Ron Cey on the BEST Infield Ever, Winning World Series with Dodgers, and "The Penguin" Nickname

In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro

Ron Cey was born and raised in Tacoma, WA where he played multiple sports up until graduating high school and attended Washington State to play baseball. After playing for the WSU freshman team, Cey played for Coach Chuck Brayton and the varsity team where he became the Cougar's top hitter and also earned his nickname "The Penguin". In 1968, the Dodgers drafted Cey in the 3rd round and he spent three years in the minors before making his MLB debut in 1971. He became a full-time Dodger in 1973 and teamed with Steve Garvey (1B), Davey Lopes (2B) and Bill Russell (SS) to form the Los Angeles infield for the next 8½ years. During that time, Cey was a 6-time All-Star and helped the Dodgers navigate a strike in the middle of the 1981 season to win the World Series against the New York Yankees. Playing for legendary manager Tommy Lasorda, Cey he was named co-MVP of the Series along with Steve Yeager and Pedro Guerrero. That title signaled the end of an era as the Dodger infield eventually broke up with Cey getting traded to the Chicago Cubs after the 1982 season. After 4 years with the Cubs and one more with the Oakland A's, Cey retired in 1987. He worked for the Dodgers after his retirement and currently hosts a podcast ("We'll See About That") and recently wrote his memoir (Penguin Power - Dodger Blue, Hollywood Lights, and My One-In-A-Million Big League Journey). In this episode, Cey shares his journey and tells us who was "his guy" growing up. He also takes us through the 1981 Fall Classic and recounts getting hit in the head by a Goose Gossage pitch in Game 5. Cey also tells us why third basemen have been an under-represented position in the Baseball Hall of Fame and why his numbers might warrant induction into the Hall.