Next up in my on-going "expanded league-leaders" thread, we come to the National League's top three stolen base players from 1976, which is actually four players since there's a tie for third place:
We begin with the Los Angeles Dodgers' Davey Lopes, All-Star second baseman, who topped the Senior Circuit with 63 swipes in 1976.
It
was his second straight stolen base crown, after his career-best 77
steals led the N.L. in 1975, on his way to a cool 557 career steals
between 1972 and 1987.
Behind him with 60 stolen bases, the
league's MVP, Joe Morgan of the "Big Red Machine" Cincinnati Reds, World
Champs in both 1975 and 1976.
All Morgan did in 1976 was take
home his second straight MVP, his second straight championship, while
leading the league in On-Base Percentage and Slugging, while bringing
home his fourth straight Gold Glove at second base.
Tied for
third with their 58 stolen bases in 1976, Fran Taveras of the Pittsburgh
Pirates and Cesar Cedeno of the Houston Astros.
For Cedeno,
it was business as usual in 1976, hitting .297 with 18 homers, 89 runs
scored and 83 RBIs while taking home his fifth straight Gold Glove.
The
man was such a great all-around player the first 10 years of his
career, stealing bases, hitting for average with some decent "pop" in
his bat.
For Taveras, it was a sign somewhat of what was to
come, as he would end up leading the league with 70 steals the following
season, after his breakout 58 in 1976, his first full year in the Big
Leagues.
He'd put in a string of solid years for the "We Are
Family" Pirates from 1976 to 1979, and would retire with 300 steals on
the nose over his 11-year career.
Next week, on to the American League's top base stealers of 1976!
