Will anyone ever threaten this Rickey record?

Rickey Henderson is the reward that retains on giving. On this Christmas Day, Rickey’s sixty fourth birthday, we glance again on simply one of many quite a few unbelievable feats he completed throughout his Hall of Fame profession: setting the single-season stolen base document 40 years in the past.

On Aug. 27, 1982, Henderson broke Lou Brock’s mark of 118 steals in a season by swiping second base within the third inning of the Athletics’ 5-4 loss to the Brewers in Milwaukee. He set the brand new mark in model — the record-breaking steal was the primary of 4 Henderson would have on the evening en path to 130 for the season. It additionally got here on a Brewers pitch-out; they could not catch him it doesn’t matter what they tried that evening.

Here’s a have a look at simply how unbelievable Rickey’s unforgettable 1982 marketing campaign was:

Only 5 gamers on this century stole half as many bases in a season as Henderson did in 1982

Yes, stolen bases have been down lately, however what Rickey did in 1982 stays jaw-dropping by any measure and in any period. This is illustrated by the truth that solely 5 gamers since 2000 have stolen even half as many bases as his 1982 complete of 130: Scott Podsednik stole 70 for the Brewers in 2004, Jose Reyes stole 78 for the Mets in ’07, Willy Taveras stole 68 for the Rockies in ’08, Jacoby Ellsbury stole 70 for the Red Sox in ’09, and Juan Pierre stole 68 for the White Sox in ’10.

Only three different gamers within the trendy period of AL/NL historical past (since 1900) stole 100 or extra bases in a season

Other than Henderson, who did it 3 times in his profession (1980, ’82 and ’83), solely three different males within the trendy period of AL/NL historical past stole no less than 100 bases in a single season — Maury Wills (104 in 1962), Lou Brock (118 in 1974) and Vince Coleman (110 in 1985, 107 in ’86, and 109 in ’87).

Only 14 groups stole greater than 130 bases in a season during the last 10 years

Don’t fear, your eyes usually are not deceiving you — it is true: solely 14 groups compiled 130 or extra steals in a season since 2013. They are the 2013 Brewers (142), the 2013 Rangers (149), the 2013 Royals (153), the 2014 Royals (153), the 2014 Dodgers (138), the 2015 D-backs (132), the 2015 Reds (134), the 2016 D-backs (137), the 2016 Reds (139), Cleveland in 2016 (134), the 2016 Brewers (181), the 2017 Angels (136), Cleveland in 2018 (135), and the 2019 Rangers (131).

So previously three seasons, no crew stole as many bases as Henderson swiped in 1982.

Henderson stole 4 bases in a sport 3 times in 1982 — there have been no particular person four-steal video games in MLB within the final three seasons

Rickey stole 4 bases in a sport 3 times throughout the 1982 season, together with on Aug. 27, within the sport through which he set a brand new single-season steals document. In the previous three seasons, nobody has swiped 4 baggage in a single sport. To discover three such situations, you’d want to return to 2018-19. On Aug. 12, 2018, the Padres’ Travis Jankowski stole 4 bases in opposition to the Phillies. On May 27, 2019, the Mariners’ Mallex Smith stole 4 in opposition to the Rangers. And on Sept. 24, 2019, the Marlins’ Jon Berti stole 4 in opposition to the Mets.

Henderson practically had as many steals as hits in 1982

Rickey had 143 hits in 1982, simply 13 greater than the variety of stolen bases he recorded that season. Not solely that, he truly had 25 extra steals than singles (105).

Henderson stole 15 baggage in opposition to a single crew in 1982

Rickey racked up double-digit steal figures in opposition to 5 groups in ’82. He stole 15 on Cleveland pitchers and catchers alone. He additionally stole 13 in opposition to the Brewers — together with 4 the evening he set the document –13 in opposition to the Mariners, 13 in opposition to the Orioles and 12 in opposition to the Twins.

Henderson was caught stealing extra occasions than all however seven gamers’ steal complete in 1982

Tim Raines (78), Lonnie Smith (68), Omar Moreno (60), Mookie Wilson (58), Damaso Garcia (54), Steve Sax (49) and Julio Cruz (46) had been the one gamers to steal extra bases in 1982 than the variety of occasions Rickey was caught stealing — 42.