Steve Garvey

Former MLB first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres; 1974 NL MVP; 10-time All-Star; holds NL record for consecutive games played (1,207).

Steven Patrick Garvey (born December 22, 1948) is an American former professional baseball player who played first base in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1987.

Quick Facts

Position: First baseman
Born: 22 December 1948
Birthplace: Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Bats: Right
Debut league: MLB
Debut date: September 1
Debut year: 1969
Debut team: Los Angeles Dodgers

Lore & Background

Garvey began his major league career with the Dodgers in 1969. He won the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player Award in 1974 and was the National League Championship Series MVP in 1978. Garvey was also a member of the 1981 World Series-winning Dodgers. Garvey signed with the Padres in December 1982 and remained with the team until 1987. In 1984, Garvey was once again named a National League Championship Series MVP; he hit a dramatic walk-off home run to win Game Four of the Championship Series for the Padres. Garvey was a National League All-Star for ten seasons, with eight selections as starter at first base. He holds the NL record for consecutive games played with 1,207. The Padres retired Garvey's No. 6 in 1988. During his time as a baseball player, Garvey also served as vice president of the philanthropic organization No Greater Love.

Reader's Guide

Garvey was born in Tampa, Florida, on December 22, 1948, the only child of Mildred (Millie) Garvey and Joseph (Joe) Garvey. He is Irish-American on his father's side. From 1956 to 1961, Garvey was a batboy for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, and Detroit Tigers during spring training. He graduated from George D. Chamberlain High School in Tampa in 1966.

He played football and baseball at Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in health and physical education in 1971. Garvey was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1st round of the 1968 MLB draft. He made his Major League debut on September 1, 1969. He played third base for the Dodgers in 1970 and moved to first base in 1973.

Garvey was part of the infield with Ron Cey, Bill Russell, and Davey Lopes. He won four straight Gold Glove Awards from 1974 to 1977, won the 1981 Roberto Clemente Award, and finished in the top 10 in the NL MVP Award voting five times. In December 1982, Garvey signed with the Padres for $6.6 million over five years. His first season in San Diego allowed him to break the National League record for consecutive games played.

The streak ended at 1,207 consecutive games when he broke his thumb in a collision at home plate against the Atlanta Braves. In 1984, Garvey became the only first baseman in MLB history to commit no errors while playing 150 or more games. In October 2023, Garvey announced his candidacy as a Republican for U.S. Senate from California in the 2024 election. He finished a close second in the March 2024 top-two primary and finished first in the partial-term special-election primary in December 2024. He was defeated by Schiff in the November election for both the special election and the full Senate term.