From 1973 to 1981, theLos Angeles Dodgers played a majority of their games with a startinginfield consisting of four players:Steve Garvey atfirst base,Davey Lopes atsecond,Ron Cey atthird, andBill Russell atshortstop. Beginning on June 23, 1973, and lasting untilGame 6 of the 1981 World Series, the quartet set a record inMajor League Baseball for the length of time the same four players were designated as starters at those positions—eight-and-a-half years.
On June 13, 1973, the quartet of players,Steve Garvey,Davey Lopes,Ron Cey, andBill Russell, played together for the first time as aninfield,[1] Garvey having entered the game as a substitute in the fourth inning.[2] On June 23, against theCincinnati Reds atDodger Stadium, they were the starting infield, and remained as such for a majority of Dodger games through the rest of the 1973 season, plus eight more seasons.[3] This longevity gave the quartet a record inMajor League Baseball for the same four players designated as starters[a] for the four infield positions.[3][6] The identification of the best infield in the history of major league baseball is a perennial topic of discussion.[7] Most discussions focus on particular individual seasons, but the 1970s-era Dodgers players were the greatest as measured by their establishment of an objectively-measured accomplishment: the length of time they played together.[8]
The head scout for the Dodgers,Al Campanis, is credited with bringing the players to the team.[6] The group was put together by managerWalter Alston andthird-base coachTommy Lasorda and had been nurtured by coachMonty Basgall.[9] Garvey was thefirst baseman, Lopes playedsecond base, while Russell playedshortstop and Cey was atthird base. Three of the players came to the Dodgers playing at different positions than the ones where they ended up. Initially, Russell and Lopes were both outfielders, while Garvey was a third baseman.[6] OnOpening Day of the1973 Dodgers season, Russell was the only one of the four to start.[5][10]
With the Dodgers, the four players went on to record a total of 21All-Star Game appearances while capturing fourNational League pennants and oneWorld Series championship.[11] Garvey was a four-timeGold Glove recipient, and Lopes received it once.[12]
The last game the four players played together was the Dodgers' victory over theNew York Yankees inGame 6 of the1981 World Series atYankee Stadium.[13] The longevity of the group is attributed to each of the players playing at their peak, the winning record of the Dodgers, and the similarity in temperament and age of each of the men.[9] According to writer Gary Kelin, "free agency and the sport's evolving financial structure make it improbable that any group will equal its longevity."[9] They are still known amongDodger fans as "The Infield",[14] while W. R. Bill Schroeder, writing in theBaseball Research Journal in 1980, described them as the "Durable Dodger Infield".[11][15]
Garvey left for theSan Diego Padres on a contract of $6.6 million over five years in the winter of 1983. He helped provide a veteran presence for the Padres in four full seasons, plus part of a fifth, with the team while also setting a record formost consecutive games played by aNational League player in his first game back atDodger Stadium.[16][failed verification] His streak, which had begun in September 1975, lasted until 1983 at 1,207 games, which was third-longest in MLB history at the time. Lopes was sent away by the Dodgers before the 1982 season started due to a trade to theOakland Athletics that gave rookieSteve Sax the chance to start at second base. The same happened to Cey, who was traded by the Dodgers to theChicago Cubs in 1983. Russell's career with the Dodgers ended in 1986, having played all 17 years with the team, with his games played being second-most in franchise history and the most since the franchise moved to Los Angeles; he joined the team as a coach in 1994 before being hired to manage them in 1996, where he led them to one playoff appearance in three years.