The greatest stolen base ever began, like so much else in baseball, with failure.
As the 2004 postseason began, Dave Roberts was told by Red Sox manager Terry Francona to stay ready for anything, and in Roberts' first playoff opportunity as a pinch runner, in the division series against the Angels, he had failed to run.
Roberts entered Game 2 as a pinch runner after Bill Mueller led off with a single, and after Johnny Damon fell behind in the count 0-2 -- patiently waiting for Roberts to break for second -- Damon chopped into a fielder's choice. Roberts was forced out, and his only chance to impact the game vanished. Kevin Youkilis moved into Roberts' lineup spot in the next half inning, to play third base.
As Roberts recently explained on the Baseball Tonight podcast, in the aftermath of that, he made up his mind that he would definitely run the next time he pinch ran. This was his mindset, then, when he moved onto the field at Fenway Park in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4 of the American League Championship Series.
The Red Sox were in the deepest hole possible in that moment: Down 3 games to 0 in a best-of-seven series, a deficit that had never been overcome before. Mariano Rivera -- who would one day become the first player voted into the Hall of Fame unanimously -- was on the mound for the Yankees, who held a one-run lead and were three outs from eliminating Boston.
But the Red Sox had this going for them: Roberts knew he was going to run. He was completely committed to the idea of running, to the degree that it was almost reflexive. A baserunner who had successfully stolen bases on 92.1% of his attempts that year was intent on getting into scoring position, and as Roberts and Francona remember, he had an exceptional accomplice in Mueller, the hitter at the plate.
Francona's initial intention was to ask Mueller to bunt Roberts to second base, but Roberts communicated that he wanted to run -- and Francona, and Mueller, deferred. "Billy handled it masterfully," Francona said, "because he was going to bunt if Dave couldn't steal. Billy had a lot on his plate, and I don't think he ever gets enough credit."
Roberts was going to try to steal -- he knew that -- and after waiting through a series of Rivera pickoff moves, he broke from first, going headlong into second.
The first words Roberts heard, as he lay in the dirt, were those of Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter: How the f--- did you do that?
As the years have passed and he's watched that moment over and over, Roberts says the play looks closer and closer, the tag of Jeter coming down a little more quickly.
When Rivera threw the next pitch, Mueller squared to bunt, but pulled his bat back to take a strike, evening the count at 1. When Rivera threw his next cutter, the ball moving into Mueller's hands, the hitter pulled them in enough to slam the pitch up the middle. Rivera kicked out his left leg, like a hockey goalie splaying to deflect a shot, but Mueller's ball rolled into the center-field grass, and Roberts raced home with the tying run.
What followed has been marbleized in New England lore. A walk-off home run from David Ortiz. Another walk-off hit from Ortiz, a single. Curt Schilling's Bloody Sock performance. Johnny Damon's grand slam. The first domino was Roberts' stolen base, and as a crossroads in one of the most significant moments in baseball, Roberts' ranks as the greatest stolen base in baseball history.
Here are four others:
2. Jackie Robinson's steal of home, 1955 World Series
Yogi Berra always greeted Rachel Robinson, Jackie's widow, in the same manner, according to NBC Sports.
"Safe," she would say.
"Out," Yogi would respond.
That debate has forever obscured the incredible context of the play, which, if attempted these days, would make the heads of analysts explode.
When Robinson broke for home plate, the Dodgers were down two runs. In the eighth inning.
Robinson was safe, according to home plate umpire Bill Summers, but Brooklyn lost the series opener 6-5. Nonetheless, Robinson felt something had changed among the Dodgers after that play.
Since he had joined the Dodgers, they had lost to the Yankees in the World Series repeatedly -- in 1947, in 1949, in 1952 and in 1953. "Whether it was because of my stealing home or not," Robinson said, "the team had a new fire."
Johnny Podres won Game 7 of the '55 World Series, aided by Sandy Amoros' catch in left field, and Robinson's steal of home became the embodiment of his baserunning aggressiveness.
3. Rickey Henderson's steal No. 939
Given Henderson's personality, you knew it would not be a quiet moment when he broke Lou Brock's career record for stolen bases -- and Henderson did not disappoint, pulling the base off its bracket and lifting it over his head. "Lou Brock was a great base stealer," Henderson said after that game, "but today, I am the greatest of all time."
He was right, and yet far from done. Henderson played 12 more seasons beyond that 1991 milestone and finished his career with 1,406 steals. Rajai Davis, who mulled retirement last year but has not made that official, is MLB's active steal leader, with nearly 1,000 fewer, at 415.
4. Reggie Jackson's steal in the 1972 playoffs
Jackson is in the Hall of Fame because of his power, his 563 homers in the regular season and five in the 1977 World Series. But at the outset of the Athletics' dynasty, he made a difference with a steal of home plate. Early in the decisive Game 5 of the AL Championship Series, Jackson drew a walk and stole second base. With two outs and Jackson at third, Oakland manager Dick Williams called for a double steal -- and as the throw went to second base, Jackson broke for home and scored with a slide into a collision, tearing his hamstring on a play that would help the A's win 2-1. Jackson missed the World Series, but Oakland won the first of three consecutive championships for the Mustache Gang.
5. Lou Brock's 893rd steal
Before Henderson passed Brock, Brock passed Ty Cobb's career mark of 892 steals -- on a play in which the throw to second base easily beat him. But unlike Henderson, who usually slid headfirst, Brock stole bases feetfirst, and on this play, he separated shortstop Bill Almon from the ball.
Brock stole 51 or more bases in 12 consecutive seasons and was elected to the Hall of Fame the first time his name appeared on the ballot.