Dodgers News: LA Legend Steve Garvey Receives Prestigious Award at Gold Glove Ceremony

Former Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey, who played 14 of his 19 big-league seasons in Los Angeles from 1969 to 1982, was honored on Friday with the 2022 Legacy Award at this year's Gold Glove ceremony. According to Rawlings, the presenter of the award, it is "dedicated to someone whose legacy has made a lasting impact on the game of baseball."

Garvey was a four-time Gold Glove winner for L.A. in the 1970s, and he also made eight of his 10 All-Star appearances with the Dodgers. The 1974 MVP also won the Roberto Clemente Award in 1981, his penultimate season in Los Angeles.

Former Dodger first baseman Steve Garvey, and winner of four Gold Glove Awards, was named the 2022 Legacy Award winner at this year’s Gold Glove Award ceremony held in New York.

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— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) November 15, 2022

Dodgers team historian wrote about the honor at Dodger Insider, with quotes from Garvey.

“The Roberto Clemente Award and this recognition from Rawlings are probably the two biggest honors of my career,” Garvey said. “There were 14 ‘rookie’ Gold Glove honorees at the banquet, winning their award for the first time. I told them, ‘This makes you a complete player. Offense wins games; defense wins championships.’”

Garvey was part of the famed Dodgers infield that spent the better part of a decade together, with Davey Lopes at second, Bill Russell at short, and Ron Cey at third. Garvey was originally a third baseman but struggled with the throws and found himself on the bench until an injury to Von Joshua moved Bill Buckner to left and opened up a spot at first base.

“I was eating a sandwich between games and Walt asked if I had ever played first base before,” Garvey said. “I said, ‘Sure.’ Although looking back it was probably one game in Little League. So I got a first base glove and played catch with the batboy. Early in the game, I dug a ball out of the dirt and had to go up the line to tag a runner out. In the dugout, Walt walked by and said, ‘You’re in there tomorrow.’ I was sitting next to Steve Yeager, and I asked who Walt was talking to because he kept walking. Yeager said, ‘I think he was talking to you.’ That night became a sweet spot in time when your career changes direction.”

Congrats to Garvey, who still works as an ambassador for the Dodgers, on this prestigious award.