Lost Arts The Bunt and the Stolen Base.

Watching the game on Sunday against the Astros, I saw Chris Taylor lay down a bunt that went for a hit. And it took me back to a time when the bunt was an offensive weapon to be reckoned with. Over the last several years, especially with the Dodgers, the only time you saw a bunt was when the pitcher came up and attempted to move the runner over. Maeda, and Kershaw were exceptionally good at that.

But bunting to get on base, or drive a runner in from third, well, that happened very rarely. I remember when I played, our coaches would make us make 3 bunts before we could swing the bat in batting practice. And they had to be good bunts too. Not foul balls.

And in the early years of my love of baseball, the bunt was a huge part of some players arsenal. Maury Wills, and Jr Gilliam were pretty good at it. The last Dodger I remember using it as an offensive weapon was Brett Butler. I always thought that Dee Gordon would have hit 20 points higher with that speed had he been a good bunter.

But baseball today has morphed into a game that is more about launch angle and exit velocity than finesse. Progress they call it. Seems to me they thought the same thing about cell phones. While handy, I hardly think they are progress. But that is just me. Video games and texting have taken the place of being outside in the fresh air hitting a ball.

But that is a rant for a different type of blog. Now the stolen base was also a huge weapon back then. In the early years of the game there were many prolific base stealers. Ty Cobb at that time was the best. He held the stolen base record at 96 from 1915 until Wills broke it with 104 in 1962.  47 years. Cobb ended with 897 steals. Over a 24 year career, that is an average of 48 a year. Some players do not reach that number in a season.

But prior to Cobb, there was a player named Billy Hamilton, who played for the KC Cowboys of the American Association, which in 1888 was a major league. He moved to the Phillies in 1890. Hamilton topped 100 steals 4 times. 1889, 90, 91 and 93. With a high of 111 in 1891. But he was not considered the record holder in the modern game. Hamilton ended with 914 bags over a 14 year career averaging 75 steals a year. WOW.

The top 5 are Rickey Henderson, 1406, Lou Brock, 938, Billy Hamilton, 914, Ty Cobb, 897, and Tim Raines, 808. Players who spent time with the Dodgers in the top 50 include, Max Carey, 738, not all as a Dodger, most of them with Pittsburgh, Otis Nixon, 620, Juan Pierre, 614, Maury Wills, 586, Brett Butler, 558, Davey Lopes, 557, Bill Dahlen, 548, Willie Keeler, 495, Carl Crawford, 480, Jimmy Shekard, 465. Quite a list.

As for the Dodgers all time leaders, they have 43 players who had over 100 steals in their Dodger years. Duke Snider just missed with 99. Of course Wills leads that group with 490 as a Dodger. Lopes is second with 418. Willie Davis is the only other Dodger over 300 with 335. Tom Daly, a 2B I honestly have never heard of is 4th with 298.

Steve Sax had 290, Pee Wee Reese who is # 10 had 232. Gilliam at # 12 with 203 which tied him with Zack Wheat. Best name on the list is # 18, Oyster Burns with 172, which is 2 more than Matt Kemp had as a Dodgers. Big difference is Burns only played in 820 games for Brooklyn, Matt played 1262 for the Dodgers.

The stolen base, and the bunt are two of the more exciting plays in baseball. And I for one wish they were used a lot more. I can easily remember the excitement in Dodger Stadium in 1962 when Maury was going for the record. Those go go go chants would start, and when he made it safely, the crowd would go crazy. Of course, as offensively challenged as they were in those years, the steal was an offensive weapon to be reckoned with.

As an example, Big D had gone ahead to the next city prior to his opening the series there. When told Koufax had thrown a no hitter, Drysdale, knowing how inept the hitters were asked, did he win? 

I am a firm believer this skill should be taught more. The right combination of speed and knowledge of how to take better leads can be a real weapon. Speed is the one skill that cannot be taught. How to use that speed can.