Davey Lopes (1945–2026): Speedster, Scholar, and Mentor

Davey Lopes was my first favourite ballplayer. On reflection, I’m undecided how my eight-year-old self settled upon Lopes in a star-laden lineup that includes energy hitters Dusty Baker, Ron Cey, Steve Garvey, and Reggie Smith, who the yr earlier than (1977) had grow to be the primary quartet of teammates to homer 30 instances apiece in a season. I’ve a a lot better grasp of how Invoice James helped my teenage self recognize Lopes for his mixture of excessive on-base and stolen base charges with mid-range energy, however James wasn’t speaking these concepts by way of mass-market paperbacks circa 1978. Maybe it was Lopes’ place atop the lineup I memorized whereas studying to decode field scores (my idea) or the Topps baseball card set that started my assortment. Possibly it was merely his immediately recognizable, bushy mustache (my associates’ idea), however a technique or one other, even earlier than later heroes equivalent to Fernando Valenzuela and Jim Bouton, Lopes was my man.

The information that Lopes handed away on April 8 at age 80 as a result of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s ailments — a brutal double invoice — reached me whereas I used to be touring in Austria with my very own 84-year-old mother and father and extra household as we tracked down the Vienna addresses of my long-deceased paternal grandparents. I had no scarcity of ideas concerning mortality, and but the hits stored coming. Lopes wasn’t even the newest former All-Star-second-baseman-turned-manager to move away, as Phil Garner, his Nationwide League rival after which predecessor in managing the Brewers, died of pancreatic most cancers on April 11. So it goes.

Although he didn’t debut till effectively previous his twenty seventh birthday, Lopes spent 16 seasons within the majors (1972-87), the primary 10 with the Dodgers, whom he helped to 4 pennants and a championship whereas making 4 All-Star groups, successful a Gold Glove, and turning into group captain. From 1973–81, he manned the keystone in the longest working infield in main league historical past, together with Garvey at first base, Cey at third, and Invoice Russell at shortstop — a unit that shaped the muse of these pennant-winning groups underneath managers Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda. “He was the catalyst of the engine. It was 700 horsepower with the 4 of us, and the equation was his capability to get on base,” Garvey informed CBS LA within the wake of Lopes’ dying.

Lopes was greatest generally known as an elite base thief, main the NL in stolen bases in 1975 and ’76 and setting a significant league file with 38 consecutive profitable steals within the former season, throughout which he swiped 77 bases in 89 makes an attempt. Mentored by Maury Wills, who returned the stolen base to prominence by stealing 104 bases en path to the NL MVP award in 1962, Lopes developed what many considered the sport’s greatest eye for studying pitchers’ strikes to the plate. He described basestealing as “psychological warfare” and drew limitless quantities of pickoff throws, every one presenting one other alternative to review a pitcher’s tendencies. “Davey Lopes was essentially the most severe participant I lined in any sport,” former Dodgers beat reporter Chris Mortenson informed creator Jason Turbow for They Bled Blue, a 2019 e book about Los Angeles’ championship-winning 1981 group.

Lopes stole 40 or extra bases in a season seven instances; in six of these, he was caught 12 instances or fewer. In 1985, his age-40 season, he stole 47 bases for the Cubs — 10 greater than every other participant that age or older — whereas being caught simply 4 instances. His profession whole of 557 stolen bases ranks twenty sixth all time, whereas his 83% success fee ranks third amongst gamers with a minimum of 500 makes an attempt since 1920:

Incomplete knowledge earlier than 1920 prevents us from positioning early stolen base kings equivalent to Ty Cobb, Max Carey, and Eddie Collins inside this context, and Lopes’ fee slips to ninth in case you decrease the bar to 300 makes an attempt, however the level is that he dealt in quantity and effectivity. By Baseball Reference’s baserunning runs measure — which additionally accounts for additional bases taken — he’s fifth amongst that post-1920 set at 83 runs above common, whereas FanGraphs’ numbers place him 18th at 68.4 runs above common, fewer than 10 runs out of eighth place.

