Jerry Reuss isn’t in any respect shocked that his former Dodgers teammate Steve Garvey is working for the U.S. Senate.
The stunning half for Reuss is that it took Garvey so lengthy to launch his political profession.
“He’s a 75 years outdated rookie,” Reuss not too long ago advised The Instances in an e mail.
Reuss was a left-handed pitcher who performed for eight groups over 22 Main League Baseball seasons. Garvey was an infielder and some of the widespread Dodgers within the late Nineteen Seventies and early Nineteen Eighties, Their baseball careers intersected in Los Angeles from 1979-82.
Reuss advised The Instances that Garvey had ideas of changing into an elected official again then, whereas Ronald Reagan was serving his first time period as U.S. president.
“Steve all the time had the considered coming into the political area,” Reuss stated within the e mail. “He as soon as advised me that if a former actor might be President, why can’t a former baseball participant?”
Some 4 many years later, Garvey has made fairly an entrance into that area. A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Research ballot co-sponsored by The Instances discovered that the Republican newcomer and Rep. Adam B. Schiff, the veteran Democratic congressman from Burbank, are in impact tied for the lead within the major days earlier than Tuesday’s election.
The ballot exhibits Garvey is favored by 27% of seemingly voters, adopted by Schiff with 25%, Rep. Katie Porter (D-Irvine) with 19% and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) with 8%, whereas 12% of seemingly voters choose a unique candidate and 9% are undecided. The highest two finishers advance to a November runoff. There, Schiff would maintain a 53% to 38% benefit, with 9% undecided, over Garvey, in line with the survey.
Garvey was drafted by the Dodgers out of Michigan State in 1968 and remained with the group till signing with the San Diego Padres as a free agent earlier than the 1983 season. He performed 5 seasons with the Padres earlier than retiring.
Beginning in June 1973 and working by means of the Dodgers’ World Collection victory in 1981, Garvey performed first base in considered one of MLB’s most celebrated and sturdy infields. For 8 1/2 seasons, that lineup virtually all the time additionally included Davey Lopes at second base, Ron Cey at third and Invoice Russell at shortstop.
Cey declined to remark for this text. The Instances was unable to succeed in Lopes and Russell.
Two members of the Dodgers 1981 championship workforce not too long ago got here out in help of considered one of Garvey’s opponents for the Senate seat. In an announcement issued by Lee’s workplace Wednesday, Dusty Baker and Dave Stewart have been listed among the many endorsers for the Oakland congresswoman. Baker and Stewart have ties to Northern California and spent elements of their MLB careers with the Athletics.
Tom Niedenfuer was a rookie pitcher for the Dodgers in the course of the 1981 season. As a Florida resident, Niedenfuer has been watching Garvey’s younger political profession from afar and isn’t shocked by his former teammate’s success in that space.
“I might undoubtedly see him going into one thing like this,” Niedenfuer advised The Instances in a latest telephone interview. “He was all the time effectively spoken, nice with the media, and undoubtedly had his factors of views, so it’s not stunning in any respect. And he’s all the time been an ideal businessman, so I’m actually not shocked and he’ll be very profitable with this.”
Requested if he might consider any weaknesses Garvey may need as a politician, Niedenfuer might consider just one.
“The one factor I might probably consider is he’s not aggressive sufficient to fireplace again at individuals with dangerous stuff, as a result of he’s such a superb man,” Niedenfuer stated. “He’s not the type to assault different individuals and different opponents. He’s all the time been nice to everyone. If there was any weak point, I might say he’s too good.”
San Diego Padres participant Steve Garvey, previously of the Dodgers, greets a few of his loyal followers at Dodger Stadium on April 16, 1983.
(Lennox McLendon / Related Press)
Reuss, who lives in Nevada, stated he hasn’t adopted Garvey’s marketing campaign sufficient to have an opinion on his former teammate’s politics. However, Reuss added of Garvey, “He’s as honest now because the day I met him.”
Like Reuss, former longtime Dodgers broadcaster Ross Porter is shocked Garvey waited so lengthy to enter politics.
“Steve can be a superb senator and a better option than his opponents, particularly the obnoxious Adam Schiff,” Porter advised The Instances in an e mail, including that he and his spouse have donated to Garvey’s marketing campaign.
Requested by The Instances if he had any tales that demonstrated the qualities he thought would go well with Garvey effectively as a senator, Porter replied with this anecdote:
“On a Sunday afternoon, August 28, 1977, Garvey went right into a sport in opposition to the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium, mired within the worst batting stoop he skilled in his 19-year main league profession. In his earlier 84 plate appearances, he had hit a depressing .139.
“Earlier than the sport that day, two nuns launched a younger lady who was disabled, to her favourite Dodger participant — Steve Garvey. Throughout their dialog, the lady stated, ‘Would you hit a house run for me immediately?’
“Garvey stated he would attempt.
“That day, Garvey had one of the best offensive sport he ever had. He collected 5 hits in 5 at-bats, drove in 5 runs, slugged two house runs, one a grand slam, and the Dodgers gained, 11 to 0.
“Steve advised me years later, he nonetheless maintained a correspondence with the lady.”
