STEVE GARVEY, by Ken Haag, with James Floto

Steve Garvey By the Numbers:

Los Angeles, 1969-82, San Diego, 1983-87

G: 2332 AB: 8835 R: 1143 H: 2599 2B: 440 3B: 43 HR: 272 RBI: 1308

BA: .294 OBP: .333 SLG: .446 Fielding Percentage: .996 (ML record for 1B)

All Star: 1974-81, '84-'85. Played on pennant winners: 1974, '77, '78, '81, '84.

Longest consecutive game streak in NL history: 1,207, 1975-83.

(Note: Ken Haag wrote most of this article in 1993, Garvey's first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame, just after the votes had been tallied.)

This guy is as true an enigma as ever donned a wristband.

First, he and wife Cyndy were a featured dream couple in "Inside Sports," where she publicly stated that he bored her to death.

As Steve's career kept a steady upward climb as an all-time Dodger, post-season stats were further illuminating his career. He played on five pennant winners, set an NLCS record with 8 homers and 24 RBIs, and was MVP of both the 1978 and 1984 NLCS. His fielding at first base was always outstanding. He led the league in fielding percentage five times and won four Gold Gloves. Not bad for a guy who came to the majors as a third baseman with a suspect arm.

The handsome Garvey (known sarcastically as "Mr. Perfect") was to many people too good to be true. He could play the game. He hit well. But he lacked a certain charisma that fueled excitement. He didn't stir the drink like Reggie did. He was boringly good.

When the stats were all in, Garvey had racked up Hall of Fame numbers. Still, if you ever chose him over any other all-time first baseman, people would look at you and say, "Garvey?"

After his playing days were over he starred in his own real life soap opera, "from here to paternity," which kind of damaged his Mr. Clean Cut image. His affairs made it into the press. It was reported he promised matrimony and admitted to fathering children out of wedlock. Yes, good 'ol Steve Garvey--apple pie and the flag. The guy who had a junior high named after him while he was still playing, for Pete's sake.

Some dust has settled on all that and someday Cooperstown will beckon.

How does he stack up with Reggie Jackson, who was elected in his first year of eligibility? Garvey batted .294 in 8,835 at bats, while Reggie hit .262 in 9,864 at bats and the later made 142 errors with a very below average .967 fielding average in the outfield. Garvey was without peer at first base, with a .996 fielding average. Garvey hit less than half the homers Reggie did, but he had 2,599 hits in 1,000 fewer at bats. Reggie had 2,584 hits.

Reggie is headed for Cooperstown and Garvey should be as well. Once again, the writers who are of tenure and can vote for HOF candidates didn't do their homework. This has become a power base for these writers who are not voting for a candidate. The Class of '93 is as good an example as you want. Steve Garvey, a first-year candidate, got 41% of the vote. Is this a joke or what? This guy was the anchor of the fabled Dodger infield that also included Cey, Russell and Lopes. In addition to the Gold Gloves, and LCS awards, he also won two All Star game MVPs.

To be snubbed on the ballot like Garvey was by the BBWAA makes no sense. That one World Series game from 1977 aside (Reggie's three homers), you can't make much of a case for Jackson getting 93% to Garvey's 41%.

It took Duke Snider 11 years on the ballot to get elected by many of the same writers. Just for the sake of comparison, Snider's lifetime slugging average is .540 to Reggie's .490. Of course, it is apparent that the voting writers let their biased memories hold forth rather than basing their voting on real stats.

In his big league career, Steve Garvey struck out 1,033 times. Jackson, on the other hand, whiffed more than any other major leaguer--including the post season, an astonishing 2,662 times. This isn't meant as a comparison of the two, rather a real look at just what the writers are voting for.

POST SCRIPT, by James Floto

That first year of eligibility, Garvey ("handsome," Ken? He looks like Alfred E. Neuman with a makeover) finished fifth, behind Reggie, Phil Niekro, Orlando Cepeda, and Tony Perez, all of whom have subsequently made it, although Cepeda and Perez had to be elected by the Veteran's Committee. The fact that they were both primarily first basemen hurts Garvey's chances, as they were roughly contemporary with him, as was Willie McCovey.

Each of the following years, Garvey received between 166 and 196 votes. His best year was 1995, when he got 196, but needed 345. That year, Mike Schmidt was the only one elected by the BBWAA, with 444 votes. Garvey finished behind Schmidt, Niekro, Don Sutton and Perez. By '99, he was finishing after Ron Santo, Jim Rice and Gary Carter, so his stock is obviously dropping. Should he ever make it, it will likely be by the "backdoor method," the Veteran's Committee.