1976 - When Small Ball Was Big

1976 was a remarkable year for baseball. It was baseball's centennial and the first time since 1946 that the amount of stolen bases exceeded the number of home runs hit. Both the American League and the National League tallied more stolen bases than dingers. National League base runners outdid the sluggers 1,364 stolen bases to 1,113 homers while in the American League, where the home run had been boss since 1946, stolen bases outnumbered home runs 1,690 to 1,122. The following year stolen bases plunged in the American League and homers rose and it has remained that way ever since. In the National League the tendency after 1976 leaned toward the stolen base until the mid 90s when the home run came to the forefront again. So why did homers decline and the stolen base rise in 1976 in both leagues?

The National League was a homer preferrable organization since 1928 and remained so until 1976. The home run doubled in size when compared to stolen bases by 1947 (886 to 331)and tripled in numbers by 1953 (1,197 to 342). For the late 1940s and all of the 1950s, both leagues seldom used the stolen base. Baseball for those 14 years (1946-1959) was a station-to-station game built on the back of burly sluggers. If a batter didn't get a home run and were fortunate enough to reach base, the baserunner would have to stand on base until one of the teammates drove them in with a hit. The stolen base reached its all time low in the American League in 1955 when a mere 317 were stolen. Chicago White Sox outfielder, Jim Rivera, led the league in steals with 25. By comparison, Mickey Mantle's 37 home runs topped the league that season. Rivera was the only players that year to swipe 20+ bases. The Yankee team alone featured three players with 20 or more home runs.

The National League had their lowest total with 337 in 1954. Bill Bruton took 34 bases and in all, three National League players managed 20 or more steals that season. Ted Kluszewski was one of 6 National Leaguers to belt 40 home runs when he lead the league with 49. Baseball was a long ball game and small ball didn't come back until Maury Wills stole 104 bases in 1962 while playing in the cavernous L.A. Coliseum. Led by Maury Wills, the stolen base slowly worked its way back into baseball. For the first time in 1970, National League players were stealing over 1,000 bases. The American League managed this feat in the prior year. Despite the wide use of the stolen base the home run was still king until 1976. Cincinatti's Red Machine led the National League in both homers and steals with 141 and 210 respectively. In the American League Boston hit a league leading 134 fence balls and Oakland outran everybody with a staggering 341 steals. Oakland's fleet foots, Bill North (75), Bert Campaneris (54) and future 300 home run club member Don Baylor (52) managed to capture three of the top four spots amongst stolen base leaders. Interestingly, Greg Nettles was the only American League hitter to smash over 30 home runs when he totaled 32.

The game was changing. The parks were larger. The catchers hadn't been taught how to throw runners out for decades (because runners weren't running) and many pitchers didn't improve pick off moves (because they didn't have to.) Managers like Sparky Anderson, Whitey Herzog and Chuck Tanner pushed their teams to play small ball and to compete more effectively in baseball in the new and larger ball parks. Astroturf allowed the ball to travel faster which meant runners had to get to the base quicker and thus the hit and run was encouraged.

Ball clubs like Boston and the Chicago Cubs were still playing in the old, cozy ballparks and their homeruns continued to outnumber their stolen bases. Boston's 134 homers were 39 more than their stolen base count. The Cubs managed 105 homers to 74 swiped bags. The Yankees actually stole more with 163 while unloading 120 dingers. Milwaukee had 88 homers to 62 steals while the rest of baseball was running. The philosophy of many managers changed and with the win of Sparky Anderson's Reds in the 1976 World Series, the stolen base proved to be a winning formula. In 1977, the Yankees won the World Series and the team tallied 184 homers to 93 stolen bases. The home run was back for good in the American League but in the National League, small ball was king.

Most teams were building up using the Reds' formula. The Cardinals of the 1980s became the epitome of old-time baseball but it came at a time when baseball was troubled by player strikes, increasing payrolls and the rise of other American sports. Baseball's popularity was on the decline and then the 1990s found a resurgence in interest and it came primarily on the bats of its sluggers; McGwire, Sosa, Griffey and Bonds. Baseball was back and so was the long ball. In 1993 the home run again outnumbered stolen bases in the National League (1,956 to 1,714). The National League has remained this way ever since.

Baseball is cyclical in many regards and always traditional. Along with the long ball came the retro stadiums and retro uniforms. The fans still devour peanuts, hot dogs, soda and beer. Baseball league averages still hover at .260. Nothing really changes in baseball - even when it tries. The game is immortal, though of many faces it is only distinguished by one of its most beloved qualities - the home run. The stolen base, unlike the home run, does not provide its fans with a keepsake.