Up on the blog today, we add former Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star second baseman Davey Lopes to me 1977 "N.L. Centennial" special, celebrating the Senior League's 100th season the year prior, which was expressed with a specially designed patch worn by N.L. teams in 1976:
Lopes would go on to become a four-time All-Star who would lead the
league in stolen bases twice while topping 1000 runs scored, 550 stolen
bases and even hit 155 home runs, helping the Dodgers reach four World
Series, winning it all in 1981.
On occasion he’d also show some “pop”, as he did in arguably his finest
season in the big leagues when he hit 28 homers to go along with 44
stolen bases, 109 runs scored and 97 walks in 1979, starting the
All-Star game alongside his teammate Steve Garvey.
By the time he retired after the 1987 season, he finished with a .263
batting average, collecting 1671 hits over 6354 at-bats and 1812 games.
And to think, he didn’t play his first full season until the age of 28
in 1973. I never realized he got such a late start in his MLB career.