David Earl “Davey” Lopes was an American Major League Baseball second baseman, coach, and manager whose blend of blazing speed, on-field intelligence, and clubhouse leadership made him one of the defining figures of Los Angeles Dodgers baseball in the 1970s and 1980s.

Born on May 3, 1945, in East Providence, Rhode Island, Davey was one of ten children in a family of Cape Verdean and Irish descent. His father died when he was still a toddler, and the family grew up in difficult circumstances in a tenement, living on relief and his mother’s modest wages as a domestic worker. Sports became both his refuge and his way forward. His life was transformed by coach Michael Sarkesian, who became a father figure and guided him from high school at La Salle Academy in Providence through college baseball at Iowa Wesleyan and later Washburn University in Kansas, where he also played basketball.

A Dodger Legend

After being drafted but declining to sign with the San Francisco Giants in 1967, Davey signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968. He spent three seasons at Triple-A under manager Tommy Lasorda, who converted him from an outfielder into a second baseman and pushed him to grow out of his reserved nature and into a leader. At age 27, he made his MLB debut on September 22, 1972.

From 1973 onward, Davey anchored one of the most celebrated infields in baseball history alongside Steve Garvey at first, Bill Russell at shortstop, and Ron Cey at third — a unit that stayed together for eight and a half consecutive seasons, the longest continuous infield in major league history. In 1977 he was named the fifth team captain in Dodgers franchise history, following Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, Maury Wills, and Willie Davis.

The Fastest Man on the Basepaths

Lopes was one of the most effective base stealers the modern game has ever seen. In 1975, he set a Major League record by stealing 38 consecutive bases without being caught, breaking a 53-year-old mark held by Max Carey. He led the National League in stolen bases in both 1975 (with 77) and 1976 (with 63). His career success rate of 83.01% — 557 steals in 671 attempts — remains one of the highest in history among players with 400 or more career stolen bases.

He was a four-time consecutive All-Star from 1978 through 1981, and in 1980 he received the most votes of any player in the All-Star Game. He won the 1978 Gold Glove at second base and hit a career-high 28 home runs in 1979 — a rare combination of speed and power for his position. The pinnacle came in 1981, when the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to win the World Series, with Davey stealing four bases in the Series and ten in the postseason as a whole without ever being caught.

A Second Act in the Game

After leaving the Dodgers in 1982, he continued his playing career with the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and Houston Astros, retiring at the end of the 1987 season at age 42 after still stealing 47 bases at age 40. He finished with 557 career stolen bases, 155 home runs, 614 RBIs, and 1,671 hits across 16 major league seasons.

Davey then began a long second career as a coach and manager. He managed the Milwaukee Brewers from 2000 to 2002 and served as a coach for the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies, and Los Angeles Dodgers. As first-base coach of the Philadelphia Phillies from 2007 to 2010, he helped guide a team that led all of Major League Baseball in stolen-base percentage in each of his three seasons there — including the best mark in MLB history in 2007 — and won his second World Series ring in 2008. He returned to the Dodgers from 2011 to 2015 before closing out his career with the Nationals in 2017, spending 45 years in professional baseball.

Legacy

A recreation center in Providence, Rhode Island, bears his name. His 418 career steals in Dodger blue rank second in franchise history, behind only Maury Wills, and he holds the team record for most games played at second base (1,134) and is second in games batting leadoff. Beyond the statistics, teammates and opponents alike remembered his fierce competitiveness, his willingness to speak hard truths when the team needed to hear them, and the quiet dignity with which he carried himself.

Davey Lopes died on April 8, 2026, at a hospital in his hometown of East Providence, Rhode Island, at the age of 80, after living with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. He is survived by his brothers Patrick and John and his sisters Jean, Judith, Mary, and Nina. His speed changed the rhythm of the game; his leadership left a deeper mark on everyone who played beside him.