Up on the blog this fine day, moving on to the American League for their top three stolen base thieves of the 1976 season on an "expanded" 1977 league-leader card:
We start off with the
Oakland A's Bill North, who took home his second stolen base crown in
three years with his 75 steals in 1976.
Prior to the 1976
season he led the league with 54 in 1974, and would top 50 steals only
one more time in his career, in 1979 with 58 for the San Francisco
Giants.
He'll finish his career with 395 steals between 1971
and 1981, while also hitting .261 with 1016 hits over 3900 at-bats,
spread out over 1169 games.
In second place with 58 steals
during the 1976 season, Detroit Tigers All-Star outfielder Ron LeFlore,
who had his breakout season that year, hitting .316 with 93 runs scored,
172 hits and eight triples.
Over the next three seasons for
the Tigers, he'd be incredible, scoring 100+ runs each year, with a
league-leading 126 in 1978, top 180+ hits each time, with a high of 212
in 1977, and taking home the first of his two career stolen base crowns,
with 68 in 1978.
In 1980 he would lead the National League
with 97 steals, before moving on to the Chicago White Sox for the 1981
and 1982 seasons, retiring at the age of 34 with 455 steals between 1974
and 1982.
In third place with 54 steals, a guy who already
had six stolen base crowns under his belt, Oakland A's All-Star
shortstop Bert Campaneris.
Turns out it was the seventh and
final time he would top 50 steals in a season over his career, finishing
up with 649 steals over his 19-year Big League career.
Well there you have it, the top three stolen base guys from the American League in 1976.
