Baltimore Orioles Top 5 Stolen Base Leaders of All-Time
By Nate Wardle
1. Brady Anderson, 307 Stolen Bases
Baltimore Orioles Vice President of Baseball Operations Brady Anderson is atop the Orioles career stolen bases list.
Anderson was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 1985, and would become an Oriole when the team traded pitcher Mike Boddicker to the Red Sox for Anderson and pitcher Curt Schilling. If only Schilling would have stayed in Baltimore as long.
Anderson played all over the outfield at first in Baltimore, before eventually settling into left field and center field.
A three-time All-Star, Brady had 13 years of stolen bases while an Oriole, which was each full season he played in Baltimore. Those numbers peaked in 1992 when Anderson had 53 stolen bases and was an All-Star for the first time.
Anderson’s best year in Baltimore came in 1996, when he hit .297/.396/.637 with 50 home runs (the only time in his career he hit more than 25), 37 doubles, 172 hits, 117 runs scored and 110 runs batted in, to go along with 21 stolen bases that year.
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The season of 1996 marked Anderson’s first appearance in the MLB playoffs. While he did well against Cleveland in the ALDS, he struggled in the ALCS versus the New York Yankees.
The next year, 1997, Anderson excelled in both the ALDS and ALCS, but the Orioles could not defeat the Indians to get to the World Series. Anderson combined for his career to be a .300 hitter in the playoffs in 19 games, with 12 runs batted in and 16 runs scored.
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When you think of leadoff hitters, Anderson was reasonably prototypical of the modern leadoff hitter, someone who can bring power to the position and also speed.
Anderson’s career with the Baltimore Orioles ended after a dismal 2001 season, and he played a little for Cleveland in 2002 before his playing career wrapped up.