Steve Garvey

Verified Timeline

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. He 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 nine 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.

In Their Own Story

The highlight of Garvey's Padres career arrived on October 4, 1984, during Game Four of the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs. After drawing an intentional walk that Tony Gwynn had set up, Garvey stepped to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Facing reliever Lee Smith, he launched a two-run walk-off home run to secure the victory and clinch the pennant for San Diego. As he rounded third base, fellow Padres teammates met him on the field and carried him off in celebration. This moment was captured by team photographer Martin Mann, who later sold limited edition photos of the swing, noting it was "like nothing I've ever seen at a baseball game" and described the night as magical. This performance cemented his status as a franchise icon, marking the only time he won an NLCS MVP with the Padres.

Reader's Guide

Garvey's consecutive games streak ended at 1,207 consecutive games played (from September 3, 1975, to July 29, 1983) when he broke his thumb in a collision at home plate against the Atlanta Braves. It is the fourth-longest such streak in Major League Baseball history. In 1984, Garvey became the only first baseman in MLB history to commit no errors while playing 150 or more games. He handled 1,319 total chances (1,232 putouts).

Did You Know?

• Garvey was a batboy for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, and Detroit Tigers during spring training from 1956 to 1961.
• He played football and baseball at Michigan State University, earning a letter as a defensive back in 1967.
• Garvey's first at-bat in a Spartan uniform resulted in a grand-slam home run, with the ball landing in the Red Cedar River.
• He received a Bachelor of Science in health and physical education from Michigan State University in 1971.
• Garvey was named Michigan State Baseball Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2009, inducted into the Michigan State University Hall of Fame in 2010, and his baseball jersey number 10 was retired from Michigan State Univ