 Even though he was a catcher in the minor leagues, he occasionally started as a third baseman, but was then moved to first base and made the Padres in 1974.During the 1978 off season, he was traded from the Padres to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Derrel Thomas.During the 1978 season, which was to become one of the most memorable National League West races of all time, Ivie played a significant role in helping the Giants win and stay in contention for first place throughout most of the season.