For his profession, Lopes hit .263/.349/.388 (107 OPS+) with 1,671 hits, 155 homers, 42.4 bWAR, and 36.3 JAWS, numbers that by themselves don’t fee severe consideration for the Corridor of Fame (he acquired simply two votes in his lone BBWAA poll look in 1993), however his contributions hardly stopped there. Certainly, he was the first-base-coach analogue of Johnny Sain, the well-traveled and much-revered former All-Star who carved an outsized area of interest as an iconoclastic pitching coach. Lopes spent 27 seasons on workers for the Rangers, Orioles, Padres, Nationals, Phillies, and Dodgers, interrupted by two seasons and alter because the supervisor of the Brewers (2000–02); in all, he spent 49 seasons in skilled baseball. He was significantly profitable in Philadelphia, the place he coached 4 straight division winners, together with one with a record-setting stolen base success fee (87.9% in 2007), one which gained a World Collection (2008), and one other that gained an NL pennant (2009). After that run, Dodgers normal supervisor Ned Colletti recruited him to return to L.A. “Davey Lopes reworked teaching at first base,” Colletti informed the Los Angeles Occasions after Lopes’ dying. “His situational consciousness and intricacy of teaching first base was one of the best I’ve ever watched. He modified a training place and the way it was executed — base working, secondary leads, pitch tipping, slicing your steps from first to 3rd.”

Jayson Werth, who stole 60 bases in 68 makes an attempt throughout Lopes’ 4 yr with the Phillies, mentioned, “I would go so far as to say he’s one of the best [first base coach] within the historical past of baseball. Now that isn’t very effectively researched, in fact. However the way in which he transfers data to gamers is superb.”

David Earl Lopes was born on Could 3, 1945 in East Windfall, Rhode Island, and grew up in South Windfall. His father, a local of Cape Verde, died when he was two years previous, and a stepfather got here and went, leaving his mom, Mary Rose Sylvia, to lift 10 kids on her wage as a home employee. Lopes as soon as described his childhood environment to Los Angeles Occasions columnist Jim Murray as “roaches, rats, poor dwelling situations, medicine as prevalent as sweet, tenement homes with six to a room, welfare, meals stamps.”

“If it hadn’t been for sports activities, there’s no telling what I’d be or the place I’d be,” Lopes informed the Los Angeles Occasions’ Ross Newhan in 1973. “All I needed to do was step off the porch to a selection of all of the belongings you affiliate with a ghetto… medicine, vice, stealing.” He admitted to shoplifting garments, baseballs, and bats as a youth, however a minimum of sports activities gave him “one thing to do… a technique to take out my frustrations.” He started taking part in Little League in Windfall’s Fox Level neighborhood, and used the identical glove till he reached highschool. At La Salle Academy, he earned all-state honors in each baseball and basketball, the latter regardless of maxing out at a listed 5-foot-9 and 170 kilos within the majors.

Between his measurement, his grim environment, and the Northeast’s brief taking part in season, Lopes didn’t draw the eye of scouts or harbor goals of taking part in professionally after graduating in 1963. Nonetheless, he caught the attention of Hope Excessive College coach Michael Sarkesian, a rival who would grow to be a mentor to him. When Sarkesian grew to become the athletic director at Iowa Wesleyan College, he introduced in Lopes on a baseball scholarship; he earned NAIA All-American honors there, and when Sarkesian moved to Washburn College in Topeka, Kansas, Lopes went alongside and performed each basketball and baseball, hitting .380 and slugging .793 with 9 homers in 1967. “No matter I missed by not likely having a father, Sarkesian offered,” Lopes informed Newhan. “He might relate to my issues, my surroundings. The drive, the willpower to not give in to the ghetto, to make one thing of my life, stems from my relations with him.”

The Giants chosen Lopes within the eighth spherical of the June 1967 novice draft, however he opted to return to Washburn to proceed his schooling. The Dodgers then selected him within the second spherical of the January 1968 draft, a now-bygone secondary section for earlier draftees who hadn’t signed. He was at the forefront of what emerged as the best draft haul within the sport’s historical past. The group moreover selected and signed pitcher Geoff Zahn within the sixth spherical of that section, then, within the main June draft, added infielder Bobby Valentine (first spherical), first baseman Invoice Buckner (second spherical), outfielders Tom Paciorek (fifth spherical) and Joe Ferguson (eighth spherical), and pitcher Doyle Alexander (ninth spherical). Within the secondary section of the June draft, the Dodgers chosen Garvey (first spherical) and Cey (third spherical). All would go on to substantial main league careers save for Valentine (whose profession was derailed accidents), totaling 23 All-Star appearances and 234.8 bWAR amongst them, in response to MLB.com’s Jim Callis.

