The Jimmy Rex Show #646 - Steve Garvey - MLB MVP And 10X All Star Shares His Take On Baseball And His Run For Senate
Sep 18, 2025
43:15
On this episode of The Jimmy Rex Show, Jimmy sits down with Major League Baseball legend Steve Garvey—10x All-Star, NL MVP, World Series champion, Padres icon, and the National League’s Iron Man with 1,200+ consecutive games. Garvey shares the story of his first day in L.A., his pinch-hit debut at Dodger Stadium, and the mindset of consistency and leadership that defined his career on both the Dodgers and Padres.
They dive into Garvey’s 2023–24 run for the U.S. Senate, the community and faith principles that motivated it, and how he helped energize voters in California. Garvey also takes us inside his free-agency tour, the Ray Kroc meeting that brought him to San Diego, and the 1984 NLCS walk-off vs. the Cubs that changed Padres history. The conversation rounds out with the business of baseball—TV money, Garvey’s bid to buy the Dodgers, and why mega deals like Shohei Ohtani’s make sense—plus why baseball remains timeless, the true value of defense, and his Hall of Fame case.
00:00 Introduction
01:29 Why Garvey ran for U.S. Senate & what he learned
04:41 Called up by the Dodgers: first day in L.A.
06:17 MLB debut at Dodger Stadium: the pinch-hit story
08:30 Iron Man streak, showing up daily, faith & leadership
13:37 Dodgers vs. Padres: identity, rivalry, and legacy
14:30 Free-agency tour & choosing San Diego (the Ray Kroc meeting)
19:46 1984 Padres breakthrough: NLCS walk-off vs. Cubs
23:19 Inside the bid to buy the Dodgers & the rise of TV money
27:06 Mega contracts explained & Shohei Ohtani’s global impact
31:31 Baseball’s timelessness: pitch clock, 27 outs, and defense
33:54 Becoming a first baseman & the legendary Dodgers infield
41:12 Hall of Fame case, ballots, and what’s next
42:22 Outro
They dive into Garvey’s 2023–24 run for the U.S. Senate, the community and faith principles that motivated it, and how he helped energize voters in California. Garvey also takes us inside his free-agency tour, the Ray Kroc meeting that brought him to San Diego, and the 1984 NLCS walk-off vs. the Cubs that changed Padres history. The conversation rounds out with the business of baseball—TV money, Garvey’s bid to buy the Dodgers, and why mega deals like Shohei Ohtani’s make sense—plus why baseball remains timeless, the true value of defense, and his Hall of Fame case.
00:00 Introduction
01:29 Why Garvey ran for U.S. Senate & what he learned
04:41 Called up by the Dodgers: first day in L.A.
06:17 MLB debut at Dodger Stadium: the pinch-hit story
08:30 Iron Man streak, showing up daily, faith & leadership
13:37 Dodgers vs. Padres: identity, rivalry, and legacy
14:30 Free-agency tour & choosing San Diego (the Ray Kroc meeting)
19:46 1984 Padres breakthrough: NLCS walk-off vs. Cubs
23:19 Inside the bid to buy the Dodgers & the rise of TV money
27:06 Mega contracts explained & Shohei Ohtani’s global impact
31:31 Baseball’s timelessness: pitch clock, 27 outs, and defense
33:54 Becoming a first baseman & the legendary Dodgers infield
41:12 Hall of Fame case, ballots, and what’s next
42:22 Outro