Ron Cey became the ninth member inducted into the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Legends of Dodger Baseball class since its inception in 2019.
The Dodgers honored Cey prior to their game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, which featured a tribute video with speakers Orel Hershiser, Pedro Guerrero, Dusty Baker, Mike Scioscia and more.
Legends of Dodger Baseball inductees receive a plaque honoring achievements during their careers with the Dodgers, which also go on permanent display at Dodger Stadium. In 2024, the Dodgers started the tradition of honorees a custom blue blazer as well.
Fans in attendance on Friday night received a Legends of Dodger Baseball Ron Cey bobblehead. Scioscia quipped it was “life-sized” to further play on “The Penguin” nickname for Cey.
Cey was accompanied on the field by his grandkids and family, in addition to several teammates being in attendance and other members of the Legends of Dodger Baseball.
Cey spent 12 of his 17 seasons with the Dodgers after being drafted by the team in the third round in 1968. He made his MLB debut in 1971 and took on a full-time role in 1973.
Cey famously helped the Dodgers make MLB history with the ‘Longest Running Infield’ alongside Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes and Bill Russell.
The legendary Dodgers infield played their first game together on June 23, 1973, at Dodger Stadium against the Cincinnati Reds. Garvey, Lopes, Cey and Russell went on to form the Dodgers’ infield for eight and a half seasons before it ended on Feb. 8, 1982, when Lopes was traded to the Oakland Athletics.
“This organization is so rich in history and tradition,” Cey told DodgerBlue.com. “We’ve had great players come before us. That was the foundation that was set prior to us getting here.
“In our era, which was basically the 70s through mid-80s or so, we had an opportunity to carve out our own personal tradition and history, and we lived up to it. Four World Series in 10 years, world championship, we broke all the attendance records.
“It was just a fabulous time with the support of our fanbase to be a Dodger.”
From 1974-1981, the Garvey-Lopes-Russell-Cey infield made a combined 21 All-Star Games and were part of Dodgers teams that won four National League West titles, four NL pennants (1974, 1977, 1978, 1981) and the 1981 World Series title.
“Fortunately we had a ton and it was all great,” Cey said of the memories of his time with the Dodgers. “It was such a terrific era of baseball to play in, because all of our guys really understood the challenges and responsibilities that went with being a Dodger and what was expected.
“Very pleased with the way we could get those things done.”
Legends of Dodger Baseball
Don Newcombe, Steve Garvey and Fernando Valenzuela made up the inaugural Legends of Dodger Baseball class in 2019.
Since then, the Legends of Dodger Baseball group has grown to include Maury Wills, Kirk Gibson, Orel Hershiser, Dusty Baker, Manny Mota and now, Ron Cey.
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