Whereas Lopes signed for a $10,000 bonus, he didn’t attend spring coaching in Vero Seaside in both 1968 or ’69. With the group’s blessing, he completed his classwork earlier than reporting to A-level Daytona Seaside in each years, additional slowing his progress at a degree when he was already among the many league’s oldest gamers, however permitting him to earn his bachelor’s diploma in elementary schooling. Throughout spring coaching in 1970, Lopes caught the attention of Lasorda, then Triple-A Spokane’s supervisor, when he legged out a triple on what ought to have been a spot double. Lasorda determined he needed the speedster at Spokane, later saying, “He had actually run into my life.”

Lopes completely performed the outfield in A-ball, however at Spokane, the place he joined a number of fellow 1968 picks, Lasorda requested him to study second base. Lopes balked and threatened to give up, solely to have the supervisor name his bluff. “Possibly they’ll allow you to play outfield on the thread manufacturing unit group,” Lasorda informed Lopes, who started infield classes underneath coach Monty Basgall. “Davey had horrible palms — horrible — and he couldn’t make the double play,” recalled Basgall in 1977. He was extra impressed by Lopes’ vary, robust arm, and the velocity with which he discovered the place as soon as he set his thoughts to it.

Basgall moreover tutored Garvey, a former third baseman, and Russell, a former outfielder, at studying new positions, exemplifying an organizational precept that Department Rickey termed “coconut snatching.” If the Dodgers believed a participant might hit main league pitching, they moved him across the diamond to discover a positional match, bearing the defensive penalties.

Lopes hit .262/.339/.382 however stole simply 11 bases in 100 video games in 1970, although the powerhouse Spokane group went 94-52 and gained the Pacific Coast League championship. He improved to .306/.383/.433 with six house runs and 36 stolen bases for Spokane in 1971 whereas taking part in 58 video games within the outfield and 41 at second base, up from three the yr earlier than, and started to shed his shyness. “It took two years [at Spokane],” noticed Lasorda, “however he lastly bought to the purpose the place he felt he belonged.”

The Dodgers transferred their Triple-A affiliate from Spokane to Albuquerque after the 1971 season, and Lopes, now coming into his age-27 season, went alongside. He hit .317/.411/.476 with 11 homers and 48 steals in 104 video games within the high-altitude, high-offense surroundings (the Dukes scored 6.09 runs per sport) whereas taking part in 96 video games at second, 13 within the outfield, and even two at shortstop. In late September, after serving to the Dukes win the PCL championship, he joined the Dodgers, who have been en path to an 85-70 file and a third-place end within the NL West. The group had cycled by means of a succession of second basemen, with Jim Lefebvre, Valentine, Lee Lacy, and Billy Grabarkewitz all spending uninterrupted-but-largely-undistinguished stretches as regulars. After Lacy’s season ended as a result of a knee harm, Lopes debuted on September 22, 1972, batting leadoff and going 0-for-5 in an 11-inning, 1-0 win towards the Giants; additionally within the lineup for the primary time that yr was the 24-year-old Cey, who took over at third base. Lopes drew three walks in 5 plate appearances the following day, notching his first steal after a first-inning stroll towards Ron Bryant. On September 24, he collected his first two hits with singles off the Giants’ Jim Barr, and he remained atop the lineup for the remainder of the season, batting .214/.327/.310 with 4 stolen bases in 49 plate appearances.

Regardless of Lopes’ robust spring in 1973, Lacy reclaimed the second base job. Lopes batted simply 4 instances in the course of the group’s first 16 video games, however with Lacy beginning slowly, the 2 swapped spots, as Lopes joined a beginning infield that included Buckner at first base, Russell at shortstop, and Cey at third. Lopes was so scorching within the early going that his batting common crested at .388 after a 4-for-7 sport towards the Braves on Could 19. In the meantime, Garvey, who had struggled with throwing as a 3rd baseman in 1971–72, tried out left area earlier than winding up on the bench. Within the second sport of a June 23 doubleheader towards the Reds, Alston wrote Garvey in as the primary baseman and moved Buckner — who had recommended the place swap, recalling the teammates’ time at Albuquerque in 1969 — to left area. It was the debut of the Longest Working Infield, although it took Alston a few weeks to completely decide to a unit that spent eight and a half seasons collectively. Lopes hit .275/.352/.351 (100 OPS+) with 36 steals in 52 makes an attempt, in addition to six homers — the primary a two-run shot off the Giants’ Barr on Could 13 — and three.5 WAR. He completed sixth within the NL Rookie of the Yr voting. The Dodgers went 95-66 however completed 3 1/2 video games behind the Reds.

