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Dodgers: Remembering the first great 30-homer club

LOS ANGELES - CIRCA 1985: A general view of the exterior of Dodgers Stadium from the parking lot circa 1985 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mike Powell/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - CIRCA 1985: A general view of the exterior of Dodgers Stadium from the parking lot circa 1985 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mike Powell/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 07: Los Angeles Dodgers legend Steve Garvey throws out a ceremonial first pitch before the Dodgers take on the Atlanta Braves in Game Four of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 7, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 07: Los Angeles Dodgers legend Steve Garvey throws out a ceremonial first pitch before the Dodgers take on the Atlanta Braves in Game Four of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 7, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

Steve Garvey First baseman, 33 home runs in 1977, 272 lifetime home runs, 2019 comp Bellinger

Playing with the Dodgers for the first 13 seasons of his 19-year career, Garvey was the star of the Dodgers, even if his play was quite even with that of Smith, Baker, and Cey, thanks to his personality and desire to be a star.

Across his age 25 to age 31 seasons, Garvey never missed an All-Star game, collecting eight All-Star appearances, four Gold Glove awards and the crown jewel, an MVP season in 1974, in which he reached 200 hits and 111 RBI.

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During this incredible stretch, Garvey became the most famous Dodger, on and off the field. Part of his success on the field stemmed from his ability to avoid injury, or to at least play through them. Garvey played 162 games (or more thanks to a game 163) six times in his career, all but one of which came while with the Dodgers.

Garvey really wasn’t a home run hitter, even for those days. He only finished in the top 10 in baseball three seasons. But what he was known to do was hit for average, both in the regular season and especially in the postseason.

While he finished up his time with the Dodgers with a .301 AVG, he holds a career .338 AVG in the postseason, one of the best marks ever considering how much he played in October.

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The 1978 NLCS MVP for the Dodgers (he smacked four home runs with a .389 AVG that series), Garvey is one of the best in Dodger history in the postseason, making his membership in the 30-homer club just another way in which he ingratiated himself to the thousands of Dodger faithful who’d come see him play every night, all season long.

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