These are some of baseball's greatest steals

Although speed is still a vital component of a ballplayer’s tool box, emphasis on the stolen base has declined since the 1980s, when legends like Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines and Vince Coleman ran wild on the basepaths.

Since 2000, only 11 players have swiped at least 60 bases in a season, and just two have reached 70.

However, certain steals made a lasting impression and will continue to live on in baseball lore, regardless of contemporary trends.

These are the greatest stolen bases of the past 100 years.

Jackie Robinson, Dodgers

1955 World Series Game 1 at Yankees

The New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers had one of the fiercest rivalries in MLB history, squaring off in the World Series seven times between 1941 and 1956. The Yanks often came out on the winning side, taking the World Series crown in six of those seven seasons. But 1955 was the year “Dem Bums” finally prevailed, toppling the Yankees in seven games.

While the Yankees won Game 1 of that series, it was Robinson who stole the show with a straight steal of home in the eighth inning, sliding in safely under the tag of Yankees catcher Yogi Berra. A good-natured debate between Berra and Robinson waged on for years, with Berra holding firm to the belief that he got the tag down in time until his death in 2015.

Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox
April 26, 2009

The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry has produced many classic moments over the years, and Ellsbury’s fleet feet were responsible for one of them in this nationally televised Sunday night game in 2009.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning, Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte opted to pitch from the windup as he tried to retire J.D. Drew and get out of the jam. As Pettitte turned his back to third base, Ellsbury came sprinting down the line and slid head-first into the plate ahead of Jorge Posada’s tag, prompting a curtain call from the Fenway Park faithful.

Dave Roberts, Red Sox
2004 ALCS Game 4 vs. Yankees

It looked all but guaranteed that the “Curse of the Bambino” would live on for another season, as the Red Sox were three outs away from being swept by the rival Yankees in the 2004 ALCS and had to face Mariano Rivera, the consensus greatest reliever of all time. But after Kevin Millar walked to lead off the ninth, Roberts, who had played just 45 regular-season games for Boston after being acquired from the Dodgers in July, came off the bench and ran his way to immortality.

Pinch-running for Millar, Roberts took off for second on Rivera’s first pitch to Bill Mueller and slid head-first into the bag before Derek Jeter could apply the tag. One pitch later, Mueller singled to center field, Roberts came around to score and the rest is history. The Red Sox won Game 4 on David Ortiz’s walk-off homer in the 12th and took Games 5, 6 and 7 as well, becoming the first team in MLB history to erase a 3-0 series deficit. Boston would go on to sweep the Cardinals in the World Series to win its first title in 86 years.

Rickey Henderson, A’s
May 1, 1991 vs. Yankees

Henderson quickly established himself as one of the most exciting players in baseball after debuting in 1979, stealing 100-plus bases in three of his first five seasons, and he entered the 1991 campaign just two stolen bases shy of tying Lou Brock’s all-time record of 938. Although his pursuit of the record was briefly set back by an early-season injury, Henderson tied Brock on April 28.

Henderson was still tied with Brock when he walked to lead off the bottom of the first inning on May 1, and the two remained tied when Yankees catcher Matt Nokes caught Henderson stealing. But after reaching on an error in the fourth and moving to second on a single, the veteran speedster tried again, taking off for third and swiping it easily for No. 939. Now the new stolen base king, Henderson removed third base from the ground and held it aloft in celebration, receiving a standing ovation from the Oakland Coliseum crowd as Brock made his way down to the field to offer up his congratulations.

Close calls

Of course, those four steals aren't the only memorable swipes in MLB history. Here are two incredible plays that deserve some love as well.

Johnny Damon, Yankees
2009 World Series Game 4 at Phillies

Trailing the Yankees two games to one in the World Series, the Phillies tied up Game 4 on Pedro Feliz’s two-out solo homer in the bottom of the eighth inning and were one out away from bringing their offense back to the plate in the ninth. That's when Damon stepped into the batter's box and changed the course of the game.

After lacing a single off Brad Lidge, Damon immediately took off on the next pitch and stole second with ease, then realized that nobody was covering third base due to Philadelphia’s shift on Mark Teixeira. Damon popped up from his slide and took third as well, completing a stunning double steal. Two batters later, Damon scored the go-ahead run on Alex Rodriguez’s double, and New York took a 3-1 series lead en route to its 27th World Series title.

Javier Baez, Cubs
2016 NLCS Game 1 vs. Dodgers

Baez has proven to be one of the Cubs’ most indispensable players in his career, and not just because he can hit it a ton and field multiple positions. Baez is also a virtuoso on the bases, as he showed in Game 1 of the 2016 NLCS vs. the Dodgers.

Although this game is primarily remembered for Miguel Montero’s go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning, Baez was a big factor earlier in the contest. After driving in the club's second run of the night with a bloop double to center field and moving to third base on a wild pitch, Baez strayed off third on Kenta Maeda’s 2-1 offering to Jon Lester, drawing a throw from catcher Carlos Ruiz. Instead of trying to return to third, Baez broke for home as soon as Ruiz released the ball and was able to beat Justin Turner’s throw back to the plate.