Maury Wills named to 'Legends of Dodger Baseball'

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced that Maury Wills will officially become the fourth member of the Legends of Dodger Baseball_, joining Steve Garvey, Don Newcombe and Fernando Valenzuela, who each made the inaugural class in 2019. Although he will not be in attendance, Wills will have his career celebrated prior to the game vs. the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, April 16 at 7:10 p.m. The first 40,000 fans in attendance will receive a special Maury Wills _Legends of Dodger Baseball bobblehead, presented by Bank of America.

The Legends of Dodger Baseball is a recognition of Dodger greats and their impact on the franchise, both on and off the field. Inductees receive a plaque honoring their Dodger achievements, which will also be on permanent display at Dodger Stadium.

Wills, 89, revolutionized the game in 1962 when he stole 104 bases, becoming the first player in modern baseball history to reach the 100-stolen base plateau. A sparkplug at the top of the Dodger lineup, Wills played on four pennant-winning and three World Series championship teams during his 12 seasons with the Dodgers, retiring as the franchise’s career leader in steals with 490. He won the 1962 NL MVP, led the league in stolen bases for six straight seasons (1960-65) and won a pair of Gold Glove awards. In his 14 big league seasons, Wills recorded 586 steals after famously spending nine years in the minor leagues.

On the Dodger franchise’s all-time Top 10 lists, Wills is the leader in stolen bases (490) and ranks 10th in at-bats (6,156), runs (876) and hits (1,732).

After his playing career, Wills managed the Seattle Mariners during the 1980-81 seasons and then began a long stint as an instructor for the Dodgers’ Major League and minor league players. In that capacity, he was a base-running and bunting coach during Spring Training and throughout the regular season. Wills also made numerous appearances for the Dodgers’ Community Relations Department throughout his career.