Albert Pujols entered play on Monday with 111 career stolen bases in his remarkable career, but had just one stolen base in 2018 and zero stolen bases in 2019. That’s because he’s 39 years old and very slow. Of 513 players in 2019, Statcast ranks Pujols No. 512 of 513 in sprint speed (only Brian McCann is worse).
So, in the top of the 11th of Monday night’s Angels-Rangers game in Arlington, nobody in the stadium could’ve expected Pujols to attempt a stolen base in a tied game. But he did! And he succeeded.
🚨 ALBERT PUJOLS STEAL 🚨 pic.twitter.com/mTB1Bro56b
— MLB (@MLB) August 20, 2019
On a 90 degree night in the bottom of the 11th inning, 39 y/o Albert Pujols stole 2nd base on a 91 mph pitch pic.twitter.com/6yNWMSz368
— Paid man gets bored (@cjzero) August 20, 2019
The ol’ element of surprise. Also a bad throw.