60+ Steals of Second Base

Since 1898*, only four players have stolen 100 bases in a season. Maury Wills swiped 104 bags in 1962, Lou Brock took 118 in 1974, and Rickey Henderson and Vince Coleman did it multiple times in the 1980s. Of those four speedsters, only Lou Brock had at least 100 steals of second base in that season. In fact, a stunning 112 of his 118 swipes were of second base.

Below is the leaderboard of the most steals of second base in a season since 1954.

Rank	Name	Year	2B SB	Total SB
1	Lou Brock	1974	112	118
2	Rickey Henderson	1982	94	130
3	Omar Moreno	1980	91	96
4	Maury Wills	1962	86	104
5	Vince Coleman	1987	85	109
	Tim Raines	1983	85	90
7	Rickey Henderson	1980	82	100
8	Ron LeFlore	1980	80	97
9	Rickey Henderson	1983	79	108
	Willie Wilson	1979	79	83
11	Vince Coleman	1985	78	110
	Maury Wills	1965	78	94
13	Vince Coleman	1986	76	107
	Rudy Law	1983	76	77
15	Tim Raines	1982	74	78
16	Omar Moreno	1979	73	77
	Ron LeFlore	1979	73	78
18	Rickey Henderson	1986	72	87
	Lou Brock	1966	72	74
20	Tim Raines	1984	71	75
	Dave Collins	1980	71	79
22	Willie Wilson	1980	69	79
23	Rickey Henderson	1985	65	80
	Davey Lopes	1975	65	77
25	Eric Davis	1986	64	80
	Tim Raines	1985	64	70
27	Tony Womack	1999	63	72
	Omar Moreno	1978	63	71
	Ron LeFlore	1978	63	68
	Lou Brock	1973	63	70
31	Jose Reyes	2007	62	78
	Rickey Henderson	1988	62	93
	Joe Morgan	1975	62	67
	Mickey Rivers	1975	62	70
35	Kenny Lofton	1993	61	70
	Joe Morgan	1973	61	67
37	Chone Figgins	2005	60	62
	Scott Podsednik	2004	60	70
	Brian Hunter	1997	60	74
	Tim Raines	1986	60	70
	Juan Samuel	1984	60	72
	Lonnie Smith	1982	60	68
	Tim Raines	1981	60	71
	Billy North	1976	60	75

Retrosheet data splitting players' stolen bases out by base only goes back to 1954, so early twentieth-century basestealers like Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Clyde Milan, and Bob Bescher are unfortunately ignored. It is likely at least one of them (and/or another player) belongs somewhere on the above list.

* - the modern definition of the stolen base did not come into being until 1898. For more information about the change in definition over time, the wikipedia entry on the stolen base rule's evolution is here.

Most SB in a Season with 0 CS

On February 22, 2008, I posted about players who stole the most bases in a season without being caught. Since the regular season is now over for all but two teams, it's time to put the new record holder atop the list. As noted in the previous post, the AL has recorded caught stealings since 1920. The NL has did not consistently record caught stealings until 1951.

Most Stolen Bases in a Season, 0 Caught Stealings

1. Chase Utley, 2009, 23
2. Kevin McReynolds, 1988, 21
3. Paul Molitor, 1994, 20
4. Gary Thurman, 1989, 16
5. Jimmy Sexton, 1982, 16
6. Davey Lopes, 1984, 15
7. Terry Shumpert, 1999, 14
8. Sean Berry, 1994, 14
9. Carlos Beltran, 2000, 13
10. Desi Relaford, 2000, 13
11. Rex Hudler, 1995, 13
12. Tim Raines, 1994, 13
13. Lee Tinsley, 1994, 13
14. Tom Tresh, 1964, 13
15. Leon Culberson, 1943, 13
16. Johnny Damon, 2009, 12
    
17. David Dellucci, 2003, 12
18. Paul Molitor, 1995, 12
19. Fred Lynn, 1980, 12
20. Miguel Dilone, 1977, 12
21. Alexei Casilla, 2009, 11
    
