Stolen Bases: The Lost Art of Baseball

Basically at the gym today I heard a conversation on radio about how the base stealer in the game of baseball has changed. More less, the hosts wondered if we would ever see someone start a career and surpass 300 stolen bases again. Consider the fact that Rickey Henderson stole this many in a few years, and 1406 in his career, that’s not a huge total.

However, take a look at the active MLB leaders in career stolen bases.

MLB Active Stolen Base Leaders

Right now, with the skill-set being cultivated by GM’s in baseball, there isn’t much room for a guy who just steals bases. In fact, GM’s who are paid to win games are cultivating a player who hits for average or for power if not both. Therefore, it doesn’t leave much room for the guy who can absolutely fly and play some defense.

It’s fair to wonder going forward if the game will need to see several decades pass to where the base stealer ever makes a comeback, however it’s unlikely we ever see anyone approach Rickey Henderson or Lou Brock again. I remember about a decade ago when I heard that stolen bases were becoming the most scarce category in fantasy baseball, and it’s played out that way as the game evolves.

Finally, the last guy to play who had over 500 in a career was Ichiro Suzuki.