Interesting Stats : Most All-Time steals by position

Rad_Hazard · #1 03-13-2023, 04:32 PM

If we are truly going All-Time (since the inception of stats in 1871), then it looks like this (I used my Stathead Account). Rickey was the only holdover.

My only criteria was: at least 50% of games played at that position - NOTE: If I change this to a lower % like 40, this changes some of the entries, I just figured 50% or more would be a good qualifier.

Catcher : Jack O'Connor = 219 Steals

1st base : Jack Doyle = 518 Steals

2nd base : Eddie Collins = 741 Steals

Shortstop : Honus Wagner = 723 Steals

3rd base : Arlie Latham = 742 Steals

Left field : Ricky Henderson = 1406 Steals

Center field : Billy Hamilton = 914 Steals

Right field : Patsy Donovan = 518 Steals

Designated hitter : Don Baylor = 285 Steals

Pitcher : Tony Mullane = 112 Steals

Fun Fact: Baseball Reference lists Don Baylor's nicknames as "Groove" or "The Sneak Thief", automatically putting him the S tier of nicknames.

mrreality68 · #2 03-13-2023, 05:28 PM

I just hope with the bigger bases and the pitch clock and throw over rules that steals makes a comeback

I always liked stolen bases and catchers trying to throw out the base runner and small balls

Peter_Spaeth · #3 03-13-2023, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rad_Hazard

If we are truly going All-Time (since the inception of stats in 1871), then it looks like this (I used my Stathead Account). Rickey was the only holdover.

My only criteria was: at least 50% of games played at that position - NOTE: If I change this to a lower % like 40, this changes some of the entries, I just figured 50% or more would be a good qualifier.

Catcher : Jack O'Connor = 219 Steals

1st base : Jack Doyle = 518 Steals

2nd base : Eddie Collins = 741 Steals

Shortstop : Honus Wagner = 723 Steals

3rd base : Arlie Latham = 742 Steals

Left field : Ricky Henderson = 1406 Steals

Center field : Billy Hamilton = 914 Steals

Right field : Patsy Donovan = 518 Steals

Designated hitter : Don Baylor = 285 Steals

Pitcher : Tony Mullane = 112 Steals

Fun Fact: Baseball Reference lists Don Baylor's nicknames as "Groove" or "The Sneak Thief", automatically putting him the S tier of nicknames.

How can Chuck's list be wrong even as to DH????? Seems like an apples to oranges thing going on here.

Rad_Hazard · #4 03-13-2023, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

How can Chuck's list be wrong even as to DH????? Seems like an apples to oranges thing going on here.

Chuck�s list was based off the link in post #7 from mlb.com. It was a post-1920 list (live ball).

I was taking into account all stats from 1871-present.

The DH swing and miss by MLB in that article is just plain lazy. Baylor had more DH at bats than McRae so there is no excuse for them missing it.

Here is the list of DH stolen bases all-time (top 15).

mrreality68 · #5 03-14-2023, 07:03 AM

Great info thanks

and interesting to see some of these players on the list

and looking forward to more steals this season. THey say that the rate of steals this spring training is up more than 40% compared to prior spring trainings. So hopefully that means more in the season

carlsonjok · #6 03-14-2023, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rad_Hazard

Chuck�s list was based off the link in post #7 from mlb.com. It was a post-1920 list (live ball).

I was taking into account all stats from 1871-present.

The DH swing and miss by MLB in that article is just plain lazy. Baylor had more DH at bats than McRae so there is no excuse for them missing it.

Here is the list of DH stolen bases all-time (top 15).

There is a difference between stolen bases by a player who was primarily a DH and stolen bases by a player while playing as a DH. Based on his career splits, Baylor played the most games as a DH, but most of his stolen bases were when he was playing left field.

baylor.jpg

Rad_Hazard · #7 03-14-2023, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carlsonjok

There is a difference between stolen bases by a player who was primarily a DH and stolen bases by a player while playing as a DH. Based on his career splits, Baylor played the most games as a DH, but most of his stolen bases were when he was playing left field.

Attachment 562549

Ah ok!

But in that case, wouldn't McRae still be incorrect? According to Baseball Reference, McRae would only have 74 SB as a DH.

The true career leader in that position would be Paul Molitor with 169 SB as a DH.

If this is correct, that makes the MLB article even lazier than I expected.

D. Bergin · #8 03-14-2023, 09:18 AM

Molitor would likely be the correct answer, but because he played less then half of his games as a DH, he's not clumped into the statistical data. Same as Baylor.

Most of these lists are using the model, that the player counts as that being his regular position only if he played a certain % of his games at that position.

That's what I thought was flawed about the list to begin with, not that it's a post-1920 list, which was declared to be the case right at the outset.

I'd guess the lists are compiled this way because baseball reference doesn't spit out a neat compilation list in this category, and you have to go to each individual players "Career Split" page.....and that could end up being pretty time consuming.

Rad_Hazard · #9 03-14-2023, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Molitor would likely be the correct answer, but because he played less then half of his games as a DH, he's not clumped into the statistical data. Same as Baylor.

Most of these lists are using the model, that the player counts as that being his regular position only if he played a certain % of his games at that position.

That's what I thought was flawed about the list to begin with, not that it's a post-1920 list, which was declared to be the case right at the outset.

I'd guess the lists are compiled this way because baseball reference doesn't spit out a neat compilation list in this category, and you have to go to each individual players "Career Split" page.....and that could end up being pretty time consuming.

That makes sense, and I completely agree with that last statement 100%.

I missed Molitor on my initial assessment since my criteria was at least 50% playing time at the position.

This is good stuff though, I always like diving into stats I previously had no idea about.

What I learned is that Molitor is the DH SB king, and Don Baylor had some serious wheels in his younger days and two of the coolest nicknames in baseball.

D. Bergin · #10 03-14-2023, 09:23 AM

What's really interesting, is that Paul Molitor should hold both the DH and the 3B record.

If you just count games they played at that position, Molitor beats Howard Johnson 185 to 154.

Unless of course there's somebody else out there who is being left out of the statistical data we haven't thought of yet.

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