The most famous stolen base in MLB history

And the most famous pinch-runner!

My son Gordon and I recently did a podcast on the evolution of stolen bases. We discussed the most famous stolen base in baseball history. It’s a subjective claim obviously, and maybe it’s easier to describe the worst failed stolen base in MLB history.  That must be New York Yankee’s Babe Ruth’s futile attempt to steal 2^nd base in game seven of the 1926 World Series which was won by the St. Louis Cardinals. At the time it was not seen as an egregious mistake by the Bambino.  Ruth was not even charged with a ‘caught stealing’.  HOF pitcher Grover ‘Pete’ Alexander blew a fastball by Bob Meusel, and many felt it was a botched hit-and-run play. A perfect throw from Bob O’Farrell to HOFer Rogers Hornsby ended the World Series. Three future Hall of Fame players involved in the same play! 

Another famous steal was a steal of home by Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers in game 1 of the 1955 World Series vs. the Yankees.  The grainy video of Jackie sliding in under Yogi Berra’s tag, (Yogi went to his grave saying Robinson was out), and Yogi throwing a tantrum is one of the more memorable moments in  baseball history. Whitey Ford was the Yankee pitcher so again three future HOFer’s involved in one play! The play did not result in a Dodger victory in game one, but ‘Dem Bum’s did finally win their elusive first World Series that year. It is one of only five successful straight steals of home in World Series history.

Pause for the Hall of Famers in the ’55 World Series

Earlier in that same game Billy Martin tried to steal home but was tagged out by future HOFer Roy Campanella. There were nine future Hall-of-famers that played in that 1955 World Series. Five Dodgers. – Campanella, Robinson, Hodges, Reese, and Snider. Four Yankees – Ford, Mantle, Rizzuto, and Berra. It would have been 10 as Sandy Koufax pitched for the Dodgers that season, but not in the World Series.

Another famous steal

Another famous stolen base play was a steal of two bases on one play by the Yankee’s Johnny Damon. It was in the 2009 World Series vs. the defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies. It came in a tie game in the ninth inning of game four and was critical in helping the Yankees gain a three-games-to one lead in the most recent World Series they’ve won. After the Phillies Pedro Feliz tied the game with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth, with two outs Damon singled off closer Brad Lidge. On the next pitch Damon took off for second noticing nobody was covering third base due to a shift on Mark Teixeira, so he continued to the unoccupied base! Damon would score on Alex Rodriguez’s double and the Yankees ended up winning the game 8-5. They’d go on to win the World Series in six games.

Big regular season steal

You’d think the most famous steals would happen in the playoffs and World Series. That’s true for the most part but not always.

1999 Rickey Henderson started the season two steals short of Lou Brock’s record of 938.  On May 1^st Rickey walked to lead off the first inning but was cut down by Yankee’s catcher Matt Nokes. Man, the Yankees sure show up a lot!  Henderson had tied Brock on April 28, (he started the season a bit injured), and when Rickey got reached on an error in the fourth inning, he moved to second on a single and then did what Rickey did so many times, stealing third base to set the career record for stolen bases. It’s a record Henderson holds by a large margin today.

Since the Yankees show up so much when it comes to famous stolen base situations, the most famous steal of all-time must follow suit. It wasn’t in the World Series, but it made all the difference in getting there and changing the mojo.

2004 ALCS Yankees vs. Red Sox – the most famous steal in MLB history

It looked hopeless. Down three games to none, and three outs away from being swept, the Red Sox ‘Curse of the Bambino’ was set to endure. On the mound for New York was the greatest closer of all time in HOFer Mariano Rivera. A walk to Kevin Millar to lead off the ninth inning led to pinch-runner extraordinaire Dave Roberts, (38 of 41 steals on the season) entering the game. Everyone in the ballpark knew Roberts would try to steal second base.

Roberts had come over to Boston from the Dodgers – the team he manages today. On the second pitch, after three pickoff attempts by Rivera, Roberts took off and slid head-first ahead of the tag from HOFer Derek Jeter. Bill Mueller then singled in Roberts and the Red Sox became unstoppable, winning that game on a walk-off homer by HOFer David Ortiz in the 12^th inning. The Red Sox would go on to win games 5,6, and 7 and then continued their incredible run by sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series to win its first title in 86 years. The Curse was finally retired, and a pinch runner played a major role.

There’s not anything that could top it!

About the Author: Mark Kolier along with his son Gordon co-hosts a baseball podcast called ‘Almost Cooperstown’. He also has written baseball-related articles that can be accessed on Medium.com Substack.com and MLBreport.com