For the Hall of Fame: Steve Garvey
A Curious Process
Induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame has been a matter of controversy since its inception in 1936. Some of the greatest of all time have not received unanimous votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). The mindset or motivation of the writers is a perpetual mystery. For such a numbers-driven sport, one would think the decision-making process would be easy: meet a certain threshold and you are in easily. But times change. Parameters change. Social mores get redefined. In recent years, scandals have come to light after a player retires and that appears to be an increasing factor in the votes.
Many players who might be considered the best of their era are kept out for a variety of reasons. In recent years, controversy has surrounded the issue of performance enhancing drugs. Some writers refuse to vote for any player who has admitted to using or have very credible accusations against them. Undoubtedly, there are inductees who have used PEDs. Writers have recently quit the organization and given up voting because they were fed up with the process.
The standards for induction have become as clear as mud. The negative effect of this continued turmoil is that some players get lost in the drama. One of those is first baseman Steve Garvey, former Dodger and Padre. For a 15-year period, he was considered one of the best of his era.
Over his career, Garvey hit .294, compile 2,599 hits, win four Gold Gloves, became a 10 time All Star, NL MVP, two-time NLCS MVP, and played in five World Series with two different organizations. He even set the National League record for consecutive games played. During his time with the Dodgers, they finished in second place nine times.
Get the Vote Out
Garvey was first on the Hall of Fame ballot in December 1992, finishing with 42% of the vote. Up to that point, any player who reached 40% or better on their first ballot, eventually was voted into the HOF, usually within a decade of that first vote. There was no such luck for Garvey. He was on the ballot for 15 years without being elected. Now it is up to the “Eras Committee,” which was previously known as the Veterans Committee.
It is important to note that in the years just prior to the first vote, rumblings began surfacing about Garvey’s private life. Infidelity, bigamy, and child neglect were just some of the accusations. It was ugly stuff. Some believe this played a role in future votes. Because of Garvey’s image as the “All American Boy,” this especially hurt.
Born to Play
Garvey was raised in Tampa, an only child and son of a bus driver. His parents had relocated down to Florida from Long Island. The Brooklyn Dodgers had spring training at Vero Beach on the east coast of the state. But they would travel to the Tampa area for spring games. Steve’s dad, a Greyhound employee, was their bus driver. So, whenever they came to Tampa, the young Garvey got to be their bat boy. The future Dodger icon rubbed shoulders, literally, with some of the biggest names in the history of the game.
The young Garvey would go on to be two sport star in high school and that acumen led to a tough choice: accept an offer from the Minnesota Twins or go to Michigan State as two sport athlete. He chose MSU, playing defensive back and third base. His skills at the plate were already evident by his junior year but his defensive weakness at third base was a concern to scouts.
In 1968, the Dodgers took Garvey in the 1st round (secondary phase) of the draft. He immediately left MSU and headed for Utah to play A ball. By 1969, he was at Albuquerque for AA. His .373 average and 14 homers got him called up in September to the big club where he got three at bats. The following year, 1970, he started in Los Angeles, but a weak start got him sent to Spokane for AAA ball. Due to a football injury, his throwing arm was weak and very often erratic, not ideal for third base. He was back in L.A. by September and would stay there, though very often in a platoon role at 1B and 3B. Six-time Gold Glove winner Wes Parker was their regular 1B.
Field of Blues
With Parker entrenched at first, Garvey would spend the next four seasons struggling at 3B (191 games), along with 79 games at 1B, a sprinkling of games in the outfield and one at 2B. Between 1970 through the 1973 season, Garvey committed 66 errors. In ’72, he had 28, playing in 88 games, mostly at 3B. In the offseason, his fortunes changed dramatically, Parker retired unexpectedly. Walter Alston did not immediately hand over the position to the anxious Garvey. He would platoon with the lefthanded Bill Buckner. During the ’73 season, he was able to play 76 games at 1B; his fieldling percentage rose to .993. Then before the ’74 season, Buckner volunteered to play leftfield to get Garvey in the lineup every day. A star was born.
