Mays Best Presentage Stealer
| MAYS BEST PERCENTAGE STEALER IN NL IN 1971 |
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It's hard to believe but the ML official averages show that 40-year old Willie Mays had the beat base stealing percentage in 1971. He was thrown out only 3 times in 26 tries. This marks the fifth tine that Mays has led his league in this department since the ML started "caught stealing" records on a regular basis in 1951. Previously they had done it 1920-25, and then stopped. The AL has done it almost continuously since 1920. As can be noted from the listing below, the league leader in total thefts frequently does not have the best percentage. An asterisk indicates when the percentage leader also led in thefts. The beat percentage in the last 21 years was compiled by Amos Otis of Kansas City in 1970 when he was nabbed only twice in 35 attempts. Bobby Bonds of the Giants was caught only 4 times in 49 attempts in 1969. The percentage leaders, based on 20 attempts for the 154-game schedule and 21 attempts for 162 games are carried below for each year since 1951.
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