York Yankees.

Always steady in the infield it was common to see Lopes throw that quick sidearm throw to first base and snaring a hit grounder. His abilities offensively and defensively enabled him to be part of numerous All-Star squads during his career.

Lopes could always be counted on to perform during the World Series. He averaged .300 against the New York Yankees in 1977, 1978 and 1981. Of course he stole a total of eight bases, four alone in 81 when the Dodgers defeated the Yanks.

Later Lopes managed the Milwaukee Brewers from 2000 to 2002. He also coached for a variety of teams including the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals and the Dodgers.

Current Dodger manager Dave Roberts credits Lopes for his expertise in base stealing.