Top 25 Stolen Bases in 1961 in the American League

Stolen Bases : 1961 American League Top 25

Finding the American or National League leader in virtually every hitting & pitching statistic is easy-to-do. Finding the top 25 players during any given season is far more challenging. Baseball Almanac has taken away that difficult problem and is pleased to present the data you requested:

"Although baseball decided to extend the regular season deeper into October to play 162 games (after the 09-11 disaster), why not just play 154? Baseball has dealt with shortened seasons before. (Bud) Selig spoke about the sanctity of playing 162 games, but baseball played 154 games until 1961. Baseball should have just let the games go and continued with the current schedule." - Joe Morgan on ESPN (September 19, 2001)

1961 Stolen Bases Leaders
Top 25 in the American League

Name Stolen Bases Team Rank

Luis Aparicio 53 Chicago White Sox 1

Dick Howser 37 Kansas City Athletics 2

Jake Wood 30 Detroit Tigers 3

Bill Bruton 22 Detroit Tigers 4

Chuck Hinton 22 Washington Senators

Jim Landis 19 Chicago White Sox 6

Lenny Green 17 Minnesota Twins 7

Gary Geiger 16 Boston Red Sox 8

Zoilo Versalles 16 Minnesota Twins

Danny O'Connell 15 Washington Senators 10

Al Kaline 14 Detroit Tigers 11

Marty Keough 12 Washington Senators 12

Mickey Mantle 12 New York Yankees

Norm Cash 11 Detroit Tigers 14

Albie Pearson 11 Los Angeles Angels

Jackie Brandt 10 Baltimore Orioles 16

Chuck Cottier 9 Detroit Tigers 17

Washington Senators

Jackie Jensen 9 Boston Red Sox

Minnie Minoso 9 Chicago White Sox

Bobby Richardson 9 New York Yankees

Johnny Temple 9 Cleveland Indians

Chico Fernandez 8 Detroit Tigers 22

Ken Hunt 8 Los Angeles Angels

Jimmy Piersall 8 Cleveland Indians

Willie Kirkland 7 Cleveland Indians 25

Name Stolen Bases Team Rank

Jim Thome wore number twenty-five since he first came up with the Cleveland Indians making him the franchise record holder for that particular number (Mike Garcia is second).

Jose Cruz of the Houston Astros had his number twenty-five retired on October 3, 1992, and became the first Major League player with that particular retired number.

The most recognizable Detroit Tiger to wear the number twenty-five was probably Norm Cash (who wore it from 1960 through 1974), but did you know that Hall of Famer Larry Doby also wore it during his single season with Detroit?

Copyright © 2000-2007. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Design by Geisler Young. Hosted by Hosting 4 Less.
Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Today in Baseball History.