August 27, 1982
It was on this day in 1982 that
Oakland Athletics outfielder Rickey Henderson, breaks the Major League record
of most stolen bases in a season when he swipes base number 119 against the
Milwaukee Brewers. The old record of 118 was held by Lou Brock. Henderson
steals a total of four bases in the game, a 5-4 Athletics’ loss, to end the day
with 122. He would steal 8 more before the season ended, setting the new stolen
base record at 130, a record that still stands to this day and has never really
been challenged in 33 years.
While Henderson’s record is the
one recognized by Major League Baseball as the modern-day record, Hugh Nicol of
the Cincinnati Red Stockings of the American Association, swiped 138 bases in 1887
and is the actual record for thefts in a season. The reason for the discrepancy
is because the stolen base wasn’t considered an official stat until 1898 and
therefore box scores and scorecards from the era are difficult to decipher when
it comes to stolen bases.
Follow us on Twitter at @topofthethird
Like us on Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment