Page "Stolen base" Paragraph 10

Base stealing is an important characteristic of a particular style of baseball, sometimes called " small ball " or " manufacturing runs ".

A team playing with this style emphasizes doing little things ( including risky running plays like base-stealing ) to advance runners and score runs, often relying on pitching and defense to keep games close.

The Los Angeles Dodgers of the 1960s, led by pitcher Sandy Koufax and speedy shortstop Maury Wills, were a successful example of this style.

The antithesis of this would be a team that relies on power hitting.

The Baltimore Orioles of the 1970s, led by manager Earl Weaver, were an example of such a " slugging " team that aspired to score most of its runs via home runs.

Often the " small ball " model is associated with the National League, while power hitting is seen as more associated with the American League.

However, some of the more successful American League teams of recent memory, including the 2002 Anaheim Angels, the 2001 Seattle Mariners and the 2005 Chicago White Sox have experienced their success in part as a result of playing " small ball ," advancing runners through means such as the stolen base and the related hit and run play.

Successful teams often combine both styles, with a speedy runner or two complementing hitters with power, such as the 2005 White Sox, who despite playing " small ball ", still hit 200 home runs that season.