Rhode Island Baseball Great Davey Lopes Has Died

Rhode Island baseball great Davey Lopes died Wednesday.

"The Dodgers mourn the loss of Davey Lopes, who passed away today at age 80," the Los Angeles Dodgers posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

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"Lopes was a member of the team’s record-setting infield of the 1970s and 1980s and one of the finest basestealers in MLB history," the post said. "Our condolences go out to his family and friends."

Lopes was born in East Providence and attended La Salle Academy in Providence, where he was all-state in baseball and basketball, according to the Society for American Baseball Research.

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Lopes was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 1967 but elected to remain at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. He was drafted by the Dodgers the following year and made his Major League debut Sept. 22, 1972.

Lopes went on to become a four-time All-Star, 1981 World Series champion and 1978 Gold Glover.

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"Along with Steve Garvey, Bill Russell, and Ron Cey, Lopes was part of the historic homegrown Dodgers infield quartet which played together from 1973-81," Major League Baseball posted on X.

"He twice led the NL in stolen bases and finished with 557 career steals, which still stands 26th all-time," the post said.

"Arguably the best second baseman in Los Angeles Dodgers history, Davey Lopes’s playing career is loaded with noteworthy achievements," the Society for American Baseball Research said.

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Lopes also played for the Oakland A's, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros. He managed the Milwaukee Brewers from 2000 to 2002.

The Davey Lopes Recreation Center in Providence was named after him in 1988, according to the Society for American Baseball Research.

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