The Iron Man
1974 would be the beginnings of Steve Garvey, all-star first baseman. It was almost like his career had hit the restart button. He not only would become an everyday player but would win the All-Star MVP (as a write in), Regular Season MVP, his first Gold Glove, and lead the Dodgers to the World Series. L.A. would lose to the Oakland A’s in five games. But something special had started for the Dodgers and Garvey. The legendary infield of Ron Cey (3B), Bill Russell (SS), Davey Lopes (2B) and Garvey would stay together for nearly nine years. Garvey finished with a .312 batting average, exactly 200 hits, 21 homers, 111 RBIs and a .342 on base percentage.
Garvey would start the first 136 games in ’75, missing a couple of games late in the season. However, Garvey would be back in the lineup quickly to start a consecutive game streak that lasted until July 1983 when he was a Padre. He would set the National League record for consecutive games played with 1,207, which still stands today.
Falling Short
Despite winning 88 games in ’75, L.A. finished 20 games behind the Big Red Machine, which went on to win a legendary World Series. They would improve to 92 wins in ’76, but still fall short again to the Reds, finishing 10 games out. Garvey had very good years in the losing cause:
In a very odd coincidence, in both ’74 and ’76, he got exactly 200 hits. It would happen one more time during his career. How many times has that happened twice to any player, no less three times?
Wins, Losses and a Strike
The next five seasons would be some of the best of Garvey’s career, with big numbers, regular and postseason. For the Dodgers, it would be success and failure, and for MLB, a big problem.
Garvey picked up where he left off to start the ’77 season. L.A. was on a mission. Hope sprung during spring training that the Reds had run out of steam. Many of the writers had noted the growing strength of the Dodgers during the Reds’ two-year run. Most expected this year to be their big breakthrough and win a Series. The All Star first baseman held up his end of the deal over the next two seasons:
The club would reach the Series each year, only to lose to the hated Yankees both times in six games. Garvey did his part in both the NLCS and Series, hitting .316 in 79 at bats with 10 RBIs. Though in the ’78 World Series, he only hit .208 with 7 strikeouts.
The 1979 and ’80 seasons were disappointments as the Dodgers fell short, finishing in third and second place respectively. But Garvey remained consistent:
Long and Winding Road
Finally, in 1981 there was redemption, but not before significant drama for the entire game. The players’ union began a strike on June 12, 1981, and would last until August 1, 1981. Their main issue was the owners’ desire for compensation if they lose a player to free agency. Since a third of the season had already been played by the time the season resumed, MLB came up with a unique idea: first half winners and second half winners, along with expanded playoffs.
For the first time in MLB history, there would be a best of five Division Series as the 1st round. The Dodgers were in first place when the strike began. So, they would play the second half winner, the Astros, in the first round. L.A. would win 3–2. Garvey hit .358, with 2 homers and 4 RBIs.
They ended up playing a very good Montreal Expos team in the NLCS. But prevailed again, winning the series on the road, with Garvey getting six hits and a homer in the Series. Waiting for them were the New York Yankees, baseball’s evil empire. Despite dropping the first two games, L.A. rallied and won the next four. Garvey had 10 hits, 9 singles and a double, batting .417.
Much of the team had been together for nearly a decade, so the celebration was one of relief as well as joy. They had wiped the pain away of those losses in the 70s.
During the 110-game regular season, he had hit .283 with 64 RBIs and 10 HRs.
The 1982 season was a bit of drop off for Garvey, hitting only .282, though he kept his consecutive game streak alive once again, playing in all 162. Despite winning only 88 games, the Dodgers finished just one game behind the upstart Atlanta Braves.
A Fresh Start
Garvey became a free agent after the ’82 season, and the Padres outbid everyone for his services. San Diego had a young team and needed some accomplished vets to guide their talent. Future great Tony Gwynn was just in his second year. Eventually Graig Nettles and Rich Gossage from the Yankees would come over as well.
He started strong, but for the first time since his early playing days, the injury bug hit bad. Late in 1983, he broke his thumb. The streak had ended.
