Greatest base stealer ever

[torez77]

I thought I would start an interesting thread with a poll. I did a search and didn't see it done before on this forum.

I listed who I think are the 6 best base-stealers of all time, and I can't see how anyone could vote for someone besides one of these six. But just in case, I added an "Other" option, cuz there were many more great base-stealers.

Keep in mind, this is a best base STEALERS thread, not best base RUNNERS, though I realize the two go hand in hand and it will be hard to separate them. The best base stealers tend to be the best baserunners too (duh!) There are other aspects of baserunning besides stealing, but let's just try to focus on stealing if we can.

[BoSox Rule]

I'd go with Rickey, but Carlos Beltran is the most efficient basestealer ever.

[torez77]

I'd go with Rickey, but Carlos Beltran is the most efficient basestealer ever.

Beltran's got a great SB%, but he doesn't steal enough to be included on the poll IMO. Henderson was great, but I think Tim Raines might be better. Raines has got the highest SB% ever with that many attempts.

[Appling]

Tyrus Raymond was the BEST base-stealer in an era when base-stealing was a truly important part of the game.

[torez77]

I realize I disregarded era adjustments in my last post. Of course, Beltran doesn't steal as much because base stealing is not as much of a necessity as it was in the eras of the great base stealers on this poll. No doubt his SB% would be great regardless.

However, even though the baserunners on this poll played in high SB eras, we have to consider that even though pitchers and catchers were expecting them to steal more often, they still couldn't stop it, and they still had great SB percentages.

Hamilton's and Cobb's complete SB% numbers are not available. Hamilton will get docked because taking the extra base was a "steal" in the 19th century, but since he's #3 on the career SB list, oh well. What we do see of Cobb's SB%, it's not as good as the others on this poll, BUT life was hell for baserunners, as well as for the people in their way, in the deadball era.

[Blackout]

Ricky, just because he plays in an era with less fielding errors than Cobb played in

[Brian McKenna]

don't think that wills is better than cobb or henderson anyway - why would you want to separate steals from baserunning? - seems like an incomplete puzzle

[baseballPAP]

I do believe that 1887 was the only year where the extra base counted as a steal....also walks counted as hits that year IIRC. In any case, I'd love to give the nod to Slidin' Billy, but Henderson was a top 10 SB guy in 2001...when he played only 123 games and was 42! 'Nuff said.

[Appling]

why would you want to separate steals from baserunning? - seems like an incomplete puzzle

I can't think of any good base-stealer who isn't also a great baserunner.

However, there were some very good baserunners who "never" stole a base -- Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle come to mind.

[Williamsburg2599]

I said cobb, just for the fact that he stole home so many times.

[KCGHOST]

I elected to ignore the 19th century guys since we don't have reliable "caught stealing" info. Of the top ten base stealers the one with the best success rate was Tim Raines. So I voted for him.

[leecemark]

--Yeah its hard to imagine Cobb doing anything to hurt somebody elseh . Teammates included. I'm sure he didn't care about his stats either. Although it seems he kind of obsessed with winning the batting title every year .

[538280]

Cobb may be the best baserunner ever, but for the best base stealer it's quite clearly Rickey Henderson. Rickey stole more bases, at a better percentage, and led his league way more. Plus, it was at a time when the SB was less common.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Cobb may be the best baserunner ever, but for the best base stealer it's quite clearly Rickey Henderson. Rickey stole more bases, at a better percentage, and led his league way more. Plus, it was at a time when the SB was less common.

If it weren't so common, why are two of his contemporaries on the poll, with a vote, each?
Ron LeFlore, Willie Wilson, Whitey Herzog's teams. Eric Davis stealing 80 while hitting 27 home runs. Henderson came at a time when there was an abundance of base stealers, not a lack thereof.

[538280]

If it weren't so common, why are two of his contemporaries on the poll, with a vote, each?
Ron LeFlore, Willie Wilson, Whitey Herzog's teams. Eric Davis stealing 80 while hitting 27 home runs. Henderson came at a time when there was an abundance of base stealers, not a lack thereof.

There were an abundance of base stealers at the top but their weren't nearly as much SBs in general. In Cobb's time, it was very rare for someone to go a full season and steal less than 15 bases.