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Stealing for the Cycle!

This one goes into the: “You learn something new about this game everyday” file!

I discovered that today is the one-hundred-twelfth anniversary of an unusual feat accomplished by Shoeless Joe Jackson. On this date in 1912 the twenty-five-year-old Jackson completed the “stolen base cycle” when he swiped home in the seventh inning of the Indians’ 8-3 victory over the New York at Cleveland’s League Park. According to the National Pastime website:  

The 25-year-old outfielder made his way around the bases by stealing second and third base before his thievery of the plate to complete the deed.

Wow… the “steal cycle,” where a player steals second, third, and home in the same inning, is something I had never even thought about. Doing a little research, I discovered that the “steal cycle” has happened 50 times since 1899, and only 11 times since 1928. The last player to do it was Dee Gordon on July 1, 2011.

(In the featured photo, we see a beautiful colorization of Shoeless Joe Jackson from his time in Cleveland by our resident baseball artist, Don Stokes)

Digging a little deeper, I discovered that the record for the “steal cycle” is four, held jointly by Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner (I never even knew there was an official record for this feat!). In related categories, Cobb also holds the record for career steals of home plate with 58, and the single-season record of 8 (1912); while Wagner is one of eleven players to steal home twice in the same game, a feat Cobb never managed.

Of course Shoeless Joe Jackson is remembered as being one of the greatest hitters of all time, so this “steal cycle” is something that we would not have associated with him. So as we shine our baseball spotlight on him for this unusual accomplishment, this gives me an excuse to recall some of the highlights from his great career, including the incredible three-year span from 1911-1913. 

Shoeless Joe Jackson’s Career

Shoeless Joe Jackson is usually remembered for his great years with the White Sox from 1915 to 1920 and for his remarkable .356 career batting average, which is still the third-highest all-time. Plus it’s well known that Babe Ruth modeled his hitting technique after Jackson’s.

In his 13-year career (1908-1920), cut short by the lifetime ban rendered by Judge Landis, Joe played for the Philadelphia Athletics (1908-1909), Cleveland Naps (1910-1915), and the White Sox (1915-1920). In addition to his .356 batting average, he compiled 1772 hits, 873 runs, 307 doubles, 168 triples, 792 RBIs, 202 stolen bases, a .423 on-base percentage, and a .517 slugging average.  His 170 OPS+ places him among the most elite hitters in the history of the game. In 14 post-season games, Joe hit .345 with one home run and eight RBIs. He also compiled a remarkable career 62.2 WAR.

But few realize that Joe Jackson had some truly remarkable years earlier in his career with the Cleveland Naps. His rookie year of 1911 is “off the charts” for a rookie, and his three-season totals from 1911-1913 is arguably one of the best three-year spans in baseball history. Let’s take a look at just what Jackson accomplished:

1911

Joe Jackson’s stats from 1911 would be amazing even if he wasn’t a rookie. He compiled 233 hits, with 126 runs, 45 doubles, 19 triples, 83 RBIs, and 41 stolen bases. His phenomenal .408 batting average set a record for rookies that still stands and we can safely say will never be broken. Incredibly, it was only good enough for second in the league behind Ty Cobb’s .420. It’s still the sixth-highest single-season total since 1901. His .468 on-base percentage led the league, and he posted a .590 slugging average. Truly a remarkable season. 

1912

It’s hard to imagine how one could improve on a season like that, but he came close in 1912. That year Jackson’s batting average “slumped” to .395, but he led the American League in hits (226), triples (26), and total bases (331). He also collected 44 doubles, 90 RBIs, 35 stolen bases, a .458 on-base percentage, and a .579 slugging percentage.

1913

Jackson’s phenomenal run was not finished. The next year, 1913, may have been the best of the three. His 197 hits, 39 doubles, and .551 slugging percentage all led the American League. He hit .373 for the year, with 71 RBIs, 17 triples, 26 stolen bases, 291 total bases, and a .460 on-base percentage. Jackson struck out only 26 times in 623 at-bats. 

Totals from the Three-year Span, 1911-’13

Over these three years, from 1911 to 1913, Joe Jackson’s batting average was .392, with an average per year of 218 hits, 118 runs scored, 42 doubles, 21 triples, 81 RBI, 34 stolen bases, and a phenomenal 192 OPS+. It would be hard to come up with a better three-year span!

Gary Livacari 

Photo Credits: Joe Jackson colorizations by Don Stokes; All others from Google search

Information about steal cycle from article by Jason Brannon, September 6, 2013

Joe Jackson statistical information from Baseball-Reference.com