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Stolen Base Stuff and Junk

Posted: Fri May 26, 2017 11:03 am
by DOUGHBOYS
There are 183 hitters who have 'qualifying at bats'.
Of these 183 hitters, only 94 players have stolen more than one base. Little more than half.
Here are some players that may surprise you with their non-thievery...

Ian Kinsler
Curtis Granderson
Dustin Pedroia
Adam Jones
Joey Votto
Dexter Fowler
Danny Espinoza
Eddie Rosario
JT Realmuto
Orlando Arcia
These players have taken the time out of their baseball lives to steal one base.
Cameron Maybin has the same steals as these would-be thieves combined
GEE, thanks!

These players have not bothered to steal at all...

Carlos Correa
Ben Zobrist
Jay Bruce
Carlos Gonzalez
Melky Cabrera
Alcides Escobar (seriously, if not stealing, what is he good for?)
Michael Saunders
Giancarlo Stanton
Starlin Castro
Steven Souza
Bryce Harper
Marcell Ozuna
These players are capable of the stolen base. There is just little interest in doing so.

It should also be said that just because almost half of these players are not running at all, it doesn't mean that others are.
Here are some other disappointing robbers...

Francisco Lindor- 2
Jose Ramirez- 2
DJ LeMahieu- 3
Christian Yelich- 3

Heck, Yadier Molina has three steals!

There are three things needed to steal a base.
Speed. This is the second most important factor. Speed overcomes a lot of other factors in stealing a base.
Opportunity. A green light. A slow to-the-plate pitcher. Bad catcher.
The Want. This has become the most important factor in base stealing.
If not having 'the Want', the base runner will simply not make an attempt and in baseball history, a base has never been stolen without an attempt.
Bryce Harper has no 'want to's, He can. But doesn't want to.
Paul Goldschmidt does not have speed, but he has a lot of 'want to's'.

Some older players steal bases to make themselves feel young. Telling themselves, 'I can still do it.
It gives them the incentive or 'want to's.
As mentioned, Molina has three stolen bases.
So does old man Bautista.

No player has been thrown out more than five times in attempting to steal.
The worst thieves are...
Tyler Collins 0-4
Jordy Mercer 0-3

Hanley Ramirez is 0-2 in attempting steals.
Remember when Ramirez came up? We couldn't read a column without seeing the word, 'tools'.
He could play anywhere and do everything offensively.
Now?
He can't throw.
He can't field.
He can't run.
Fortunately, he is in the right league and can still hit.
It is looking like next year, Hanley and Nelson Cruz will be U only.

Some base stealers get 'fat'. Not fat, as in Bartolo fat. Their bodies grow to a more muscular stature and their bodies are no longer built for speed. Their minds following their body in having less 'want to'.
Matt Kemp
Adam Jones
Dexter Fowler
Yoenis Cespedes
Nelson Cruz
All were possible 20-base stealers at one time.
Now, station-to-station base runners.



Here are the all-time active stolen base leaders...

Ichiro- 508
Jose Reyes- 493
Rajai Davis- 370
Michael Bourn- 341
Jacoby Ellsbury- 329
Carlos Beltran- 312
Hanley Ramirez- 276
These are the only players with over 250 stolen bases.
Stolen base- wise and probably in every other facet as well, these players are 'has beens'.
None are in this season's top 10 list of stealing bases.
In baseball, it's a lot easier retaining power over speed.

Stolen bases are league dominant.
12 players have 10 stolen bases or more.
Only three come from the American League. Cain, Dyson, and Maybin.
National League teams average 26 stolen bases per team. The American League, 23.
Every team, whether American or National League, averages getting caught 10 times.
Arizona leads baseball with 48 thefts.
They are led by Paul Goldschmidt, who is on his way to a 30-30 season.
Only two players with significant stolen bases also have significant home runs...Goldschmidt and Trout.
Of the 17 players with nine or more stolen bases, only three are hitting above .300...Goldy, Trout, and Chris Owings.
Man, sounds like these Goldschmidt and Trout guys are pretty good!


The Rockies, the Orioles, and the Mets have the least steals in baseball with 12.
For probable different reasons.
The Orioles and Buck Showalter play like the old Orioles and wait for a three run homer.
The Rockies are in a 'If it isn't broke, don't fix it' mode in that they started the season not stealing bases and they're not going to change now.
The Mets, the Mets can't do much of anything without getting hurt.
Their Manager has put the brakes on the Kia (if the Mets were a car, it'd be a Kia)
They have stolen three bases this month.
Turning their slogan from 'Let's Go Mets' to 'Let's Not Go Mets'

Re: Stolen Base Stuff and Junk

Posted: Fri May 26, 2017 7:39 pm
by Bronx Yankees
Good stuff, Dan. The SB category certainly is among the toughest and most frustrating of all the fantasy categories. I want to add one more guy to your list of disappointments: Hernan Perez. Last year, 34 thefts in 123 games. This year, 2 thefts in 41 games and counting. I expected regression, but did not expect him to forget how to run. I blame the Brewers' success. Last year, they were running all of the time. This year, win a few games and caution seeps in, I guess.

Mike

Re: Stolen Base Stuff and Junk

Posted: Sat May 27, 2017 10:41 am
by headhunters
base stealing now equals-" we suck - so lets steal" the brewers and rockies suddenly got into "contention" and are not stealing. arizona is in contention and stealing- but all the stat heads agree- arizona has no clue what they are doing. cubs and indians- stopped running. yankees- stealing, got into contention- stopped.