Who was Davey Lopes? Dodgers great, four-time All-Star dies aged 80

Davep Lopes, a four-time MLB All-Star who had spent over four decades with Major League Baseball, passed away at age 80.

Lopes, best known for his base-stealing talent in the MLB, played for the Los Angeles Dodgers for most of his career, which spanned over 16 years.

The Los Angeles Dodgers issued a statement on Wednesday, April 8, announcing his death: “The Dodgers mourn the loss of Davey Lopes, who passed away today at age 80.

"Lopes was a member of the team’s record-setting infield of the 1970s and 1980s and one of the finest base stealers in MLB history.”

Who was MLB legend Davey Lopes?

Lopes was a slow starter in terms of debut age, playing his first game for the Dodgers when he turned 27 in 1972.

Lopes secured one World Series during his time in Los Angeles, as he was part of the 1981 squad that took the crown.

Lopes also had stints with the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and Houston Astros after leaving the Dodgers and continued playing until he reached 42.

In total, Lopes made 1,139 appearances at second base for the Los Angeles Dodgers; he played 833 games with the other three, an MLB record for a position player.

After he hung up his boots, Lopes kept himself indulged with the MLB, serving as bench coach for the Texas Rangers from 1989-91.

As manager of Milwaukee Brewers, Lopes held that post from 2000-02, going 144-195 in those three seasons before being sacked.

He returned to the Padres as their first base coach before holding the same role with the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies.

Lopes eventually retired from his coaching career in 2017 after spending half of his life in the MLB, leaving his mark on American baseball.