Stolen base

In 1887, Hugh Nicol set a still-standing Major League record with 138 stolen bases,[4] many of which would not have counted under modern rules.

However, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, base-stealing was brought back to prominence primarily by Luis Aparicio and Maury Wills, who broke Cobb's modern single-season record by stealing 104 bases in 1962.

The stolen base remained a popular tactic through the 1980s, perhaps best exemplified by Vince Coleman and the St. Louis Cardinals, but began to decline again in the 1990s as the frequency of home runs reached record heights and the steal-friendly artificial turf ballparks began to disappear.

Base stealing is an important characteristic of the "small ball" managing style (or "manufacturing runs").

The Los Angeles Dodgers of the 1960s, led by pitcher Sandy Koufax and speedy shortstop Maury Wills, were a successful example of this style.

However, some successful recent American League teams, including the 2002 Anaheim Angels, the 2001 Seattle Mariners, the 2005 Chicago White Sox, and the 2015 Kansas City Royals, have excelled at "small ball."

Successful teams often combine both styles, with speedy runners complementing power hitters—such as the 2005 White Sox, who hit 200 home runs, which was fifth most in the majors, and had 137 stolen bases, which was fourth.

For example, in the Set Position, the pitcher must "com[e] to a complete stop"; thereafter, "any natural motion associated with his delivery of the ball to the batter commits him to the pitch without alteration or interruption.

Even a runner who does not intend to steal takes a secondary lead of a few more steps, once the pitcher has legally committed to complete the pitch.

For example, one experienced base stealer noted that careless pitchers dig the toes on their back foot into the ground when they are about to pitch in order to get a better push off, but when they intend to turn and throw a pickoff, they do not.

[8] Second base is also the easiest to steal, as it is farthest from home plate and thus a longer throw from the catcher is required to prevent it.

A steal of home plate is the riskiest, as the catcher only needs to tag out the runner after receiving the ball from the pitcher.

[12] In a variation on the steal of home, the batter is signaled to simultaneously execute a sacrifice bunt, which results in the squeeze play.

Noted statistician Bill James has argued that unless a player has a high success rate (67–70% or better), attempting to steal a base is detrimental to a team.

However, the data on Cobb's caught stealing is missing from 12 seasons, strongly suggesting he was unsuccessful many more times than his stats indicate.

[16] Carlos Beltrán, with 286 steals, has the highest career success rate of all players with over 300 stolen base attempts, at 88.3%.

[14] This is usually called if such is attempted in the ninth inning while that player's team is trailing, unless the runner represents the potential tying run.

[25] Runners would now be credited with stolen bases if they had begun the act of stealing, and the resulting pitch was wild, or a passed ball.

[25] Finally, for 1950 only, runners would be credited with a stolen base if they were "well advanced" toward the base they were attempting to steal, and the pitcher is charged with a balk, with the further exception of a player attempting to steal, who would otherwise have been forced to advance on the balk by a runner behind them.

[28] While not recorded as a stolen base, the same dynamic between batter/runner and defense is on display in the case of an uncaught third strike.

This case is a strikeout that is not an out; the batter/runner's acquisition of first base is scored as a passed ball, a wild pitch, or an error.

MLB rules now forbid running clockwise on the basepaths to "confuse the defense or make a travesty of the game".

However, shortstop Ozzie Guillen faked as if the batter had hit a popfly, which would have required Moseby to return to first base to avoid getting doubled off.

[33] In a game on April 19, 2013,[34] Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Jean Segura stole second base in the bottom of the eighth inning.

After the batter up, Ryan Braun, walked, Segura broke early for third base and the pitcher, Shawn Camp of the Chicago Cubs, threw ahead of him.

[36] Former Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon is jokingly referred to as having "stolen first" in a June 26, 2001, game as the manager of the Pirates: after being ejected for disputing a call at first base, he yanked the base out of the ground and left the field with it, delaying the game.

[39] The independent Atlantic League instituted a new rule for the second half of the 2019 season, allowing batters to become runners on any pitch not "caught in flight" by the catcher, as they can throughout baseball after most uncaught third strikes.

[40] On July 13, 2019, outfielder Tony Thomas of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs became the first player to reach first base under this rule.