Royals History: Every straight steal of home in franchise history

If a stolen base is one of the most exciting plays in baseball, stealing home might be the best version of all. It’s pure gamesmanship, a moment where the runner on third wins the mental battle with the pitcher.

It’s the kind of play you might see at a local youth tournament or in a random highlight clip online, but it’s almost never seen in an MLB game.

It has been nearly five years since a Kansas City Royals player stole home, when All-Star Whit Merrifield did so on Aug. 21, 2021. That was just one of the 47 times a player has stolen home in the Royals’ 56-year history. Several notable Royals, like Hall of Famer George Brett and 1985 World Series champion Hal McRae, stole home multiple times in a different era of baseball.

But there’s an even higher degree of difficulty within this already-rare play: the elusive straight steal of home.

A straight steal of home is when the runner on third takes home before the pitch is delivered. Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran provided a good modern example last April.

Whittling down those 47 steals of home in Royals history, only seven qualify as straight steals, according to Royals media. Here are those seven occurrences, plus some context around each.

Everything you need to know about the Royals' rich history with stealing home

Kansas City Royals vs California Angels: July 31, 1972

The Royals visited the California Angels and faced future Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan in his first All-Star season. Both teams were below .500 well past the midway point, with the Royals and Angels destined for fourth- and fifth-place finishes, respectively.

Most straight steals of home happen against left-handed pitchers, allowing the baserunner to time the move while the pitcher’s back is turned. But outfielder Amos Otis, coming off a season in which he led the league in stolen bases, made his aggressive nature pay off against Ryan anyway.

Otis stole home in the top of the fourth inning to put the Royals up 1-0, the final score. Royals starter Roger Nelson threw a three-hit complete game, outdueling Ryan.

Baltimore Orioles vs Kansas City Royals: July 8, 1978

The Royals hosted the Eddie Murray-led Baltimore Orioles on a warm Saturday night at Royals Stadium, with both clubs carrying winning records. Kansas City would reach the postseason, while Earl Weaver’s Orioles won 90 games but still finished fourth in the AL East.

This one was a blowout, an 11-3 Royals win. Outfielder Tom Poquette batted seventh but went 3-for-4. With Kansas City already up 4-0, Poquette stole home against Tippy Martinez as part of a two-run inning. It was the second steal of home in Poquette’s MLB career.

Kansas City Royals vs Chicago White Sox: August 8, 1976

The Royals and White Sox were headed in opposite directions when they met at Comiskey Park. Chicago was barreling toward a 97-loss season, while Kansas City would clinch its first postseason appearance in franchise history.

The Royals had the game in hand when pinch runner Dave Nelson entered for designated hitter Hal McRae. Nelson stole second, then moved to third on a groundout by Al Cowens. Right-hander Blue Moon Odom and his long, overhead delivery gave Nelson enough time to break for home and succeed. The play pushed Kansas City up 7-1 on the way to a dominant win.

Cleveland Indians vs Kansas City Royals: August 17, 1976

Why not two in one month? The Royals hosted Cleveland and ended up in extra innings tied 3-3. Starter Doug Bird worked 8.2 innings with two earned runs, but a throwing error in the ninth opened the door.

George Brett took matters into his own hands with an ultra-rare walk-off straight steal of home. Brett singled in the 10th, stole second, and advanced to third on a throwing error. With two outs and Dave LaRoche on the mound, Brett broke for home and stole it to end the game.

Minnesota Twins vs Kansas City Royals: June 18, 1977

Which is more stressful: grabbing a slim lead early and protecting it, or being on the other end of that? The Royals did the former in a summer Saturday matchup with the Minnesota Twins, led by Rod Carew and Larry Hisle.

It was a tight game, and Paul Splittorff earned the win — but it might not have happened without shortstop Fred Patek’s gutsy gamble.

Would you send a runner home with Brett at the plate and the bases loaded? With two outs, the Royals did, and it worked. The play proved to be the difference in a 2-1 win.

New York Yankees vs Kansas City Royals: August 14, 2002

The 2002 Royals were memorable for the wrong reasons: the first 100-loss season in franchise history. That didn’t stop 26,383 fans from showing up at Kauffman Stadium on a Wednesday night with the New York Yankees in town.

The game went 14 innings, and the Yankees won 3-2. Mike Sweeney accounted for both Royals runs, driving in Carlos Beltrán and later stealing home with Andy Pettitte on the mound. The steal gave Kansas City the lead in the sixth, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win.

Oakland Athletics vs Kansas City Royals: May 31, 2003

It has been more than two decades since the Royals last straight steal of home. If you knew utilityman Mendy López pulled it off, you’ve earned your long-time Royals fan credentials.

Kansas City jumped on Ted Lilly in the fourth inning with five straight singles, turning the game quickly. López helped push the Royals ahead by stealing home after already driving in the inning’s first run. The lead didn’t hold, though. Two homers tied it in the sixth, and the Royals lost after three unearned runs and a blown save in the ninth.

The Royals eventually bounced back for an 83-win season, taking some sting off a rough 2002 and an uneven start to 2003 — but that straight steal remains the last of its kind in franchise history.