Stolen Bases : 1961 National League Top 25

Finding the American or National League leader in virtually every hitting & pitching statistic is easy-to-do. Finding the top 25 players during any given season is far more challenging. Baseball Almanac has taken away that difficult problem and is pleased to present the data you requested:

"The baseball season - six months & 2,106 games - is flat out long, and it's a rare one of those games that doesn't ramble or sputter or digress or somehow violate the rules of dramatic narrative. Baseball takes its own sweet time reaching its conclusions." - Dwight Allen in Reds, Yanks and O's (1989)
 

1961 Stolen Bases Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Maury Wills 35 Los Angeles Dodgers 1
Vada Pinson 23 Cincinnati Reds 2
Frank Robinson 22 Cincinnati Reds 3
Hank Aaron 21 Milwaukee Braves 4
Willie Mays 18 San Francisco Giants 5
Tony Gonzalez 15 Philadelphia Phillies 6
Orlando Cepeda 12 San Francisco Giants 7
Willie Davis 12 Los Angeles Dodgers  
Eddie Mathews 12 Milwaukee Braves  
Felipe Alou 11 San Francisco Giants 10
Julian Javier 11 St. Louis Cardinals  
Tony Taylor 11 Philadelphia Phillies  
Johnny Callison 10 Philadelphia Phillies 13
Tommy Davis 10 Los Angeles Dodgers  
Lee Maye 10 Milwaukee Braves  
Gene Freese 8 Cincinnati Reds 16
Jim Gilliam 8 Los Angeles Dodgers  
Jose Pagan 8 San Francisco Giants  
Bill White 8 St. Louis Cardinals  
Joey Amalfitano 7 San Francisco Giants 20
Richie Ashburn 7 Chicago Cubs  
Frank Bolling 7 Milwaukee Braves  
Wally Moon 7 Los Angeles Dodgers  
George Altman 6 Chicago Cubs 24
Ken Boyer 6 St. Louis Cardinals  



The first player from the Angels franchise (they were the California Angels at the time) to wear the number twenty-five was Bob Perry.

Jose Cruz of the Houston Astros had his number twenty-five retired on October 3, 1992, and became the first Major League player with that particular retired number.

The most recognizable Detroit Tiger to wear the number twenty-five was probably Norm Cash (who wore it from 1960 through 1974), but did you know that Hall of Famer Larry Doby also wore it during his single season with Detroit?