Page "Stolen base" Paragraph 9

Second base is the base most often stolen.

It is also technically the easiest to steal, as it is farthest from home plate and thus a longer throw from the catcher is required to prevent it.

Third base is a shorter throw for the catcher, and thus more difficult to steal, though a right-handed batter can sometimes help by serving as an obstacle that the catcher must throw around.

Third base is generally stolen off the pitcher, since a bigger lead is possible off second base.

It is possible for a player to steal home plate, but this requires great daring and aggressiveness as the ball will almost certainly arrive at home plate before the runner.

Thus a sacrifice bunt or squeeze play is typically used instead.

Ty Cobb holds the records for most steals of home in a single season ( 8 ) as well as for a career ( 54 ).

It is worth noting, however, that steals of home are not officially recorded statistics, and, thus, must be researched through individual game accounts.

Thus, Cobb's totals may be even greater than is recorded.

Jackie Robinson was also renowned for the thrilling feat of stealing home, which he famously accomplished in Game 1 of the 1955 World Series.

On August 22, 1982, Glenn Brummer stole home in the bottom of the 12th inning of a tie game, thus accomplishing a walk-off straight steal of home, one of the very few in major league history.

In more recent years, pure steals of home are rare, although a player may steal home plate during a " delayed double steal ," in which a runner on first attempts to steal second, while the runner on third breaks for home as soon as the catcher throws to second base.

The most recent player credited with a " straight " steal of home was Pete Kozma of the St. Louis Cardinals who stole home against the Chicago Cubs on September 21, 2012.