People used to refer to Steve Garvey as a future Hall of Famer. Today, he’s merely referred to as a “Dodger Great”.
But I’m not here to write about whether or not he’s Hall of Fame worthy.
Steve Garvey was one of the best ballplayers of his era, period. During the 70’s and 80’s, just about every Little Leaguer in Los Angeles, myself included, wanted to be like Garvey, wanted to have those Popeye forearms. Labeled by some as a debonair, between the white lines, Garvey was anything but.
One only needs to watch vintage film to see Garv in action: jumping right back into the box after a close shave, hustling down the line, scattering line drives across the outfield, launching towering blasts, scooping balls smoothly out of the dirt, taking out middle infielders the right way, and one of my personal favorites, upending Graig Nettles at third base during Game 2 of the ‘81 World Series.
He played hard, he played hurt, he played smart, he played every day…Garvey flat out came to play. As a 10-year old watching Garvey step into the batter’s box and settle into his quiet focus, I always believed that something special was about to happen. Just ask the ‘84 Cubs.
This is the Steve Garvey I remember.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter Chen is an artist and graphic designer from Torrance, California who grew up during the heydays of 70’s & 80’s baseball. Baseball players of that era were like superheroes to him. He enjoys looking at baseball thru an artistic lens, and when he’s not painting or pushing pixels, he enjoys keeping up with his beloved yet geographically-confused Angels.
More of Chen’s work can be seen at www.IconicBallplayers.com.
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