1984 would be a banner year for the Padres as they made their first World Series appearance. While Garvey’s offensive stats fell slightly, his leadership and defense helped lead the young team. Playing in 159 games, he went errorless. The NLCS provided Garvey an opportunity to make up for his lack of regular season hitting. He batted .400 with 8 hits and 7 RBIs, which helped San Diego overcome a 2-game deficit to beat the Cubs 3–2. This included a walk off home run in Game 4 against Hall of Famer Lee Smith. The Tigers would beat them five games to one in the World Series. But it was a year to remember for the city.
Over the next two seasons, Garvey would play in 162 and 155 games. At age 36 in 1985, he would manage 184 hits with 81 RBIs. But his body was finally giving in to age by 1987. He retired at the end of the season.
The fall in production was precipitous. Injuries and age had suddenly caught with him.
A Defensive Liability?
Early in his career, Garvey was a defensive liability. There is no doubt about that. Platooning at various positions, he struggled both in the minors and when he got to L.A. It was mostly due to his erratic throws. He played first base, second base, third base, left field and right field.
Once ensconced at first base in 1974, he became a defensive star as well. Four straight Gold Gloves followed. In career numbers, he holds his own against the great Keith Hernandez. In 2,059 games, Garvey had a .996 fielding percentage with 81 errors. Hernandez, in 2,014 games, had a .994 fielding percentage with 115 errors, all at first base. Had Steve been able to start his career at first base in 1970, one wonders how many Gold Gloves he would have won.
Seamhead Angst
Garvey’s advanced statistics can be tricky. Bill James, the father of sabermetrics, is a supporter of Steve’s candidacy. Though his saber numbers are low.
- Wins Above Replacement (WAR) — Garvey’s WAR number is low. In comparison to his contemporaries and other notable players before and after, he does not look good.
Chris Bodig, editor of Cooperstown Cred, has pointed out that one of the biggest reasons for Garvey’s low WAR was a lack of walks:
It’s not because he was an average fielder and base runner and it’s not because he couldn’t hit. It’s because he didn’t take a lot of walks. Garvey got 200 hits six times but only managed to reach base 250 times once in his 19-year career. From 1974–1986, not one other player could match Garvey’s six 200-hit seasons. However, during those same 13 seasons, 36 players reached base 250 times or more (via hit, walk or hit batter) two times or more.
Another factor was his position, first base. It is not as valued as centerfield or shortstop. That plays a big part in the calculation. Guys like Brooks Robinson and Ozzie Smith, playing at what are considered “tougher” positions, have much higher WARs, despite not having the offensive prowess of Garvey.
2. Wins Above Average
Another sabermetric area where Garvey shows weakness is Wins Above Average (WAA), which is part of the WAR calculation. WAA quantifies the performance of players (both pitchers and position players) in terms of wins contributed to the player’s team compared with an average performance. For example, if a player had a WAA of 8.2 for the season and an average player replaced him, it would mean eight fewer wins that seasons. It is hard to define “average player,” but like WAR, it refers to a top minor league replacement, a guy that would cost you very little.
The game was played differently in the 1970s and 80s. Managers and particularly minor league instructors taught the game differently to the players of that era. Skills that were important in 1975 are not as important today. Today, runs batted in is just treated as an ordinary stat. Skills like moving runners over are now deemed archaic. Garvey batted in the 4, 5 or 6th slot during his heyday with the Dodgers. His job was to drive in runs. He saw it as a mission; one he did very well.
Winning Does Matter
There are other factors that very often are overlooked when considered Hall of Fame induction: winning and the city in which they played.
Playing in New York, Philly, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles is tougher than other cities. This is not a slam on the fans or media, but a fact. Being successful in those markets means more and says a lot about the makeup of the player. To play well and have your team consistently win over a long period of time is a sign of value. If the player is also successful in the postseason, it shows a mental toughness that others may not have. Garvey did it all.
The Dodgers were consistent winners in Garvey’s era. From 1970 through 1982, the Dodgers averaged nearly 90 wins a season. They made four World Series. Very few organizations in that era came close to that. During an eight-year period, Garvey average 190 hits a season, won four Gold Gloves, an MVP and not missing a game in his final seven seasons with the club.