22. Albert Belle, 1996, 11
23. Joe Carter, 1994, 11
24. Tony Bernazard, 1982, 11
25. Johnny Bench, 1975, 11
    
26. Jesse Hill, 1936, 11
27. Jason Bay, 2008, 10
28. Michael Young, 2008, 10
    
29. Mark Teahen, 2006, 10
30. Miguel Tejada, 2003, 10
31. Jim Eisenreich, 1995, 10
32. John Jaha, 1992, 10
33. Frank Duffy, 1976, 10
34. Dan Meyer, 1976, 10
35. Red Wilson, 1958, 10
    
36. Charlie Gehringer, 1940, 10

Congratulations to Chase Utley for setting a new record. Utley isn't the only new addition to the list. Johnny Damon and Alexei Casilla also joined this year. Jason Bay and Michael Young should have been added after 2008 (oops).

Thanks to Tom for commenting on my February 2008 post and bringing this to my attention.

Stolen Base Streaks

Consecutive Games With Stolen Bases
1956-2008

• 12 games
  Bert Campaneris, 15 SB, 6/10/1969 to 6/21/1969
  
  
• 11 games
  Rickey Henderson, 19 SB, 8/14/1983 to 8/24/1983
  
  
• 9 games
  Rickey Henderson, 13 SB, 9/4/1980 to 9/13/1980
  Rickey Henderson, 11 SB, 4/19/1986 to 4/27/1986
  Corey Patterson, 11 SB, 5/27/2006 to 6/5/2006
  
  
• 8 games
  Vince Coleman, 12 SB, 8/26/1987 to 9/4/1987
  Kenny Lofton, 11 SB, 9/26/1995 to 4/3/1996
  Kenny Lofton, 13 SB, 9/9/1996 to 9/16/1996
  
  
• 7 games
  Tommy Harper, 9 SB, 5/21/1969 to 5/28/1969
  Joe Morgan, 8 SB, 8/10/1973 to 8/17/1973
  Davey Lopes, 7 SB, 9/2/1976 to 9/9/1976
  Ron LeFlore, 7 SB, 6/8/1980 to 6/14/1980
  Dave Collins, 9 SB, 7/1/1980 to 7/6/1980
  Tim Raines, 12 SB, 8/26/1981 to 9/3/1981
  Rickey Henderson, 9 SB, 4/28/1982 to 5/3/1982
  Gary Pettis, 10 SB, 5/5/1985 to 5/14/1985
  Rickey Henderson, 12 SB, 5/2/1988 to 5/10/1988
  Marquis Grissom, 9 SB, 5/26/1991 to 6/2/1991
  Pat Listach, 8 SB, 5/22/1992 to 5/29/1992

Three other players besides Corey Patterson have had six-game streaks since 2000. They are Jose Reyes (in 2005 and 2007), Chone Figgins (2005), and Luis Matos (2001).

Consecutive Games Caught Stealing
1956-2008

• 5 games
  Craig Biggio, 8/31/1993 to 9/6/1993
  Carl Everett, 5/26/1998 to 5/31/1998
  Scott Podsednik, 7/23/2005 to 7/27/2005
  
  
• 4 games
  Don Buford, 5/22/1967 to 5/26/1967
  Bud Harrelson, 8/6/1967 to 8/9/1967
  Ben Oglivie, 7/18/1975 to 7/21/1975
  Lou Brock, 8/2/1977 to 8/6/1977
  Lonnie Smith, 6/26/1982 to 6/29/1982
  Steve Sax, 4/7/1984 to 4/11/1984
  Randy Johnson, 9/5/1984 to 9/8/1984
  Chili Davis, 5/14/1986 to 5/18/1986
  Lenny Dykstra, 7/8/1989 to 7/13/1989
  Delino DeShields, 6/13/1990 to 7/12/1990
  Ray Lankford, 10/1/1991 to 10/5/1991
  Shane Mack, 6/26/1992 to 6/29/1992
  Chone Figgins, 7/15/2006 to 7/18/2006

Besides Podsednik and Figgins, players have been caught stealing in three or more consecutive games sixteen times since 2000. The most recent player to be so unsuccessful on the basepaths was Jacoby Ellsbury from July 3-5 last season.

