Ty Cobb was an excellent hitter and basestealer during his Hall of Fame career.
As it stands now, Mike Trout, the talented rookie center fielder for the Los Angeles Angels, is the main obstacle to Miquel Cabrera winning Most Valuable Player honors in the American League. Trout currently is trailing Cabrera in the batting race but remains the AL’s top base stealer.
Should Trout finish on top in both batting and steals, it would mark only the 12th time that a player has led the league in both categories – an achievement rarer than winning batting’s Triple Crown.
The last time a player led the loop in both categories was 11 seasons ago, when Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki pulled it off. Overall, since 1901 only six players have led the circuit in batting and steals in the same season, including the Tigers’ Ty Cobb, who did it an unprecedented five times.
Year Player, Team (Avg. SB)
2001 Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle (.350, 56)
1949 Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn (.342, 37)
1945 Snuffy Stirnweiss, NY Yankees (.309, 33)
1922 George Sisler, St. Louis Browns (.420, 51)
1917 Ty Cobb, Detroit (.383, 55)
1915 Ty Cobb, Detroit (.369, 96)
1911 Ty Cobb, Detroit (.420, 83)
1909 Ty Cobb, Detroit (.377, 76)
1908 Honus Wagner, Pittsburgh (.354, 53)
1907 Ty Cobb, Detroit (.350, 53)
1904 Honus Wagner, Pittsburgh (.349, 53)