In 1974, Lopes improved to .266/.350/.383 (109 OPS+) with 10 homers and 59 steals (in 77 makes an attempt), half the full of Lou Brock in his record-setting season. On August 20, Lopes homered 3 times and went 5-for-6 in an 18-8 blowout towards the Cubs at Wrigley Subject; 4 days later, he tied a 70-year-old NL file with 5 steals in a sport towards the Cardinals. With Garvey hitting his approach into the NL All-Star lineup after which successful the league’s MVP award, and large seasons from heart fielder Jimmy Wynn, starters Andy Messersmith and Don Sutton, and rubber-armed reliever Mike Marshall, the Dodgers gained 102 video games, making the playoffs for the primary time since 1966. They proceeded to beat the Pirates three video games to at least one within the best-of-five Nationwide League Championship Collection, with Lopes getting on base 9 instances and stealing three baggage, however fell to the defending champion A’s in a five-game World Collection, the place Lopes went simply 2-for-18.

From 1975–79, Lopes hit a mixed .267/.359/.401 whereas averaging 14 house runs, 55 stolen bases (and simply eight instances caught), and 4.6 WAR. The primary of these seasons was his greatest by way of WAR (5.3), fueled by 77 steals, 91 walks, and 108 runs scored; he even spent a number of weeks filling in at heart area (with Lacy at second) when Alston juggled the lineup whereas Buckner was injured. From June 10 by means of August 24, Lopes stole 38 straight bases with out being caught, breaking Carey’s mark of 36 straight from 1922–23; the Expos’ Gary Carter threw him out within the twelfth inning of a sport after Lopes had already stolen safely 3 times. “He’s one of the best there’s at stealing,” mentioned Reds catcher Johnny Bench, who caught Lopes simply twice in 10 stolen base makes an attempt in 1975. “Lopes not solely has the data and velocity, but in addition the short acceleration. He has every part.”

Alas, the Dodgers couldn’t catch Bench and the Huge Purple Machine in both 1975 or ’76, because the group completed a distant second within the NL West each instances. Regardless of being restricted to 117 video games as a result of accidents in 1976, Lopes stole a league-leading 63 bases in 73 makes an attempt, however his season was in any other case a subpar one offensively, as he managed simply 4 homers and a 94 OPS+. He started to emerge as a group chief, at one level admonishing Baker, who’d arrived in a commerce from the Braves, for overthrowing the cutoff man. “We don’t play that approach,” Lopes informed the newcomer, who protested that the play had been shut. When Lopes reiterated his stance, “I regarded up and the entire group was coming over to again up Davey,” recalled Baker.

Although Lopes stole “solely” 47 bases in 59 makes an attempt in 1977 — the Dodgers’ first season underneath Lasorda, with Alston having retired after 24 seasons on the helm — he rebounded to set new highs with 11 homers and a 110 OPS+. Pushed by the 4 30-homer sluggers and a deep rotation led by Sutton and Tommy John, the Dodgers constructed a 10-game lead within the NL West by the primary week of Could, and took the division with a 98-64 file. They beat the Phillies in a four-game NLCS, with Lopes serving to to gasoline a three-run ninth-inning rally in Sport 3 whereas exemplifying how velocity put strain on the opposing protection. He drove within the tying run by legging out a deflected infield single off Gene Garber, then scored the go-ahead run after an error on a pickoff play and a Russell single. Although he hit a two-run homer off the Yankees’ Ron Guidry in Sport 4 of the World Collection, he went simply 4-for-24 because the Dodgers fell in six video games.

The Dodgers named Lopes group captain in 1978, after Lasorda informed proprietor Peter O’Malley that he’d already been functioning within the function in an unofficial capability. He made his first All-Star group at age 33 and confirmed extra energy than ever, homering 17 instances whereas batting .278/.355/.421 (118 OPS+), stealing 45 bases in 49 makes an attempt, and successful his solely Gold Glove. He caught hearth within the postseason, batting .341/.370/.750 with 5 homers and 12 RBI in one other four-game NLCS win over the Phillies and six-game World Collection loss to the Yankees. He homered and picked up three hits in every of the primary two video games of the NLCS, driving in three of the Dodgers’ 4 runs in Sport 2 with a solo homer, an RBI single, and an RBI triple.

