Apr 9, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts (50) runs toward first base after a passed ball on a third strike against Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Red Sox have never been a team centered on speed but they have had their share of talented base stealers. Here is a look at a few.
The Boston Red Sox fast and furious has nothing to do with a computer game, a discreet government operation or a movie designed to show young males what not to do with a motorized vehicle. The fast and furious is about speed in baseball with the emphasis being on the stolen base.
The Red Sox have never led the American League in steals but have finished last several times. This season has seen a sudden spike in steals as discussed in a recent BSI article by Sean Penney. Even in the pre-Fenway Park era of the dead ball some numbers were surprising. In 1906, the Sox stole 99 bases to finish last. The next lowest total was 168. In the championship season of 1912, they finished next to last and last in 1915 and 1916 title years.
In the 1940s and 1950s, the American League was notorious for their power concentration. The 1946 Red Sox stole only 35 bases with league leader Chicago swiping 78. In 1950, Boston stole 32 to league leader Philadelphia with 42. In 1952 was an almost as Boston had 59 steals to Chicago’s leading 60. In 1956, Boston finished last with 28. Think that was bad? The Senators pilfered only 13 bases in 1957.
For the Red Sox, much of the design of the team was centered on the long ball. Or the three-run homer concept espoused by Earl Weaver. The first issue was always the bat and often a collection of lumbering hitters and occasionally those with speed who had that attribute diminished as the Sox played for runs and not running into potential outs. One year does stand out and that is 2013 when the Red Sox stole 123 bases and were nabbed only 19 times – a percentage record.
So just who were the best? This is somewhat of a selective process since records were either not recorded correctly or not considered significant – especially in the dead ball era. Caught stealing numbers are often not available and often the game was one where players ran into outs since the style was “inside baseball.” Fast and furious for sure “Back in the day.” Being somewhat of an older fan I can drift back to the 1950s for some primary source observation. Here is my list of the fast and the furious – Boston version.
Heinie Wagner played 11 of his 12 seasons for the Red Sox and stole 144 bases before calling in a career in 1918. Wagner never stole more than 26 bases for Boston and in the 1912 championship year, Wagner stole 21 and was caught 20 times. Examining the totals nothing exceptional stands out for Wagner in an age when steals totals in his range were considered average.
The oft-injured shortstop and second baseman was noted for his defensive skills and finished his career as a .250 hitter. Injuries cost Wagner the opportunity to be on the 1915, 1916 and 1918 World Series teams and Wagner is fifth on the Red Sox team list for steals.
Larry Gardner played on three Boston championship teams – 1912, 1915 and 1916 – primarily as a third baseman. Gardner is also in the Boston stolen base rankings with 134 while posting 10 seasons with the Red Sox and slashed .282/.350/.377.
Gardner was a left-handed hitter, but what discounts his thievery is his CS totals in the years that those records are available and formulated by painstaking research. In 1912, Gardner was 25/23 in steals and in 1914 it was 16/23. With Cleveland in 1920, the Indians won the World Series and Gardner led the league in games played. What about steals? Gardner was 3/20. So, again, Gardner is apparently a product of his time where running was encouraged no matter what the skill level or potential outcome.
Freddy Parent was a shortstop and outfielder and an original member of the Red Sox inaugural team and a member of the 1903 championship team. Parent ranks seventh on the Red Sox leader board with 129 steals in seven seasons. The highest total Parent achieved was 25 steals in 1905 with Boston, but had 32 with the Chicago White Sox. There is no accounting for his CS%.
Luis Aparicio finished off his HOF career in Boston where he had 22 steals in 30 attempts in a three-year period. But go back a decade and a half and Little Louie led the league nine straight times. One tragic moment happened in 1972 when the Red Sox lost a game when Aparicio tripped over third and cost a run.
Fred Lynn was graceful and a splendid base runner, but not in the steals department except for one season. In Lynn’s last Boston year (1980) he went 12 for 12. Can’t beat 100%.
Rickey Henderson is the all-time steals leader and 12 times lead the league. With Boston for one year, the then 43-year-old Henderson stole eight bases in ten tries.
Sam Jethroe was a Rookie of The Year in 1950 and led the National League in steals in 1950 and 1951 while a member of the Boston Braves. Jethro, a Black, had received a try-out with the Red Sox in 1945 and was rejected.
Jackie Robinson was part of that try-out charade and is now in the Hall of Fame. Robinson twice led the National League in steals and was the most feared baserunner in baseball for almost a decade.
The color barrier had been broken and the Red Sox had an opportunity to sign a player who eventually led the National League in steals four times, but the passed on Willie Mays who had been recommended by their AA manager to Red Sox GM Joe Cronin.
