Max Muncy has been around a long time for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In fact, now with Clayton Kershaw heading out into retirement, Muncy has become the longest tenured member of the Dodgers' ballclub.

That's a long stretch away from a time where Muncy really didn't have much faith in himself. Yet, as he's hung around with the Dodgers, that faith has grown into belief that he can perform at the game's highest levels.

And, he has the hardware to prove it: Three World Series championships. Muncy himself, though, apparently never believed this time would happen. He talked about it with reporters recently in the Dodgers' clubhouse at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. Dodgers beat reporter Sonja Chen of MLB.com was among those present.

"Never in a million years," Muncy said earlier in Spring Training. "That was part of the issue with who I was in Oakland, I didn't fully believe in myself. There's no way I would have ever imagined I could have gotten to this point. It's been a special journey for me, and it's one that I'm extremely grateful for."

Muncy is now seen as a grizzled veteran with good reason. He's been in the middle of some of the Dodgers' toughest times, whether that's sitting on top of the baseball world or looking at things from just below the rung of a great team.

Some Dodgers players have even come out and said how important of a role Muncy plays on the ballclub at this point in his career.

"Everyone respects him," outfielder Ryan Ward said. "I mean, he's definitely one of the leaders in this clubhouse, and the respect that everyone gives him, he's earned. And he gives it right back to everyone else."

Muncy didn't start out his career with star power written on his name. It wasn't one of those names that was put up in bright lights with everyone pointing out how important Muncy would play in being with the Dodgers' organization.

Over time, though, he's worked his way into that star level among many big-time superstars signed to big free-agent contracts.

In the offseason, Muncy signed a one-year extension on his contract that will run into 2027. That extension will pay him $10 million, plus it has a club option for 2028 tagged on it, too. Muncy has his own reasons for making the deal that he did with the Dodgers' front office.

"There was a lot of things involved within it, but money was kind of the last thought," Muncy said. "My family was my biggest thought when making this decision. My kids were born in L.A., all they know is the Dodgers.

"They love the Dodgers," Muncy said. "They love the color Dodger blue. They love going to the stadium, and they know all the people there. …"

So, Muncy has gone from being released by a team in the Athletics that finished in last place in 2017 to getting a chance to show what he was made of by the Dodgers.

For this infielder who was down on his luck, Lady Luck has shone brightly for him during his long, winding, successful tenure with his current ballclub. It's truly a story for the MLB books.

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