Season Finale: Part V: Returning the Stolen Base to Baseball Prominence

(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Part V, (season-finale) in a series. I'll do it again next year and compare it to this year.

If you've read my first two articles, "The Stolen Base: A Lost Art. Will we ever see a 100 Steal Man Again?" and "Gimmie Five! Dexter "The Prowler" Fowler Steals Five Bases in a Game," then you know I am a fan of the stolen base and an advocate of its return to baseball prominence.

Before reading this article, be sure to read parts I, II, III, and IV of my season-long mini-series outlining the possibility of another 100-steal man in major league baseball, "The Quest for 100 Steals: Can Carl Crawford or Anyone Else Do It?", "The Quest for 100 steals-can Carl Crawford do it?" and "Returning The Stolen Base To Baseball Prominence (Part III)" and "Returning the Stolen Base to Baseball Prominence (Part IV)"

October 12, 2009 here were the top five finishers in 2009:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury. Finished with 70 steals in 82 attempts 85.3%.

Since the last September 1 update Ellsbury went 12/13 in September and 3/5 in four games in October to reach the 70 steal plateau.

In just his second season, Ellsbury, still only 26, managed to increase his career high in steals by an even 20 after getting 50 as a rookie last year. Because of his consistency and unbelievable accuracy and timing, he'll only continue to get better but we have to start to wonder when he's maxed out that number as its already so high in only his second full season.

Could we see a Teemu Selanne-esque drop-off next year? (Selanne, an NHL player, scored his career high, 76 goals, as a rookie for the Winnipeg Jets in 1992 and never came close to that number again. 85 would be a nice goal for 2010 but there comes a point when he has a Vince Coleman like drop (Coleman swiped his career high, 110 as a rookie in 1985 for the Cardinals as I keep referencing).

Ellsbury's steals by month:

April: 10

May: 11

June: 12 (perfect 12/12)

July 14

August: 8

September: 7? (12 actual)

October 3

Ellsbury thankfully smashed my pessimistic pick of seven for September and based on his 3/5 October performance in just four games, its pretty obvious that he had 70 as a target goal and was determined to get it, and good for him.

His 3/5 shouldn't be alarming as in just four games its not that big of a deal, and as I said, even the worst observer can analyze what his ultimate goal was, which was to get 70 steals.  In the process, Ellsbury topped the Red Sox old mark of 54 steals in 1973

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