CS% in the Minors

A catcher has a lot of responsibility during a game. He has to know the scouting report for each opposing hitter, he has to use those reports to call pitches and then frame those pitches if they're on the edge of the plate. A catcher has to be ready to block a pitch in the dirt or jump up and catch a pitch headed for the backstop. He has to hop out of their stance to go after pop ups and bunts close to the plate. He's got to keep his pitcher calm on the mound and avoid the batter's bat only inches from his hand. With all that going on, no wonder teams figure any offense from their catcher is a bonus.

There's one more thing catchers have to be ready for behind the plate. If a runner is on base, a catcher has to be ready to come up throwing to try and foil a steal attempt. Since this is one of the easiest things to quantify when it comes to catcher defense, it gets a lot of attention. Regardless of other defensive skills, if a catcher throws out 40% of would-be basestealers, people sing his praises. But if a catcher dips down below 20%, he turns into a liability behind the plate. Take Jason Kendall, for example. He draws rave reviews from the pitchers he's handled over the years, but after a terrible 2007 (111 SB allowed, 20 CS) a lot of folks thought his arm was too much of a liability on defense. Combined with his anemic offense, who would want him? Now that he threw out 41 of 96 basestealers in 2008, his defense is acceptable again and it's his bat that's, as always, ridiculed.

All in all, it's still kind of fun to check out caught stealing numbers as long as you remember there's other stuff catchers bring to the table. Since there are SB and CS numbers out there for minor league catchers, it's only logical to look at how minor league catchers stack up against one another, right?

Even though there are varying season lengths in the minors, I'm going to use 50 stolen base attempts against as a minimum for everyone. There's a decent mixture of levels atop the leaderboard, so I think it works out fine.

Highest CS% in the Minors, 2008
(minimum 50 SB attempts)

Rank	Name	Team	Level	MLB Team	SB	CS	CS%
1	Mathew Kennelly	Danville Rome	R A	ATL	23	30	56.6
2	Drew Butera	New Britain	AA	MIN	26	26	50.0
3	Michael McKenry	Modesto	A+	COL	45	40	47.1
4	Johnny Monell	AZL Giants Salem-Keizer	R A-	SFG	28	24	46.2
5	Martin Maldonado	Brevard County Huntsville	A+ AA	MIL	34	29	46.0
6	Wilin Rosario	Casper	R	COL	32	27	45.8
7	Jonathan Lucroy	West Virginia Brevard County	A A+	MIL	69	56	44.8
8	Flint Wipke	Rancho Cucamonga Arkansas Salt Lake	A+ AA AAA	LAA	39	31	44.3
9	Justin Knoedler	Sacramento	AAA	OAK	29	23	44.2
	Jordan Wideman	Billings	R	CIN	29	23	44.2

Lowest CS% in the Minors, 2008
(minimum 50 SB attempts)

Rank	Name	Team	Level	MLB Team	SB	CS	CS%
1	Christopher Jones	Hickory Lynchburg	A A+	PIT	50	3	5.7
2	Jameson Smith	Greensboro	A	FLA	59	5	7.8
3	Tyler Belcher	Greensboro	A	FLA	51	7	12.1
4	Ulrich Snijders	AZL Brewers West Virginia	R A	MIL	53	8	13.1
5	Jonathan Still	Lancaster	A+	BOS	76	12	13.6
6	Curtis Thigpen	Syracuse	AAA	TOR	52	10	16.1
7	Shawn Zarraga	AZL Brewers	R	MIL	57	11	16.2
8	Douglas Pickens	Mahoning Valley Lake County Akron	A- A AA	CLE	84	17	16.8
9	Ronald Pena	Hickory	A	PIT	64	13	16.9
10	Devin Mesoraco	Dayton	A	CIN	90	19	17.4

Catching only three of fifty-three runners isn't pretty. With Hickory, Greensboro, and West Virginia in one division, the Sally League must have been fun for speedy ballplayers. For what it's worth, Knoedler in the first list and Thigpen in the second list are the only catchers listed who have appeared in the majors.

Most Career Triples, No Stolen Bases

A triple is often considered one of the most exciting plays in baseball. There's a combination of a hard-hit ball, speed around the bases, and usually a close play at third base. Sometimes, however, even the slowest hitters on the team can wind up with a three base hit. Cases in point: Well-known large, slow man Cecil Fielder had seven career triples and Eddie Perez had two career triples despite his near-glacial speed.

