(Gabe Rodriguez)
Run the risk, or you’ll never know the score -Warren Zevon
Rickey Henderson would love the 2015 edition of the Gulf Coast League.
The Hall of Famer, Major League Baseball’s all time stolen base leader with 1406, also swiped 313 bases in his minor league career. This year the GCL is on a Henderson-like pace.
The Gulf Coast Blue Jays currently lead the league in team stolen bases with 45 in 54 attempts over their first 31 games.
Running (literally) second are the GCL Nationals with 42 in 61 tries through 33 games, followed closely by the Marlins and GCL Yankees 1 , with 41 each.
Rookie leagues like the GCL are ripe for a running game. The teams are literally formed only days before the season begins, and many of the pitchers and catchers for each team have had limited or no experience working together.
Couple that with teams using as many as four or five catchers during the season and it’s green light for baserunners.
The GCL Red Sox have stolen 39 bases in 53 attempts, and the Astros follow with 36 with 17 times caught stealing.
Overall through 35 games, the teams in the GCL have stolen 504 bases in 761 attempts.
The only team in the league with a negative stolen base percentage thus far is the GCL Mets, who have swiped 21 and have been caught 26 times.
Mookie Wilson, who stole 281 bases in his New York Mets career would not be pleased…
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