3 Stolen Bases in the Same Inning

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In a Grapefruit League game today, the Toronto Blue Jays’ Anthony Gose stole 2nd, 3rd and home in top of the 8th inning, scoring the eventual winning run as Toronto beat Boston to continue its torrid spring training winning spree.

This, of course, is a pretty unusual feat. I’ve found references to these previous times that this has been done.

Pete Rose, May 11, 1980, at the age of 39!!!
Jayson Werth, May 12, 2009

What is special about Gose today was that he was the only baserunner of the inning. The two games above both involved a double steal in one of the 3 stolen bases.

Does anyone know of other games where this has happened?

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Minor Leaguer

12 years ago

From Baseball Almanac: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/stealing_second_third_home.shtml

Author

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to Minor Leaguer

Thank you, Minor Leaguer!

Author

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to Minor Leaguer

Check out Minor Leaguer’s link above.

Honus Wagner did this 4 times, Ty Cobb thrice, Jackie Tavener and Max Carey twice each.

Happened twice in 6 days in 1915, and twice in 17 days in 1916. But, then, happened only once from 1929 to 1968.

Hank G.

12 years ago

Reply to Doug

You missed one. Cobb did it four times also. Of course, he could have done it many more times had he wanted to.

Is there any way to see if someone stole second and third, and then was out trying to steal home?

Author

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to Hank G.

Unfortunately, not that I’m aware of.

I could be mistakn, but the B-R event finder appears to only include batting and pitching events, NOT baserunning events.

Raphy

12 years ago

Reply to Minor Leaguer

So I guess the next question would be – Has anybody done it before the next batter finished his turn at the plate?

Richard Chester

12 years ago

Reply to Raphy

The Charlton Chronology states that on 7/12/11 Cobb walked, then stole 2nd, 3rd and home on consecutive pitches. They don’t state if it occurred starting with the first pitch to the next batter.

Editor

John Autin

12 years ago

Reply to Raphy

Can’t think of an efficient way to find such events, but I can say that Maury Wills never did it.

Author

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to Raphy

Rod Carew stole 2nd, 3rd and home in this 1969 game, all while Harmon Killebrew was batting against Mickey Lolich.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN196905180.shtml

Carew’s steal of second was part of a double steal with Cesar Tovar stealing home on the same play. So, there were two steals of home in the same plate appearance.

Editor

John Autin

12 years ago

Reply to Doug

Well done, Doug!

Nobody expects (a) the Spanish Inquisition, or (b) two steals of home with Harmon Killebrew batting in 1969!

Author

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Indeed.

Killebrew was MVP that year. Led the league in HR, RBI, OBP, BB and IBB.

And, the Twins were behind 2-0 and there was nobody out. On the other hand, Billy Martin was the manager.

Editor

John Autin

12 years ago

Reply to Doug

So, Killebrew saw at least 1 pitch with:
– men on 1st & 3rd;
– man on 2nd;
– man on 3rd; and
– bases empty.

He finally struck out. I guess that counts as an AB with nobody on base?

Mike L

12 years ago

Reply to John Autin

so, what does that make his WPA for that at bat?

Author

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Not a big WPA impact since the Twins lost the game 8-2 to Detroit.

It appears the 4 stolen bases during Killebrew’s AB reduced the Tigers’ WPA by 8%, but their WPA was then increased by 2% with Killebrew’s strikeout.

I think the +8% all goes Carew and Tovar, and the -2% goes to Killebrew.

Author

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to Raphy

Here’s a game I remember from last year. http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TOR/TOR201109070.shtml Only two stolen bases on this one, but it was 3rd and home for Jose Bautista after getting on base with a double. With two out, Wakefield walked Brett Lawrie with first base open and Bautista caught Boston napping, going to 3rd as Lawrie jogged down to 1st. Then, with Adam Loewen up, Lawrie took off and Bautista came home when the the throw went through to 2nd and Scutaro’s return throw was wild. Bautista was feeling so frisky he tried a straight steal of 2nd next time he was on… Read more »

Minor Leaguer

12 years ago

Also interesting is Gose’s line for the day: 0 for 3, 2 runs, walk, 4 SB

Editor

John Autin

12 years ago

I don’t know much about Gose, but he seems to be getting the hang of base-stealing. In 2010, he had 45 steals but 32 CS at class A. Last year, he swiped 70 and was caught just 15 times.

And in case it hasn’t been said yet: There he Gose!

Author

Doug

12 years ago

One of the other times this has been done is this game, a unique accomplishment by Don Kolloway in 1941 with 4 SB and 2 HR in the same game. His line was 5-4-3-2.

Voomo Zanzibar

12 years ago

Dusty Baker, at age 35.

137 steals for his career, but only at 65%.
(Though he led the league in SB% at age 24)

What is amazing is that it was June 27th, and they were his first three steals of the year. And he would bag only one more bag.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN198406270.shtml

Hartvig

12 years ago

Not surprising that since 1928- by which time a lot of dead ball era stars and managers were at or near the end of the line- that this became far less common although in the past 30 years or so it’s happened more often than I would have thought. I haven’t checked game logs but I would have to guess that the pitchers delivery/pick off move & catchers arm are probably the 2 biggest factors although experience (or lack thereof) & wildness may have been contributing factors as well. Can anyone thing of any other factors that might contribute to… Read more »

Evil Squirrel

12 years ago

Can’t Lloyd Moseby get an honorable mention for stealing three bases in one inning? (Advance to the 0:54 mark)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wd0oS9FWQY

12 years ago

Reply to Evil Squirrel

Was it just a coincidence that at the 1:23 mark of the video they show a squirrel running on the field??? 🙂

Evil Squirrel

12 years ago

Reply to Ed

Ha! I didn’t watch it past Moseby!

Editor

John Autin

12 years ago

Reply to Evil Squirrel

Classic video! But why did Moseby go back to first base — did he think the CF had caught a fly ball?

12 years ago

Reply to John Autin

According to his B-R bio page, Ozzie Guillen tricked him into thinking the ball had been popped up.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Lloyd_Moseby

However, the video doesn’t seem to support that explanation. From the video, Moseby looks toward the catcher when he gets up from his slide and immediately starts running back towards 1st. Guillen is standing right next to him (#13 in the video) and I don’t see any attempt by him at simulating catching a pop fly. Nor does it appear that Moseby looks at Guillen before starting back to 1st. He may have been tricked but not by Guillen.

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to John Autin

I think the centerfielder caught the throw on a fly. The throw was bad enough that Moseby didn’t think it was just a throw instead of a flyball.

topper009

12 years ago

Reply to Evil Squirrel

That would make Germany Schaefer proud. Also, Rance Mulliniks? What a name.

topper009

12 years ago

Reply to Evil Squirrel

Also this is a great reason to take a peak at the pitch when you are stealing. I never understood how guys could just blinding run towards 2nd.

bluejaysstatsgeek

12 years ago

If Gose can get on base, he’s going to be something amazing to watch.

RichardKC

12 years ago

I think I remember that Carlos Beltran did something similar to this several years ago. If my memory is correct, he stole 2nd and 3rd on consecutive pitches, then went home on the next pitch, which was a wild pitch or passed ball. I haven’t been able to find the box score, so it may not have happened.

deal

12 years ago

The double steal in Werth’s 3 SB inning really didn’t detract from his accomplishment. He was the lead runner on all 3 steals and the 2x steal didn’t occur on the steal of home. Russell Martin lollipopped the a return throw to the mound which allowed Werth to steal home.