Davey Lopes is considered one of the greatest leadoff hitters and base stealers in Major League Baseball history. While he played his entire career in the shadow of the legendary Dodgers teams he was a part of in the 1970s, Lopes made a huge impact on the game with his speed and baseball IQ. As a result, he has many baseball cards that chronicle his career and accomplishments.
Lopes made his MLB debut in 1969 with the Dodgers at age 26. He did not appear on many baseball cards until establishing himself as the Dodgers’ starting second baseman in 1971. One of his earliest notable rookie cards is the 1971 Topps card #602. This card depicts Lopes in a Dodgers road gray uniform from the waist up. It provides his basic career stats from 1969-1970 which were not very impressive at that point. This served as one of the first widely available cards showing Lopes as an established big leaguer.
In 1972, Lopes broke out with career highs of 15 home runs and 57 RBI to go along with a league-leading 55 stolen bases. This breakout season earned him better card recognition, especially in high-gloss sets. One of the more iconic Lopes cards from 1972 is the Topps Traded card #T97. This card featured an action photo of Lopes sliding headfirst into third base. It highlighted his speed and baserunning prowess that would become his calling card. Other notable 1972 issues include his cards from Topps (#582), Kellogg’s (#80), and Coca-Cola (#79).
The 1973-1974 seasons were the peak of Lopes’ career. He was a key contributor to the Dodgers winning the 1974 World Series over the Athletics. Lopes’ speed was maximized batting first in front of stars like Steve Garvey and Ron Cey. In 1973, he stole 52 bases and hit .281 to earn his first All-Star nod. His 1973 Topps card #514 and 1973 Kellogg’s card #68 depicted this breakout season. In 1974, Lopes stole 45 bases and hit .277 as the Dodgers won 102 games. His 1974 Topps card #560 captured him in the midst of his signature crouched batting stance.
While Lopes remained a steady and productive player through the late 1970s, injuries began slowing him down a bit in 1980 at age 38. He was still able to steal 31 bases that year for the Dodgers. One of his last iconic baseball cards was the 1980 Topps Traded card #T79. This card showed off Lopes’ durability and veteran presence with an action shot of him sliding into home plate. He retired after the 1981 season with over 600 career stolen bases, cementing his legacy as one of the game’s all-time base stealing greats.
In the years since his retirement, Lopes’ baseball cards have taken on greater significance as representations of the legendary Dodgers teams he was a part of. In the late 1980s and 1990s, he began appearing in several oddball and regional issue sets paying homage to those ’70s Dodgers. Examples include his cards from 1988 Fleer Update (#U-DL), 1989 Score (#820), and 1992 Studio (#154). Into the 2000s and 2010s, Lopes remained a popular vintage card subject. Upper Deck used his image for their 2002 Legends card #L15. Topps Archives also highlighted his career in gold bordered replicas of his classic 1970s Topps cards.
For Dodgers fans and collectors of 1970s baseball memorabilia, Lopes’ cards hold a special place. They transport viewers back to Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers teams that won four pennants and one World Series behind his speed and grit. While he may not have achieved the individual accolades of some peers, Lopes was a critical cog for some of baseball’s best franchises. His baseball cards ensure those contributions are not forgotten and continue to fascinate new generations of fans. As one of the pioneers of stolen base records, Davey Lopes richly deserves the recognition his extensive collection of baseball cards provide.
