Steve Garvey was one of the biggest stars of Major League Baseball during the 1970s and the 1980s. Primarily a first baseman, he played for his entire MLB career with teams based in the State of California. First with the Los Angeles Dodgers, followed by the San Diego Padres.
Long after his retirement from playing professional baseball, Garvey has remained a prominent figure in California. He is currently a resident in Palm Desert, located almost exactly evenly in between the two cities for whom he played. The state is getting ready to hold an election for one of its seats in the United States Senate next year.
And it has evidently piqued Garvey's interest.
'Seriously considering' entering the race
Steve Garvey could very well soon be a candidate for the US Senate, the Los Angeles Times and Politico indicate. He would be running as a member of the Republican Party. Although an adviser of Garvey's, Republican strategist Andy Gharakhani, claims he was also recruited by leaders in the Democratic Party.
The seat up for grabs in 2024 would be an open one. Garvey would be by far the most prominent Republican to jump into the race to this point. Other Republicans that have been reported as possibilities included former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer. Three high-profile members of the United States House of Representatives are among the Democrats in the running.
Garvey would not be the first big-name retired athlete to become a new member of Congress through the 2024 cycle. Famed figure skater Sarah Hughes is running as a Democrat for the US House of Representatives in New York.
In 1966, Garvey was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the third round in that year's MLB Draft. But he chose instead to attend Michigan State University.
He had played at the high school level at George B. Chamberlain High School in Tampa, Florida. In addition to baseball, Garvey was a defensive back on the school's football team. His head football coach at the time was future Hall of Famer Duffy Daugherty.
The Dodgers would pick Garvey in the first round of the 1968 Draft. He made his debut with the team the following year.
Helped win a World Series Championship
Between the Dodgers and Padres, Steve Garvey was a member of five National League Championship teams. In 1981, he and the Dodgers came out on top in the World Series. Also in 1981, Garvey was named the recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award. Given to the MLB player believed to have best exemplified qualities including sportsmanship and community involvement for the year.
Garvey was a 10-time All-Star selection during the course of his career. He was also chosen as a Gold Glove recipient four times over. In 1974, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the National League. Later, Garvey was also named as the NLCS MVP in 1978 and 1984.
Since retiring, he has been inducted into multiple halls of fame. Such as the California Sports Hall of Fame and the Michigan State University Athletics Hall of Fame. His numbers with the Padres (6) and Michigan State (10) have both been retired.