Usually, however, even the slow guys who get triples also manage to steal a base or two at some point in their career. It took him ten seasons, but Fielder had two in his career and even Eddie Perez stole a base (off Gregg Zaun, for what it's worth). Rare indeed is the player who manages to rap out a triple without stealing a base in his career. Fewer still have managed to hit multiple triples without stealing a base: only twenty-one position players since 1901 have hit at least five triples without ever successfully stealing a base.

Most Career Triples, Zero Career Stolen Bases, 1901-2007

• Russ Nixon, 19
• Aaron Robinson, 11
• Richie Scheinblum, 9
  Billy Bryan, 9
• Frank Colman, 8
• Al Ferrara, 7
  Mike Garbark, 7
• Adrian Gonzalez*, 6
  Jose Morales, 6
  Hal Breeden, 6
  Eddie Kazak, 6
• Javier Valentin*, 5
  Lance Niekro*, 5
  Bob Sheldon, 5
  Jack Hiatt, 5
  Don Dillard, 5
  Bob Bowman, 5
  Al Lakeman, 5
  Augie Bergamo, 5
  Gene Hasson, 5
  Ben Sankey, 5

* - active player

Now that I've posted this, Adrian Gonzalez or Javier Valentin will probably steal a base tonight.

6'6" and Stealing

There haven't been that many players in major league history listed at 6'6" or taller. In fact, only 245 players to appear in at least one game are known to have stood over 78 inches tall. Height is unknown for many players in the nineteenth century, but it's unlikely many were over 6'6" given the average male was about 5'7" in that period, it's possible there were a few very tall players. Of course, very tall players are rare even now: of the 14,325 players whose heights are known, the 245 players mentioned above make up only 1.7% of the total. That's about 1 in 59, or roughly two players for every five current 25-man rosters.

Of the tall 245, a full 219 (89.4%) of them were pitchers. That leaves only 26 position players among the group. Actually, Dick Hall kind of screws things up, but I counted him as a pitcher. In any case, of those 26 position players, only thirteen of them had at least one stolen base in their career. Six of the pitchers stole at least one base. Below are the nineteen tall base thieves (active players in red).

Most Career Stolen Bases by Players 6'6" or Taller

1. Dave Winfield, 223
2. Darryl Strawberry, 221
3. Dave Kingman, 85
4. Adam Dunn, 57
5. Corey Hart, 30
6. Howie Schultz, 15
7. Richie Sexson, 13
8. Walt Bond, 10
9. Frank Howard, 8
10. Tony Clark, 6
11. Dick Hall, 6
12. Ron Jackson, 6
13. Rick Sutcliffe, 4
14. Cy Swaim, 3
15. J.R. Richard, 2
16. Derek Lowe, 1
17. Val Pascucci, 1
18. Ryan Minor, 1
19. Ed Halicki, 1

The pitchers on the list are Hall, Sutcliffe, Swaim, Richard, Lowe, and Halicki.

Most Career Stolen Bases by a Catcher

There's a Joe Garagiola (or Yogi Berra, depending on the source) quote that applies to topics like this: "The wind always seems to blow against catchers when they are running." Catchers are generally assumed to have, well, glacial speed. That's why it's surprising when a catcher can actually run. Last season, Russell Martin had three times as many stolen bases (21) as the runner-up among catchers, Joe Mauer (7), and drew raves for his speed.

With that in mind, I've put together a list of the catcher career stolen bases leaders. To show up, a player needs to have played at least 60% of his career behind the dish. That's an arbitrary number, to be sure, but I think having half your games elsewhere lessens your claim to being a full-time catcher. In any event, it highlights that this list is dependent on what you consider a full-time catcher; if you want 75% of career games, the list shrinks even further. As for me, like I said, I'm going with 60% for this list.

