One of the wonderful things about sports is that the perceived correct strategic formula to winning is ever evolving. Sometimes the change is subtle, sometimes not so subtle.
No one would dispute that the 3 point line has changed how basketball is coached for better or worse. But maybe the biggest change has taken place in the last 10 years in baseball. Analytics, formerly known as sabermetrics, have taken hold.
When these changes go from fad to trend to expectations, records of past year’s accomplishments are increasingly harder to compare to current. And records may also be easier to be broken (for example three point shots attempted/made in a season), or harder to be broken.
What follows is what we wrote in an article about Joe Dimaggio’s consecutive game hit steak a few weeks back. It was titled “56” a few weeks back.
The record stands at 56 games, and has now stood that way for 78 years and counting. We aren’t here to debate if its the greatest baseball record ever for it’s hard to compare pitching feats to hitting feats much less one game to one streak to one season to one career records. But we are here to say that holding a record for any stat for 78 years is a long, long time and that makes it a great, great accomplishment.
So all of the above makes us wonder about another baseball record. This one is a career accomplishment. Analytics has made this one chosen far less as a tool to victory. The math today says stealing a base is far less statistically appealing today than in years gone by.
The quirky and insanely talented Rickey Henderson was drafted in the 4th round in 1976 by the Oakland Athletics. He played for them four separate times over an amazing 25 year career when he changed uniforms 13 times in all. A first ballot Hall of Famer and 10 time All Star. He leads the majors in career leadoff homeruns with 81. Second place is not close at 53. Amazing indeed.
But most amazing of all is how well, and how often he stole a base. He stole 1406 in all. Second place alltime is Lou Brock. His total? 938. Henderson’s total is exactly 50 % better than second all time. 50%! Believe it or not, he even stole 66 bases when he was 39 years old.
Statistics can be shaped one way or the other to prove a point. But, one way to look at this is to compare this feat to Pete Rose’s 44 game hit streak, second to Dimaggio’s 56. Dimaggio’s record has stood for 78 years and counting. But Dimaggio would have had to hit in 66 straight games to be 50% better than Rose. How long would 66 games with at least one hit hold the record if 56 has held it for 78 years and counting?
Never ever say never. But, given where the game is today, combined with Henderson’s exceptionally long career, put this record on a very short list of the very hardest to even be approached, much less broken.
Loved by teammates, he was one of the good ones on and off of the field. On the field Buckner slugged over 2,700 hits in his career that spanned 22 seasons with five teams. He won the batting title in 1980. And he had a mustache, eye brows, and coif of hair for the ages.