8. USELESS THOU SHALT NOT STEAL INFO
What, exactly, do Yadier Molina and Johnny Bench have in common? Well, nothing yet -- aside from their mutual affection for shin guards. But that might be about to change. In case you hadn't picked up on this, nobody ever steals a base against the Cardinals anymore. They allowed just 26 stolen bases in their first 138 games -- which, as loyal reader Jason Pritchett reports, would put them on a pace to permit only 31 steals all year.
So what does that have to do with Bench? Here goes: According to Elias, only one National League team in the division-play era ever allowed fewer than 35 stolen bases in a full season. And that was Bench's 1972 Reds, also with 31.
What, exactly, do Yadier Molina and Johnny Bench have in common? Well, nothing yet -- aside from their mutual affection for shin guards. But that might be about to change. In case you hadn't picked up on this, nobody ever steals a base against the Cardinals anymore. They allowed just 26 stolen bases in their first 138 games -- which, as loyal reader Jason Pritchett reports, would put them on a pace to permit only 31 steals all year.
So what does that have to do with Bench? Here goes: According to Elias, only one National League team in the division-play era ever allowed fewer than 35 stolen bases in a full season. And that was Bench's 1972 Reds, also with 31.
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