Stealing Home

One of the most thrilling and daring plays in baseball is stealing home, which means running from third base to home plate while the pitcher is delivering the ball to the batter. It is a risky and rare move that requires speed, timing, and courage. It also often results in a memorable and dramatic moment that can change the outcome of a game or a series.

Stealing home is not an officially recorded statistic, so it is hard to know exactly how many times it has happened in Major League Baseball history. However, according to Baseball Almanac, there have been at least 343 players who have stolen home at least once, starting with Curry Foley in 1882 and ending with Elly de la Cruz in 2023¹. The record for the most steals of home in a career belongs to Ty Cobb, who did it 54 times, including 50 times with the Detroit Tigers and four times with the Philadelphia Athletics. The record for the most steals of home in a season also belongs to Cobb, who did it eight times in 1912¹.

Some of the most notable players who have stolen home include Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, Rod Carew, Paul Molitor, and Randy Arozarena. Some of them did it more than once, such as Robinson, who stole home 19 times in his career, including famously in Game 1 of the 1955 World Series against the New York Yankees². Some of them did it in spectacular fashion, such as Arozarena, who hit a history-making homer and then stole home on a straight steal in Game 4 of the 2021 American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox³.

Stealing home is not only a rare and remarkable feat, but also a game-ending one in some cases. According to Baseball Almanac, there have been 11 instances of a player stealing home to end a game, including Marquis Grissom, who did it in Game 3 of the 1997 American League Championship Series against the Baltimore Orioles — the first and only game-ending steal of home in postseason history⁴.

Stealing home is one of the most exciting and electrifying plays in baseball history. It showcases a player’s skill, bravery, and intelligence. It also creates unforgettable moments that fans and players will always remember. Stealing home is not just a baserunning feat, but also a baseball legend.

Sources and references

(1) Stealing Home Base Records | Baseball Almanac.
(2) Randy Arozarena’s history-making homer, straight steal of home provide ….
(3) Game Ending Steals of Home | Baseball Almanac..
(4) Stealing Home: The 10 most significant ones in baseball history …..
(5) How many times has someone stolen a home in the MLB?..