Stealing for the Cycle!
This one goes into the: “You learn something new about this game everyday” file!
I discovered that today is the one-hundred-twelfth anniversary of an unusual feat accomplished by Shoeless Joe Jackson. On this date in 1912 the twenty-five-year-old Jackson completed the “stolen base cycle” when he swiped home in the seventh inning of the Indians’ 8-3 victory over the New York at Cleveland’s League Park. According to the National Pastime website:
“The 25-year-old outfielder made his way around the bases by stealing second and third base before his thievery of the plate to complete the deed.”
Wow… the “steal cycle,” where a player steals second, third, and home in the same inning, is something I had never even thought about. Doing a little research, I discovered that the “steal cycle” has happened 50 times since 1899, and only 11 times since 1928. The last player to do it was Dee Gordon on July 1, 2011 .