Most Career Stolen Bases by a Catcher, 1901-2007

1. Roger Bresnahan, 212
2. Ray Schalk, 177
3. Jason Kendall, 162
4. Red Dooin, 133
5. Carlton Fisk, 128
6. Johnny Kling, 123
7. Wally Schang, 121
8. Ivan Rodriguez, 114
9. John Wathan, 105
10. Brad Ausmus, 101
11. Billy Sullivan, 92
12. Benito Santiago, 91
13. John Stearns, 91
14. Ivey Wingo, 87
15. Jimmy Wilson, 86
16. Eddie Ainsmith, 86
17. Tony Pena, 80
18. Johnny Bench, 68
19. Johnny Roseboro, 67
20. Luke Sewell, 65

I've italicized the active players on the list. I somehow doubt Jason Kendall will change his position. :)

For more information on catchers, and even a similar list, go visit the Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers. There's more information on backstops there than you could probably ever want to know.

Most SB in a Season with 0 CS

The National League didn't start recording caught stealings (CS) until 1951. The American League has recorded CS every season since 1920. It seems kind of odd that in an era when most catchers couldn't hit there wasn't any data (in the NL) on who was the best at throwing out would-be basestealers. Surely reputations were formed and there were guys you simply didn't run against, but I'd think the numbers would be there if only for owners to punish substandard throwers with another reason for a pay cut. In any event, it wasn't a big deal for a while: from 1931 until the end of World War II, no National Leaguer stole more than 28 bases in a season.

My last post was about a record for futility so I want to reach to the other extreme today. From 1920 to 2007 in the AL and 1951 to 2007 in the NL, only thirty-one players have stolen at least ten bases in one season without getting caught once. Note the number shrinks if you take strike-shortened seasons out. I haven't because I think it's a sort of cool accomplishment even in a shorter season, but any of the players on the list from those years could certainly have been thrown out if they had an extra couple months.

Most Stolen Bases in a Season, 0 Caught Stealings

1. Kevin McReynolds, 1988, 21
2. Paul Molitor, 1994, 20
3. Gary Thurman, 1989, 16
4. Jimmy Sexton, 1982, 16
5. Davey Lopes, 1984, 15
6. Terry Shumpert, 1999, 14
7. Sean Berry, 1994, 14
8. Carlos Beltran, 2000, 13
9. Desi Relaford, 2000, 13
10. Rex Hudler, 1995, 13
11. Tim Raines, 1994, 13
12. Lee Tinsley, 1994, 13
13. Tom Tresh, 1964, 13
14. Leon Culberson, 1943, 13
15. David Dellucci, 2003, 12
16. Paul Molitor, 1995, 12
17. Fred Lynn, 1980, 12
18. Miguel Dilone, 1977, 12
19. Albert Belle, 1996, 11
20. Joe Carter, 1994, 11
21. Tony Bernazard, 1982, 11
22. Johnny Bench, 1975, 11
    
23. Jesse Hill, 1936, 11
24. Mark Teahen, 2006, 10
25. Miguel Tejada, 2003, 10
26. Jim Eisenreich, 1995, 10
27. John Jaha, 1992, 10
28. Frank Duffy, 1976, 10
29. Dan Meyer, 1976, 10
30. Red Wilson, 1958, 10
    
31. Charlie Gehringer, 1940, 10

Stephen Drew and Jacoby Ellsbury just missed out on joining the list last season. Each of them had nine stolen bases; Ellsbury reached that mark in just 33 games. I'd also be remiss if I didn't note that Carlos Beltran stole 28 bases without being caught in 90 games with Houston in 2004. Of course, he'd been thrown out three times with Kansas City earlier in the season, but still.

Pointless factoid: Barry Bonds is 21 of 22 in stolen base attempts in the last five seasons. That's the highest success rate (95.5%) of anyone to attempt 20 or more steals over that time span. I guess he picks his moments well. Second place belongs to Nate McLouth (34 of 36, 94.4%). After those two the percentage dips to 88.7% (Carlos Beltran, 141 of 159).

Most Stolen Bases, 20+ GIDP in a Single Season

Although the number of double plays a player grounds into is considered more a function of playing time than "skill," the general perception is that players that ground into a lot of double plays are slow. It seems to go against common sense that a player than steals a lot of bases can also ground into a lot of double plays. After all, if you're so speedy, why can't you beat out a relay throw? With that in mind, I give you today's list.

