In the 1970s, Major League Baseball saw the rise of larger, multi-purpose ballparks, and the home run craze faded a bit. As the home run waned, stolen bases rose to prominence. After revitalizing in the 1970s, running baseball enjoyed a revival in the 1980s.토토사이트
Since 1900, the start of modern baseball, there have only been eight 100-steal seasons. And seven of those eight occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. It was an era that featured speedsters like Lou Brock and Vince Coleman, as well as the legendary Rickey Henderson.
100 Stolen Bases in a Single Season
1962 – Maury Wills (104 steals)
1974 – Lou Brock (118 steals)
1980 – Rickey Henderson (100 steals)
1982 – Rickey Henderson (130 steals)
1983 – Rickey Henderson (108 doubles)
1985 – Vince Coleman (110 steals)
1986 – Vince Coleman (107 steals)
1987 – Vince Coleman (109 steals)
The dominance of stolen bases didn’t last long. In the 1990s, Major League Baseball entered the so-called “steroid era”. What stolen bases lost, home runs gained. The 1998 home run duel between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa captivated the world beyond baseball. At the time, commissioner Bud Selig thought the home run was the “answer. It set the tone for more players to hit home runs.
The value of the home run didn’t decrease. Hitters knew that home runs made money. Add to that the fact that pitchers with faster velocities were trying to get strikeouts, and hitters were responding with home runs. In 2019, Major League Baseball set a new single-season record with 6,776 home runs.
Most home runs in a single season in the league
2019: 6776 home runs
2017: 6105 home runs
2021 : 5944 home runs
2000: 5693 home runs
As home runs increased, stolen bases decreased. With the rise of sabermetrics, the utility of stealing bases has been called into question, as there is more emphasis on hitting home runs than stealing bases. It was found that a stolen base was more costly in terms of expected runs than a successful steal. Moreover, as the price of a player’s salary has risen vertically, stealing that leads to injuries has been marginalized.
The era of stealing bases seemed to be coming to an end. But the commissioner’s office wasn’t about to let the league become homogenized by home runs and strikeouts. Ahead of the season, they announced the introduction of pitch clocks, limiting runners on base, and strengthening pitcher walks to create a more favorable environment for runners to run. Teams have been testing the waters since spring training, preparing to adapt to a different season.
The number of stolen bases recommended by the Secretariat actually increased significantly this year. In 2021, the total was 2213, and in 2022 it was 2486, and with the first half of the season not yet over, we are on track to reach the 2000 mark (1903). At this rate, we’re on pace for the first 3000-steal season since 2012’s 3229. The average of 0.72 steals per game is also up from 0.46 in 2021 and 0.51 in 2022. For reference, Major League Baseball hasn’t averaged more than 0.70 steals per game since the 2000s.
It’s not just a matter of running more. This year, Major League Baseball has a league-leading 80% stolen base success rate. Last year, the success rate was 75%, and five years ago, in 2018, it was only 72%. The mechanisms that the commissioner’s office has put in place for stolen bases are clearly having an impact.
The team with the most stolen bases is currently the Tampa Bay Rays. They have 109. The Cincinnati Reds follow closely behind with 106 stolen bases. Cincinnati has been an unexpected surprise this season, taking full advantage of the new rules. The same goes for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are fourth overall with 85 stolen bases (the third-place Oakland Athletics have 89).
Arizona has an 88% team stolen base success rate. But there’s another team with the highest stolen base rate. The New York Mets. The Mets have stolen 69 bases in 76 attempts. That’s a staggering 91% success rate. First base coach Wayne Kirby, who oversees the stolen base operation, doesn’t have a specific secret, but says, “When the pitch clock starts, I see different habits from different pitchers. I try to find those.” With the rise of stolen bases, the microscopic game of baseball has also been emphasized.Individual records have improved. Last year, John Birdie of the Miami Marlins led the majors in stolen bases. He stole 41 bases. This year, two players have already surpassed the 40-steal mark in the first half. Oakland’s Esterly Lewis has 43 and the Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. has 41. It’s been nine years since 2014 that we’ve had two 40-steal players in the first half (DeStrange-Gordon 43, Jose Altuve 41).
Lewis, who came to Oakland in a three-way trade last December, has been the biggest beneficiary this season. With Rickey Henderson as a special advisor, Oakland is more open to stealing bases than any other team. This has given Lewis a green light to run freely, and he has done exactly what the team wants him to do. The A’s have the most successful stolen bases, but they also have the most unsuccessful ones. He’s already broken Mitchell Paige’s record for most stolen bases by an Oakland rookie (42), set in 1977.
Acuña is having an even better season than Lewis. With 21 homers, Acuña is the first player in history to have a 20-homer, 40-steal season in the first half (Henderson 15 homers, 51 steals in 1986). If he picks up his home run pace, he could become the fifth player in history to post a 40-homer, 40-double season. Not only that, but a 40-homer, 60-double season is not out of the question. Unlike Lewis, Acuña has a strong team performance and is a strong candidate for league MVP this season.
Major League Baseball’s all-time 40-40 club players
1988: Jose Canseco (42 home runs, 40 doubles)
1996: Barry Bonds (42 home runs, 40 doubles)
1998: Alex Rodriguez (42 home runs, 46 doubles)
2006: Alfonso Soriano (46 home runs, 41 doubles)
With the resurgence of stolen bases, Major League Baseball has regained its dynamic. It’s not just pitcher vs. hitter, but also pitcher vs. runner and catcher vs. runner, which adds to the excitement. In the postseason, stolen bases, which can change the course of a game, are expected to become an even bigger weapon for the rest of the season.
Maury Wills, who produced the first 100-steal season in modern baseball, had this to say about the presence of speedsters in the past.
“There’s a quick-footed runner out there, and you look at the batter, you look at the runner on first base.”
We’re having a season where we’re watching the runner on first base more than ever.