Sadly, that scorching streak was tinged with disappointment. On September 15, longtime Dodgers player-turned-coach Jim Gilliam suffered an enormous cerebral hemorrhage and slipped right into a coma. He died on October 8, the day after the NLCS ended. After Lopes homered twice and drove in 5 runs within the World Collection opener, he devoted his efficiency to Gilliam, whom he referred to as “a father, buddy, and locker room inspiration.” The Yankees, nonetheless, apparently misinterpreted his pointing on the sky in tribute to Gilliam throughout his second journey across the bases as a “we’re primary” gesture, stoking their ire. Whereas the Dodgers took the primary two video games, they misplaced the final 4, although Lopes scored 4 of the group’s eight runs in these losses.

In January 1979, Lopes signed a five-year extension by means of the 1984 season, value someplace within the neighborhood of $2 million. That yr, he was voted into the NL All-Star lineup for the primary of three straight instances, ending Morgan’s run of seven consecutive begins. Not solely did Lopes set new highs with 97 walks, 109 runs, and a 128 OPS+ (.265/.372/.464), however his 28 homers — together with a walk-off grand slam towards the Cubs on September 2 — tied Garvey and Cey for the group lead. Even so, the Dodgers completed 79-83 as their pitching collapsed.

They returned to rivalry in 1980, dropping out on a playoff spot as a result of a Sport 163 tiebreaker loss to the Astros, however the subsequent yr, they gained the “first half” NL West title earlier than a seven-week gamers’ strike. Whereas followers nonetheless anointed Lopes to All-Star standing, age caught up with him and his offense waned. He hit simply .251/.321/.344 (87 OPS+) with 10 homers in 1980, and a dismal .206/.289/.285 (66 OPS+) with 5 homers in ’81, throughout which he performed simply 58 video games as a result of ankle and groin accidents; he did go 20-for-22 in steals that season. In August 1981, when Lopes’ groin pressure sidelined him, the Dodgers referred to as up 21-year-old Steve Sax straight from Double-A San Antonio for a glimpse of their future. Mixing in kids like slugger Pedro Guerrero and rookie pitching sensation Valenzuela, the Dodgers gained 5 straight elimination video games towards the Astros within the Division Collection and the Expos within the NLCS earlier than beating the Yankees in a six-game World Collection. Lopes hit simply .233/.324/.267 within the postseason and set a World Collection file with six errors, although he additionally set a postseason file with 10 stolen bases (with out being caught), and regarded rather more like his youthful self whereas scoring 5 runs within the closing 4 video games of the World Collection. “They will do something they need with us now,” mentioned Lopes after the Dodgers gained their first championship since 1965. “I’ve bought the ring. They will’t take that away from me.”

That championship was the swan tune for the Longest Working Infield. On February 8, 1982, Lopes was traded to the A’s after he and agent Tony Attanasio negotiated a $150,000 buyout of his no-trade clause. The Dodgers, who acquired 19-year-old infielder Lance Hudson within the deal, included money to assist defray the $1.3 million remaining on Lopes’ contract.

A part of the attract accepting the commerce was Oakland supervisor Billy Martin’s love of the working sport, although there was some query as as to if Lopes would hit second behind leadoff man Henderson, who had already led the AL in steals twice in three seasons. The A’s went simply 68-94 underneath Martin (who bought the axe), however Henderson broke Brock’s single-season file with a whopping 130 steals. Lopes, typically batting sixth or seventh, managed 28 himself however only a 90 OPS+. He rebounded in 1983 (17 homers, 22 steals, 116 OPS+, 2.8 WAR), after which Invoice James, in his annual Baseball Summary, referred to as him “an amazing proportion participant, a multi-dimensional participant [who] might loosely be described as a Nationwide League Amos Otis or a lower-class Joe Morgan.”

Sadly for Lopes, the A’s signed the 40-year-old Morgan, an Oakland native, as a free agent forward of the 1984 season; Lopes moved right into a utility function that included extra time within the outfield than the infield. He fared effectively in that capability, and on August 31, was traded to the Cubs, reuniting him with Cey on a group certain for its first postseason look since 1945 — although he performed sparingly. Within the NLCS, the Cubs misplaced to a Padres group led by Garvey, who gained collection MVP honors, with previous Yankees nemeses Graig Nettles and Wealthy Gossage additionally in key roles.

