Jim Thome Steals A Win
Photo by Keith Allison 
On this date (May 21), 1997, Cleveland Indians’ first baseman Jim Thome stole his only base of the season. Not much of a surprise in that statement After all, the 6’4”, 250-pound future Hall of Famer was known for his bat not his speed. In is 22-season MLB career, he would swipe only 19 bases , but would launch 612 home runs.
What made his one 1997 steal surprising is that it was a swipe of home – and proved the only run in an Indians 1-0 win over the Royals in Cleveland.
It came in the bottom of the fourth frame. With Kevin Appier on the mound, Thome opened the inning with a single to short right. Third baseman Matt Williams followed with a single to left, with Thome advancing to second. Appier then got LF David Justice looking on a 3-2 pitch. Next up was DH Julio Franco, who was safe on a fielder’s choice (Williams forced at second), with Thome moving to third. Then, on the fourth pitch (2-1 count) to RF Brian Giles, Franco broke for second. As Royals’ backstop Tim Spehr threw down to second, Thome broke for home (I was going to say scampered, but Thome never really scampered ). Franco was safe and Thome scored the game’s only run, (The singles by Thome and Williams were the only Indians’ safeties of the game).
Vic Power … Most Recent MLB Player to Steal Home Twice in a Game
On August 14, 1958, Vic Power became just the eleventh player in AL/NL history to steal home twice in one game – a feat that has not been accomplished since. Why the surprise? Power stole only three bases all season.
In a game against the Tigers (in Cleveland), Detroit was on top of the Tribe 7-4 going into the bottom of the eighth inning – but the Indians fought back. Cleveland RF Rocky Colavito started the inning with his second home run of the game (his 26th of the season). Then pinch-hitter Gary Geiger (hitting for SS Woodie Held) walked. Next up was another pinch hitter – Vic Wertz – for pitcher Morrie Martin. Wertz tied the contest with a two-run long ball.
After a Detroit pitching change – Bill Fischer in for Tom Morgan – Indians’ 2B Bobby Avila reached on an error by Tigers’ 1B Gail Harris. Cleveland 1B Mickey Vernon sacrificed Avila to second and Power singled him home – moving on to second on an error by Detroit catcher Charlie Lau. And, the pesky Power was just warming up. He went to third on a wild pitch by Fischer and then stole home with LF Minnie Minoso at the plate (after a short fly out to center by catcher Russ Nixon) to run the lead to 9-7. Minoso was hit by a pitch and stole second before CF Larry Doby flied out to end the inning. The Tribe bullpen, however, could not hold the two-run lead – and the Tigers tied it in the top of the ninth. That opened the door for Power’s historic second steal of home – which came in the bottom of the tenth, with the bases loaded, two outs and one of the AL’s most dependable RBI men (Rocky Colavito, with 74 driven in at that point in the season) at the plate.
Here’s how that tenth went. Vernon grounded out. Then, Power singled to right (his third hit of the day, raising his average to .319). Nixon followed with another single, Power moving to second. Minoso grounded to short, with Power moving on to third, Nixon forced at second and Minoso reaching first on the fielder’s choice. Doby was intentionally walked, loading the bases and bringing Colavito to the dish. On the fourth pitch to the Indians’ slugger, Power – who had been scampering up and down the third base line – broke for the plate and ended the game on a “run off” steal of home.
First part of this surprise: Going into that August 14 tilt, Power had exactly one stolen base on the season – and he did not steal a single bag for the remainder of that campaign. The fact is, he was much more likely to beat you with his glove (seven Gold Gloves) or his bat (.284 career average) than his legs. In twelve MLB seasons, Power stole just 45 bases (and was caught 35 times). Second part of this surprise: The steal came with Colavito at the plate.
Glenn Brummer – A Running Walk Off
Catchers are usually more noted for defending home plate then stealing it. Cardinals’ backup backstop Glenn Brummer, however, may be best remembered for his walk-off steal of home in the 12th inning of a Cardinals’ 5-4 win over the Giants on September 22,1982.
Brummer (who had entered the game in the pinch runner in the eighth) started the winning rally with a one-out single to left off the Giants’ Gary Lavelle. Brummer went to second on a single by CF Willie McGee. Then after a pop out by 3B Julio Gonzalez, Brummer advanced to third on an infield single by SS Ozzie Smith. Next, with a 1-2 count on LF David Green, Brummer surprised everyone in the park and broke for home. He was safe, delivering the walk-off steal of home plate.
Bummer stole only four bases (and was thrown out eight times) in his five-season (178 games played) MLB career. His final stat line was .251-1-27.
Another Catcher Puts up a Big Steal of Home
In Game Seven of the 1964 World Series (Yankees/Cardinals), Cardinals’ catcher Tim McCarver swiped home in the bottom of the fourth. The score was 1-0 Cardinals at the time, and the Redbirds had McCarver on third and RF Mike Shannon on first with one out. The Cardinals successfully executed a double steal with light-hitting Dal Maxvill at the plate. Saint Louis eventually prevailed 7-5.
During the 1964 regular season, McCarver had stolen just two bases (two attempts). For his 21-season MLB career, McCarver was 61-for-100 in steal attempts. Is career stat line was .271-97-645.
Let’s Take A Chance, It’s Only a Big Game
On October 11, 1997 – in the third game of the American League Championship Series (Indians/Orioles) – the two teams came into the 12th inning tied at one apiece. The Orioles failed to score to score in the top of the inning, setting the stage for an historic moment for Indians’ CF Marquis Grissom. After LF Brian Giles fanned (against Randy Myers) to open the frame, number-nine hitter Grissom walked. That brought up 2B Tony Fernandez, who singled with Grissom gong to third. Next was SS Omar Vizquel, who got the “squeeze” sign with a 2-1 count. Vizquel squared to bunt and missed the ball – with Grissom speeding toward home. The ball glanced off catcher Lenny Webster’s glove and Grissom was safe and credited with a walk-off steal of home. Okay, Grissom stealing home is not a surprise, he did have 429 steals over a 17-season MLB career (1989-2005). But the fact that his was the first-ever MLB post-season walk-off steal of home (and it came on a botched suicide squeeze) qualified Grissom’s dash for this list.
Grissom’s final MLB stat line was .272-227-967, with those 429 steals.
An oddity
Both Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth notched double digit steals of home in their MLB careers (15 and 10, respectively). Rickey Henderson, Lou Brock and Maury Wills did not.
Some steal-of-home tidbits:
- Ty Cobb – no surprise here – holds the MLB career record for steals of home with 54, as well as the single-season record with eight.
- The Yankees’ Bob Muesel stole home an MLB career-record two times in the World Series (Game Two, 1921 and Game Three, 1928).
- On October 7, 2021 – in Game One of the Red Sox/Rays AL Division Series, Rays’ LF Randy Arozarena became the fist player to hit a home run and steal home in the same post-season game.
- There have been 34 regular-season walk-off steals of home in the AL/NL – only one player has two Wally Moses (Athletics – August 20, 1940) and White Sox (July 7, 1943).
Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com.
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