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Most stolen bases in a game

Posted by Andy on April 20, 2010

Wow, the Texas Rangers have already stolen 9 bases against  the Red Sox through the first 5 innings of tonight's games.

Here are the most stolen bases in a game in the years covered by the Game Finder (1920-1939, 1952-present):

Rk Date Tm Opp Rslt PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO HBP SH SF ROE GDP SB CS WPA RE24 aLI LOB #
1 1976-08-01 (1) OAK MIN L 7-8 54 46 7 10 1 0 0 4 7 1 10 1 0 0 1 0 12 0 0.732 1.522 1.074 11 14
2 2000-05-18 FLA SDP L 2-6 37 33 2 6 1 0 0 2 4 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 -0.354 -2.742 1.461 8 16
3 1996-06-30 COL LAD W 16-15 53 48 16 20 4 0 4 15 5 0 11 0 0 0 3 1 10 0 1.967 9.717 1.799 11 18
4 1999-06-28 SDP COL W 8-7 38 34 8 10 1 0 1 7 2 1 7 1 0 1 3 1 9 1 0.421 3.921 .821 6 16
5 1983-07-27 STL SFG W 7-6 43 32 7 11 0 1 0 6 7 0 3 2 0 2 0 0 9 0 0.763 3.305 1.334 12 18
6 1976-05-30 (1) CIN LAD L 5-6 45 35 5 11 3 0 0 5 9 0 7 0 1 0 1 0 9 1 -0.095 0.932 1.516 13 15
7 1976-05-17 OAK MIN L 4-5 53 43 4 10 1 1 2 4 10 2 5 0 0 0 1 0 9 0 -0.313 -1.020 1.815 16 13
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 4/20/2010.

So the Rangers already have joined this group and still have a chance to move up some more.

13 Responses to “Most stolen bases in a game”

  1. Jim Says:

    Elvis Andrus has 3 stolen bases without recording a hit... wonder if thats some kind of record

  2. Zachary Says:

    Tim Wakefield, Victor Martinez, and Jason Varitek ... yeah, Russ Nixon ( http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nixonru01.shtml ) could get a stolen base against those guys.

  3. Raphy Says:

    Jim - The PI era record is 5.

    Rk Player Date Tm Opp Rslt PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB HBP ROE GDP SB CS BOP Pos. Summary
    1 Rickey Henderson 1989-07-29 OAK SEA L 6-14 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 5 0 1 LF
    2 Lou Frazier 1998-04-19 CHW TOR L 4-5 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 4 0 1 CF
    3 Vince Coleman 1993-06-23 NYM MON L 3-4 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 4 0 1 LF
    4 Vince Coleman 1992-06-26 NYM STL L 3-4 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 4 1 1 LF
    5 Kenny Lofton 1992-04-12 (1) CLE BOS W 2-1 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 CF
    6 Ced Landrum 1991-10-05 (2) CHC STL W 7-5 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 4 0 2 CF RF LF
    7 Gerald Young 1989-05-28 HOU PIT W 9-2 5 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 4 0 2 CF
    8 Vince Coleman 1985-09-28 (2) STL MON W 4-2 6 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 LF
    9 Rickey Henderson 1982-08-27 OAK MIL L 4-5 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 LF
    10 Davey Lopes 1975-06-24 LAD HOU W 8-3 5 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 2B
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 4/20/2010.
  4. Raphy Says:

    Continuing from before: In that same time-frame 2 players stole 3 bases without officially reaching base (on their own credit).

    Rk Player Date Tm Opp Rslt PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB TOB IBB SO HBP ROE GDP SB CS BOP Pos. Summary
    1 Brett Butler 1987-04-08 CLE TOR L 1-5 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 CF
    2 Gary Ward 1985-06-29 TEX OAK L 6-7 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 5 LF
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 4/20/2010.
  5. DavidRF Says:

    Gerry hasn't chimed in yet, but it should be noted that the record book is dominated by pre-1920 games.

    http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_stba2.shtml

    I think the rules for SB's were different at some point in the 1800's but all the games from the 1910s are likely under modern rules. I don't know the details though.

    That's an interesting list of retrosheet-era games, though. Spot-checking the boxes I see several "back-up catcher" games (double header, getaway day, etc). Wynegar was the regular catcher for the Twins in 1976 but he was DH-ing in both the games above. Ferguson was catching instead of Yeager in the Dodger game.

  6. Brad Says:

    The Rangers had 2 players (Andrus and Cruz) steal 3 bases. That's only the 13th time that's happened since 1920. The last time it happened was August 15, 2009, also by the Rangers against the Red Sox with Elvis Andrus stealing 3 and Julio Borbon stealing 4.

  7. Jim Says:

    Thanks for the follow up Raphy

    DavidRF, I believe in the 1880s, a player was credited with a stolen base for advancing an extra base over the lead runner on a base hit play. Like if a runner moved from first to third on a single, he was credited with a SB, and if he was tagged out at third, he was credited CS

  8. Gerry Says:

    DavidRF, as I recall the modern stolen base rule dates to 1898 - prior to that date, you could get credit for a steal just for going 1st to 3rd on a single. Branch Rickey's claim to fame (or infamy) as a player is that the Senators stole 13 bases off him in a game in 1907, when he was catching for NY.

  9. DavidRF Says:

    OK Thanks. So the AL record of 15 SB's by the Highlanders over the Browns on 09-28-1911 is under the modern rules but the NL record from 1890 is under the old rules. Anyone know if an NL team can match 15 under modern rules?

  10. Mike Says:

    Zahcary,

    "Russ Nixon ( http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nixonru01.shtml ) could get a stolen base against those guys."

    If Vlad Guerrero got 2 SBs in this game then yes, Russ Nixon could of stolen one as well!

  11. statboy Says:

    Do you guys know why Nixon never stole a base? Because he was not a crook.

    Get it?

  12. Gerry Says:

    The NL-since-1901 record is 11 stolen bases, by the Giants against the Braves on 20 June 1912, and by the Cardinals against the Pirates in the second game of a doubleheader on 13 August 1916. The record book I'm looking at says that StL-Pit game went only 5 innings, which I find hard to believe.

    In the 20 June 1912 game, Boston stole 5, making the 2-team total 16, which is the major league since-1901 record (the Browns didn't steal any the day New York stole 15).

  13. Odds And Ends | Baseball Bloggers Alliance Says:

    [...] modern major league record for most stolen bases in a game is 15 (Highlanders against the Browns on September 28, 1911 and Browns against the Tigers on [...]