Earlier than submitting at no cost company, Lopes agreed to return to the Cubs on a two-year deal value slightly below $1 million, masking his age-40 and age-41 seasons. “Though I didn’t get to play a lot, I might see all of the optimistic issues being achieved,” he mentioned upon re-signing. Now virtually completely an outfielder, he put collectively a formidable marketing campaign in 1985, hitting .284/.383/.444 (122 OPS+) with 11 homers, 47 steals in simply 51 makes an attempt, and 1.8 WAR. He was efficient, if not as aggressive, in 1986, stealing 22 bases in 59 video games earlier than being traded to the playoff-bound Astros on July 21. With Houston, he once more performed sparingly each within the common season and in a dropping trigger towards the Mets the NLCS.

Within the spring of 1987, Lopes served as a baserunning teacher for the Astros underneath supervisor Hal Lanier, a preview of his profession as a coach. Age and accidents restricted him to only 56 plate appearances, and after the season he retired. He started his profession as a primary base coach on Valentine’s Rangers workers in 1988, and after a four-year run there, he joined the Orioles, for whom he spent three years (1992–94) on the workers of one other former Dodgers teammate, Johnny Oates. After that, he spent 5 seasons (1995–99) underneath supervisor Bruce Bochy in San Diego, serving to the Padres win the NL West in each 1996 and ’98, with a pennant (however a World Collection loss to the Yankees) within the latter season.

Throughout this time, Lopes interviewed for a number of managerial openings however all the time got here up brief. With commissioner Bud Selig directing groups to think about minority candidates for managerial jobs, Lopes lastly landed one within the fall of 1999, because the Brewers (then guided by Wendy Selig-Prieb, the commissioner’s daughter) selected him over Willie Randolph. It was not a plum place, as Milwaukee was coming off six consecutive sub-.500 seasons underneath Garner and was about to lose important income as a result of building delays prevented the group from transferring into Miller Park for the 2000 season. With the sport’s eighth-lowest Opening Day payroll ($35.8 million) and a dearth of expertise, the undermanned group went 73-89 in 2000, after which — after a 38-34 begin — simply 68-94 in 2001, Miller Park’s inaugural season.

Amid a second-half skid, on July 29, 2001, with the Brewers down 12-5 towards the Padres, Henderson — by that time San Diego’s 42-year-old leadoff hitter — stole second base with a seven-run lead. Although the play was later dominated defensive indifference, Lopes took umbrage at what he felt was a violation of the unwritten guidelines, threatening Henderson with retribution. “I simply informed him to remain within the sport as a result of he was happening his ass. We have been going to drill him, flat out,” Lopes mentioned afterwards. Bochy eliminated Henderson earlier than that would occur; Lopes drew a two-game suspension, and was additional chastened when the Elias Sports activities Bureau counted seven instances that he himself stole whereas up a minimum of seven runs. Oops.

When the Brewers began the 2002 season 3-12, Lopes mercifully was fired. He returned to the Padres (with no arduous emotions, apparently) from 2003–05 earlier than spending ’06 with the Nationals after which becoming a member of the Phillies. Led by Rollins (41-for-47), Shane Victorino (37-for-41), and Michael Bourn (18-for-19), the group stole 138 bases whereas being caught simply 19 instances, for an 87.9% success fee, the best in main league historical past to that time. By the tip of his run, the championship-winning 2008 group (84.5%) ranked second and the ’10 group fourth (83.7%), although with the 2023 introduction of the pitch clock, disengagement rule, and greater bases, an entire host of groups has matched or surpassed these charges. The 2007 Phillies now rank third, behind the 2025 and ’23 Mets (89.1% and 88.7%, respectively), whereas the ’08 group was bumped all the way in which right down to sixteenth.

Lopes, who survived a bout of prostate most cancers in 2008, moved on to the Dodgers (2011–15) and again to the Nationals (2016–17), teaching previous his 72nd birthday. Whereas in Washington, he helped develop Trea Turner into one other high-percentage base thief who would later win stolen base titles in 2018 and ’21 and go 30-for-30 in ’23. “He’d have a look at me [at first base] and say, ‘Why are you continue to standing right here?’” Turner informed the Philadelphia Inquirer in 2023. “He was old-school… Not a variety of numbers or something. Simply pure confidence… having him in my ear and saying, ‘Simply belief it and go,’ was form of a change of tempo.”

Lately, as his well being challenges elevated, Lopes moved again to Rhode Island. South Windfall devoted a recreation heart in his title in 1988, however Lopes nonetheless bore scars from the shortage of recognition he acquired for coming from “the fallacious facet of the tracks.” Inside baseball, nonetheless, his legacy as a participant, coach, mentor, and scholar of the sport is endlessly protected.