By: Yvonne Liu

On June 23, 1973, the Dodgers lost in the first game by the Cincinnati Reds. They lost 4-1, recording only seven hits. When manager Walter Alston was looking for a way to shake up his lineup, Utility infielder Steven Garvey was his solution.

“I was sitting at my locker,” Garvey recalled, “and Walter Alston came by and stopped me and asked me, ‘Have you ever played first?’ ”

Garvey hadn’t, not really. There was a little bit of playing here and there including once in Little League, once in triple A and some appearances within the first few years of his big league career.

But Garvey wasn’t gonna tell him that.

Instead, Garvey fibbed to his manager.

“Oh, sure,” he answered. So that night he lined up alongside Ron Cey, Bill Russell and Davey Lopes.

The Dodgers’ infield rarely changed again for the next 8 and a half years. The four went on to collect a total of 21 All-Star Game appearances, 4 National League pennants and the momentous 1981 World Series title.

“ It’s one of those things in Dodger history that,” Cey said, “you don’t go back too many times over 50 years.”

They relished standing alongside each other on the same field they called home for a near decade.

“ It’s just like your family,” Russell said. “We didn’t take anything for granted back then. You had to be successful to be together that long.”

The four players had countless achievements.

Cey went to six All-Star Games from 1974 to 1979.

In 1973, 1976, and 1980, Russel made the Midsummer Classics.

Lopes was a rookie of the year finalist in 1973, in 1978 a Gold Glove winner, and a four-time All-Star from 1978 to 1981.

“When you look at the accomplishments, the longevity, the contribution to the Dodger organization and baseball,” Garvey said, “all four of us have taken a lot of pride in it.”