Where have you gone Vince Coleman???

[kaldaniels]

Or more specifically...where have all the elite stolen base runners gone??? The league leaders in SB just don't put up the numbers like they used to. Looking back at the 70/80s the league champ was commonly stealing ~100 bases.


I figure it has to be one of three things...

1)Vince/others from that era where just that good/fast
2)Catchers have vastly improved
3)Stat-heads (who I love) found that strategy doesn't pay off ultimately.

What is it?

[goreds2]

Or more specifically...where have all the elite stolen base runners gone??? The league leaders in SB just don't put up the numbers like they used to. Looking back at the 70/80s the league champ was commonly stealing ~100 bases.


I figure it has to be one of three things...

1)Vince/others from that era where just that good/fast
2)Catchers have vastly improved
3)Stat-heads (who I love) found that strategy doesn't pay off ultimately.

What is it?

I think it is the result of the smaller ball parks built and teams not relying on "manufacturing" runs.

[Why Not?]

Or more specifically...where have all the elite stolen base runners gone??? The league leaders in SB just don't put up the numbers like they used to. Looking back at the 70/80s the league champ was commonly stealing ~100 bases.


I figure it has to be one of three things...

1)Vince/others from that era where just that good/fast
2)Catchers have vastly improved
3)Stat-heads (who I love) found that strategy doesn't pay off ultimately.

What is it?

Option 3.

You have to be successful at a higher rate these days to make it worthwhile to try. You can't risk getting caught because everybody in your lineup can hit bombs.

[Redus]

Used to love it when I'd end up getting Vince Coleman in my Strat-O League!!!

[TN Red Fan]

Stolen bases went out of style years ago, long-before moneyball was written. Pitchers started making more and better use of the slide-step shortly after guys like Coleman and Henderson were tearing up the league with 100 steal seasons, and that put a curb to it all.

I'm talking around 1990 here. Notice thats when both Coleman and Henderson's SB numbers started dropping. It wasn't because they got slower, it's because the pitchers started changing their delivery to the plate.