Only two pitchers have ever stolen a base. And the two occurrences were nearly 44 years apart.
The first hurler to actually pilfer a sac was Bill Donovan. It was the fifth contest of the 1908 Fall Classic. Donovan's Detroit Tigers (Who had Ty Cobb), were up against the Tinker-Evers-Chance Chicago Cubs. While the Tigers managed a tie in the opening contest (Called because of poor light), it was the Cubbies winning the next four games.
The fifth game saw Chicago's Orval Overall best Bill Donovan, 2-0. The Cubs got ten hits compared to the Tigers' three. The Tigers quickly got to Donovan. Three straight singles by Johhny Evers, Frank Schulte and Frank Chance made it 1-0 for the visiting Cubs in the top of the first.
Overall fanned four batters in the last of the first, Cobb among them. Still, the home team nearly tied it as Matty McIntyre led off with a walk and Sam Crawford singled with one out. Then with two on and two out, Orval Overall fanned Claude Rossman. However, strike three was a wild pitch. The bases were loaded. Alas, Germany Schaefer fanned to end the threat.
Donovan faced just three batters in the second, third and fourth inning. His theft occurred with two down in the last of the second. But Bill was stranded there as Matty McIntyre flied out. In the bottom of the fourth, it was Schaefer coaxing a one-out walk from Overall. With two down he tried for a stolen base of his own, but was thrown out.
Chicago then tacked on another run in the top of the fifth via a pair of walks and a Johnny Evers' double. The visitors lead, 2-0. And that was the final score.
Donovan had given up ten hits and three walks. Both runners who tried to steal of him were thrown out. But Overall finished with a three-hitter and four walks. Donovan was the only Tiger to get a stolen base of him in that game.
Flash-forward to the 1952 World Series. Another Billy. Billy Loes. In game six, his Brooklyn Dodgers were at home to the New York Yankees. Brooklyn was steal searching for that elusive first World Series.
Here, they led the Fall Classic 3-2 with game six at Ebbets Field. Both Loes and Yankee Vic Raschi were in a pitcher's duel. The home dream drew first blood as Duke Snider went yard in the bottom of the sixth. But Yogi Berra matched that with one of his own for New York in the top of the seventh. Before the Dodgers got to bat again, the Yankees crossed the dish again as Raschi helped out his own cause by driving in a run with a single. 2-1, New York.
In the bottom of the frame, with two away, Loes came up to the dish, 0-2. But this time he singled. And now he needed to get into scoring position. So what did Billy do? On a 3-1 pitch to Billy Cox, he stole second. Cox, alas, fanned to end the inning.
The teams traded solo home runs in the eighth inning as Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider went yard. That made it a 3-2 Yankees' lead. Loes returned for the top of the ninth, trying to keep it a one-run game. But after getting new pitcher Allie Reynolds out, Gil McDougald and Phil Rizzuto singled. Charlie Dressen replaced Loes with Preacher Roe. Although Mantle walked to load the bases, Roe got Joe Collins to fan and Yogi Berra to fly to right.
Reynolds allowed just a walk in the ninth as New York tied the series, 3-3. They went on to win game seven. Brooklyn had to be content with the pennant and having the last pitcher to steal a base in the Fall Classic!
References
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 24 Sept. 2019.
The first hurler to actually pilfer a sac was Bill Donovan. It was the fifth contest of the 1908 Fall Classic. Donovan's Detroit Tigers (Who had Ty Cobb), were up against the Tinker-Evers-Chance Chicago Cubs. While the Tigers managed a tie in the opening contest (Called because of poor light), it was the Cubbies winning the next four games.
The fifth game saw Chicago's Orval Overall best Bill Donovan, 2-0. The Cubs got ten hits compared to the Tigers' three. The Tigers quickly got to Donovan. Three straight singles by Johhny Evers, Frank Schulte and Frank Chance made it 1-0 for the visiting Cubs in the top of the first.
Overall fanned four batters in the last of the first, Cobb among them. Still, the home team nearly tied it as Matty McIntyre led off with a walk and Sam Crawford singled with one out. Then with two on and two out, Orval Overall fanned Claude Rossman. However, strike three was a wild pitch. The bases were loaded. Alas, Germany Schaefer fanned to end the threat.
Donovan faced just three batters in the second, third and fourth inning. His theft occurred with two down in the last of the second. But Bill was stranded there as Matty McIntyre flied out. In the bottom of the fourth, it was Schaefer coaxing a one-out walk from Overall. With two down he tried for a stolen base of his own, but was thrown out.
Chicago then tacked on another run in the top of the fifth via a pair of walks and a Johnny Evers' double. The visitors lead, 2-0. And that was the final score.
Donovan had given up ten hits and three walks. Both runners who tried to steal of him were thrown out. But Overall finished with a three-hitter and four walks. Donovan was the only Tiger to get a stolen base of him in that game.
Flash-forward to the 1952 World Series. Another Billy. Billy Loes. In game six, his Brooklyn Dodgers were at home to the New York Yankees. Brooklyn was steal searching for that elusive first World Series.
Here, they led the Fall Classic 3-2 with game six at Ebbets Field. Both Loes and Yankee Vic Raschi were in a pitcher's duel. The home dream drew first blood as Duke Snider went yard in the bottom of the sixth. But Yogi Berra matched that with one of his own for New York in the top of the seventh. Before the Dodgers got to bat again, the Yankees crossed the dish again as Raschi helped out his own cause by driving in a run with a single. 2-1, New York.
In the bottom of the frame, with two away, Loes came up to the dish, 0-2. But this time he singled. And now he needed to get into scoring position. So what did Billy do? On a 3-1 pitch to Billy Cox, he stole second. Cox, alas, fanned to end the inning.
The teams traded solo home runs in the eighth inning as Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider went yard. That made it a 3-2 Yankees' lead. Loes returned for the top of the ninth, trying to keep it a one-run game. But after getting new pitcher Allie Reynolds out, Gil McDougald and Phil Rizzuto singled. Charlie Dressen replaced Loes with Preacher Roe. Although Mantle walked to load the bases, Roe got Joe Collins to fan and Yogi Berra to fly to right.
Reynolds allowed just a walk in the ninth as New York tied the series, 3-3. They went on to win game seven. Brooklyn had to be content with the pennant and having the last pitcher to steal a base in the Fall Classic!
References
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 24 Sept. 2019.
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