The mark of a great player is performing on the biggest stage. In 55 post season games, Garvey hit .338, with 75 hits 11 HRs, and 31 RBIs. He was the MVP of both the 1978 and 1984 NLCS. During the ’74 post season, Garvey got 15 hits in 39 at bats (NLCS and World Series). 10 years later, in his final postseason, 12 hits in 40 at bats. That is consistency. In just his second season with San Diego, the Padres won the NL West with 92 wins. The most in their history up to that point. Then he led a dramatic comeback over the Cubs in the NLCS. The man was clutch, a facet of his career that needs to be heavily considered when voting for the HOF.
While voters should never hold it against a player if they did not get postseason chances, post season performance should be factored if the vote is close. That is especially true in today’s game, when the postseason can include up to 20 games. Running up your stats in July is great. But getting 10 hits in a World Series means much more.
Closing Argument
Garvey’s stats are Hall of Fame worthy. He did what his team expected of him:
6 seasons with 200 or more hits
7 seasons with a .300 batting average or better
5 seasons with 100 or more RBI
Postseason accomplishments: .338 BA, 11 HR, 31 RBI, .910 OPS and MVP of 1978 & 1984 NLCS
Team success: 5 World Series. numerous second place finishes and averaging nearly 90 wins during his career.
Played 10 All-Star Games (NL won all): .393 BA, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1.255 OPS (two-time MVP)
1974 MVP; five times in the top six of N.L. MVP voting
1,207 consecutive games played.
Many today say his main problems were not walking enough or hitting enough homers; sorry, but over 2500 hits and 1300 RBIs is doing your job. He even holds a place on the list of best bunters with bases empty, reaching 82% for his career. Baseball is about consistency. That takes preparation. Garvey never shirked that responsibility.
Whether or not his personal life influenced the voting, we’ll never know. A man who regularly professed Christian values was shown to be a bit of hypocrite. There is no denying that. The U.S. Senate race will not help either.
But what happened between the lines is all that should matter. He treated his career as a duty. In his final two full seasons with San Diego, he played in 317 games out of a possible 324. He was in his late 30s. Garvey was a professional in every sense of the word. He honored the game through his dedication. The voters should honor him by election to the Hall of Fame.
“You’re blessed and honored to play this game; every minute of every day take the opportunity to play as long as you can.” — Steve Garvey
Sources
Articles:
Bodig, Chris. “Clean Slate: Steve Garvey Still Hoping for Hall of Fame Call.” Cooperstown Cred, November 19, 2019. www.cooperstowncred.com.
Donoho, Ron. “Best Defensive First Basemen in MLB History.” Stadium Talk, December 9, 2020. www.stadiumtalk.com.
Fimrite, Ron. “Seeing Red In Dodger Stadium.” Sports Illustrated, August 19, 1974. www.si.com.
Jones, Mike. “Why is Steve Garvey’s WAR so low?” Quora, 2019. www.quora.com.
Kragthorpe, Kurt. “Tommy Lasorda, Steve Garvey, Bill Buckner: All of their careers were launched in 1968 in Ogden.” The Salt Lake Tribune, July 24, 2018. www.sltrib.com.
McCarron, Anthony. “Steve Garvey’s All-Star story in 1974 writes itself as Dodgers great won spot thanks to write-in votes then took MVP honors.” New York Daily News, July 12, 2014. www.nydailynews.com.
Riccio, Karen. “Steve Garvey: Living Out His Dreams.” Data Center Knowledge, March 16, 2016. www.datacenterknowledge.com
Stalwick, Howie. “Love of the Game: A lifelong Spokane Indians fan looks back on his favorite summers.” Inlander, July 1, 2015. www.inlander.com.
Trachtman, Seth. “Players with the most home runs in postseason history.” Yardbarker, October 1, 2018. www.yardbarker.com.
Websites
- The Baseball Almanac
- Baseball-Reference.com
- MLB.com
- LADodgers.com
- SI.com
- LAWeekly.com
- thinkbluela.com
- Society For American Baseball Research
- True Blue L.A.
- L.A. Magazine
- cooperstowncred.com (highly recommended site; great HOF topics)
- stevegarvey.com
- datacenterknowledge.com