Most Stolen Bases with 20+ GIDP in a Single Season Since 1933*

Rank	Name	Year	SB	GIDP	Spot in Order - GIDP
1	Lance Johnson	1992	41	20	5 - 1, 6 - 5, 7 - 10, 8 - 4
	Dave Concepcion	1974	41	20	3 - 1, 5 - 3, 6 - 1, 7 - 10, 8 - 5
3	Vladimir Guerrero	2002	40	20	3 - 16, 4 - 4
4	Vladimir Guerrero	2001	40	24	3 - 19, 4 - 5
	Jackie Robinson	1949	37	22	Unavailable
	Carney Lansford	1989	37	21	2 - 8, 3 - 1, 5 - 3, 6 - 9
	Tony Gwynn	1986	37	20	2 - 19, 3 - 1
8	John Wathan	1982	36	26	2 - 14, 6 - 1, 7 - 2, 8 - 7, 9 - 2
	Barry Larkin	1996	36	20	2 - 2, 3 - 18
10	Edgar Renteria	2003	34	21	5 - 2, 6 - 9, 7 - 9
11	Willie Randolph	1979	33	23	1 - 8, 2 - 12, 8 - 3
12	Brandon Phillips	2007	32	26	2 - 5, 3 - 4, 4 - 16
	Ivan Calderon	1990	32	26	3 - 25, 4 - 1
	Julio Franco	1987	32	23	1 - 2, 2 - 9, 3 - 12
	Julio Franco	1983	32	21	1 - 1, 3 - 4, 6 - 3, 7 - 5, 8 - 6, 9 - 2
16	Hank Aaron	1968	28	21	3 - 21
17	Ivan Rodriguez	1999	25	31	2 - 17, 4 - 2, 5 - 1, 6 - 11
	Minnie Minoso	1953	25	23	Unavailable
	Chipper Jones	1999	25	20	3 - 20
20	Matt Lawton	2004	23	21	1 - 5, 3 - 12, 5 - 3, 6 - 1
	Kelly Gruber	1988	23	20	2 - 3, 4 - 2, 5 - 1, 6 - 6, 7 - 3, 8 - 5

*The National League has kept GIDP records since 1933. The American League began keeping records in 1939.

Thunderfoot!

Not too long ago I pointed out the top pitchers in MLB at allowing baserunners to steal. Three Padres pitchers appeared in the top ten, and today's starter Chris Young was second. Prince Fielder stole seven bases in 2006 but had none in 2007 coming into today. By the time the fourth inning was complete, he'd have two.

That makes him the heaviest listed player in baseball history to have multiple stolen bases in one game. He's also the heaviest listed player to have more than one stolen base in his career, edging out Frank Thomas by three pounds. Unless, that is, you think Baseball Reference is accurate with Walt Goldsby's vitals.

Run, Run, Rudolph...

There are four pitchers in the major leagues this year who have thrown over 100 innings while allowing 10+ steals and not having a single attempt thrown out (excluding pickoffs). Some of this is their catchers' fault, but as manager Ned Yost noted recently about one of the four: "Benny's [Sheets] a little slow to the plate." Perhaps that has something to do with the other guys as well.

Here's the list:

• Dustin McGowan, Toronto, 159.1 IP, 28 SB
• Chris Young, San Diego, 156.0, 36
  
• A.J. Burnett, Toronto, 153.1, 29
• Ben Sheets, Milwaukee, 141.1, 21

I wonder if Johnny Estrada, Gregg Zaun and Josh Bard get together in the offseason and compete to see who can throw an egg against a wall the most without it breaking.

So what pitchers have allowed the most steals? Here's the guys with 100+ IP and 20+ steals against:

1. Tim Wakefield, Boston, 39 (Surprised?)
2. Chris Young, San Diego, 36
3. Greg Maddux, San Diego, 33
4. A.J. Burnett, Toronto, 29
5. Dustin McGowan, Toronto, 28
6. Brandon Webb, Arizona, 26
7. Daniel Cabrera, Baltimore, 24
8. Jose Contreras, Chicago (AL), 23
9. Rich Hill, Chicago (NL), 22
10. Jake Peavy, San Diego, 21
11. Mike Mussina, New York (AL), 21
12. Ben Sheets, Milwaukee, 21
13. Byung-Hyun Kim, National League, 21
14. Roy Halladay, Toronto, 20

Note Rich Hill is the only left-hander on the list. What's going on there?