Apr 10, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin (55) tags out Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15) at home plate during the 3rd inning in a game at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /
Unknown or Undervalued
Billy Werber led the American League in steals on three occasions – twice as a member of the Red Sox. Weber also led the league in CS twice while playing for the Philadelphia Athletics. From 1939-1942 no CS totals appear for Weber since – even at this point in baseball – CS was not considered a significant statistic.
With the Red Sox, Weber was 107/40 (.73%) in his four Boston years. Werber – primarily a third baseman with Boston – slashed a respectable .281/.367/.425 with 38 home runs and 234 RBI for the right-handed hitter. Werber in ninth on the Red Sox career list.
Dustin Pedroia was a rare player who managed to refine his base stealing skills. When Pedroia first arrived it was not an expected part of his game, but it certainly has become one. What stands out is not the totals – currently 127 and eighth on the Red Sox list – but his selectiveness with only 39 CS.
The last two seasons Pedroia has made only 16 stolen base attempts and been successful a mere eight times. This is a number that may give some credence to his declining defensive range and quickness, but let’s see what 2016 produces.
Five-tool players are rare and Jackie Jensen was one. A remarkable athlete who is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame – yes, he was that good. Jensen became an All-American running back from the University of California and playing in the Rose Bowl.
As a baseball player, Jensen combined speed and power and was a rare talent that got away from the Yankees for whom he appeared in a World Series. Jensen was traded to the Senators and eventually to Boston where he led the American League three times in RBI and was the American League MVP in 1958.
What about speed?
Jensen led the AL in steals in 1954 with 22. Jensen also led the league in triples (11) in 1956. Like Mickey Mantle, Jensen has speed and plenty of it, but the mentality was to go long ball. Jensen finished his Boston career with a 95/39 steals rate in seven seasons. Jensen – like Mantle – could easily have swiped 40+ bases if turned loose.
Ellis Burks was a part – a very small part – of the 2004 team, but Burks could really motor when he first arrived in Boston. His first three seasons saw 73 steals and only 20 CS. Then it crashed. The next three season – 20/27 and off to the Rockies. Burks had one big steal year left with a 32 steals in 38 attempts in 1996.
Reggie Smith was a force for the 1967 team and finished second in the Rookie of The Year voting. Smith – a stellar defensive center fielder – had above average speed but limited instincts in the steal department with 83 steals and 53 caught stealing in eight Boston seasons. Smith also led the league in doubles twice while with Boston and I have considered Smith an often undervalue player in the annuals of Boston baseball.
Apr 14, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (22) steals second base against Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Ryan Goins (17) in the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /
The Best
Tommy Harper was a veteran thief when he arrived in Boston and promptly went to work with his unique skill set by breaking Speaker’s team record with 54 steals in Harper’s second Boston season. Previously Harper had also led the League in steals (73) while a member of the one year and out Seattle Pilots.
Harper played three years in Boston and went 107/33 and ranks fifth with a 76.43 steals percentage. Harper is also a valued instructor in the art of steals and has passed on his knowledge with the Red Sox and other teams.
Johnny Damon once led the American League in steals (46) while playing for Kansas City. What stands out with Damon is one particular figure – 82.35% and that is his steals percentage – that ranks second on the list since complete statistics are available.
Damon played four seasons in Boston and was 98/21 from his usual lead-off position. In his last season in Boston (2005) Damon made the American League All-Star team and was 18/1 in steals. Damon’s first two Boston seasons saw 61 steals from the Caveman.
Tris Speaker is a Hall of Fame member and a recognized all-time great who was a five-tool player. Speaker once led the league in home runs with ten while with Boston. The hard-hitting Speaker retired with a career average of .345 and the all-time leader in doubles. A splendid outfielder who many consider one of the greatest.
Speaker had speed. In the 1912 WS year, Speaker set the Red Sox record – since broken – for steals with 52 while being caught 28 times. Speaker is in second place on the Red Sox list with 267 steals in nine seasons with Boston.
Coco Crisp was brought in to replace Damon and in one category there was a seamless transition – steals. In three Boston seasons, Crisp was 70/17 for a steals percentage of 80.46 or right behind Damon. Crisp moved on and eventually led the American League in steals (49) in 2011.
The greatest game changer via speed I have seen in a Red Sox uniform is Jacoby Ellsbury who is third on the all-time teams chart for steals with 241. Three times Ellsbury led the league in steals while playing for the Red Sox and just his being on first or even second and third changed the defensive dynamics.
Stealing in any occupation is risky and the warning is “do not get caught” and that applies to baseball. Ellsbury just did not get caught that often. Ellsbury has an 84% success rate in steals with Boston. For his career, it is 83%. Henderson and his 1406 career steals had an 80% success rate.
There is one player now on the Red Sox who if he finishes his career in Boston will obliterate the stolen base records and probably several others or come close to it. I will let the reader take a wild guess on that one.
