Braves legend Greg Maddux holds most unbreakable MLB base-stealing record in baseball history

Braves legend Greg Maddux holds most unbreakable MLB base-stealing record in baseball history originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Greg Maddux wasn't getting caught.

It's maybe the most unheralded yet impressive part of the legacy of the Atlanta Braves' legendary starting pitcher.

The Hall of Famer is known for his command, for his fastball that would tail back onto the corner of the plate just right, for his longevity and his winning.

Maybe he should also be known for his baserunning IQ.

And no, this isn't some joke. When Maddux got on base, you had to pay attention.

The problem is that opposing pitchers rarely paid him the attention he evidently deserved over there.

Circulating on social media is this astounding fact: The record for MLB seasons in which a player steals at least one base and doesn't get caught is 10 seasons. It's held by Maddux.

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Obviously, a lot of factors contribute to this, and it's never a record that a top base stealer would hold, because they run too much and are too likely to get caught.

It's actually perfectly ironic that it's held by a pitcher. Maddux knew when to pick his spots, but there weren't that many spots for him to pick.

It might be an unbreakable mark, too, given that pitchers don't hit anymore and it's unlikely a position player who was so efficient at stealing bases would run so few times to allow this to happen.

It's not Maddux's best skill. It may go down as his most underrated.

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