Five players have at least five pickoffs in 100+ innings this year:

1. Doug Davis, Arizona, 6
2. Wandy Rodriguez, Houston, 6
3. Mike Maroth, Detroit/St. Louis, 6
4. Andy Pettitte, New York (AL), 5
5. Mark Buehrle, Chicago (AL), 5
   

20+ HR, 3B, 2B, SB

If you're curious about how many people are in the 20-20-20-20 club now that Curtis Granderson joined, check out this short article at Beyond the Box Score. I think it's pretty neat.

Trying Is The First Step Towards Failure

Here's a list of the top 11 (just how the numbers fall) all-time seasons of most times caught stealing without a single stolen base.

1. Pete Runnels, 10, 1952 (I like the irony in his name)
2. Oscar Robles, 8, 2005
3. Jose Offerman, 8, 2000
4. Chet Lemon, 7, 1983
5. Manny Trillo, 7, 1978
6. Mike Vail, 7, 1977
7. John Milner, 7, 1976
8. Ted Simmons, 7, 1976
9. Ron Theobald, 7, 1972
10. Denis Menke, 7, 1966
11. Dick Gernert, 7, 1953
    

Never Attempting a Stolen Base

Rickey Henderson is revered as the single-season and career stolen base king. Maury Wills, Lou Brock and Vince Coleman all were famous for their stolen base prowess. Heck, Herb Washington made a career out of it. But not every player in baseball history has been blessed with stolen base speed and/or instincts. Cecil Fielder took his time swiping even his first bag. But you can't say Cecil didn't try; he was caught stealing five times before his first steal.

Here's the position players with the most plate appearances who never recorded a stolen base [Note: SB records unavailable prior to 1883]:

1. Russ Nixon, 2714
2. Aaron Robinson, 2189
3. Johnny Estrada, 2086
4. Al Ferrara, 1573
5. Ryan Howard, 1542
   
6. Jason Phillips, 1537
7. Matt Lecroy, 1519
8. Jose Morales, 1428
9. Bob Schmidt, 1426
10. Javier Valentin, 1407

Four players on that list have played so far this year, and Matt Lecroy was in the majors as recently as 2006. Now, let's spice it up a little and look for the positions players who amassed the most plate appearances while never stealing a base or being caught stealing. [Note: The NL did not keep CS records until 1951, with a brief exception from 1915-1916. The AL has kept CS records since 1914 with 1917-1919 excepted. I have used only the data from when both leagues kept records, i.e., 1951-present. Blame the NL's statisticians if this upsets you.]

1. Johnny Estrada, 2086
2. Javier Valentin, 1407
3. Chuck Essegian, 1140
4. Dave Ross, 1078
5. Jerry Narron, 926
6. Sal Butera, 911
7. Doug Camilli, 836
8. Robert Machado, 694
9. Billy Ashley, 688
10. Jim Price, 676

Again, three of the players on this list are currently active, so it's subject to change. However, Johnny Estrada is far ahead of the pack. Perhaps not coincidentally, the three active players are all catchers. Traditionally the slowest players in baseball, let's see what happens when we cut them out of the list.

First, your top 10 non-catcher position players to never steal a base:

1. Al Ferrara, 1573
2. Ryan Howard, 1542
3. Richie Scheinblum, 1392
4. Coco Laboy, 1374
5. Adrian Gonzalez, 1353
6. Jeff Hamilton, 1273
7. Sam Horn, 1185
8. Chuck Essegian, 1140
9. Dan Johnson, 1123
10. Manny Jimenez, 1116

Howard, Gonzalez and Johnson are currently active. Here's the top 10 non-catcher position players with 0 SB and 0 CS:

1. Chuck Essegian, 1140
2. Billy Ashley, 688
3. Kevin Kouzmanoff, 413
4. Damon Minor, 334
5. Mario Ramirez, 333
6. Randy Johnson, 296 (the early-80's DH)
7. Rich Severson, 293
8. Bobby Etheridge, 281
9. Willis Otanez, 231
10. Jack Pierce, 225

Kouzmanoff is the only active player on the list, though Billy Butler is trying hard to join with 199 PA in his young career.

Now you know more than you ever wished to about the base-cloggers among big leaguers.