Boston Red Sox minor leaguer Braiden Ward stole his 17th base of spring training against the Minnesota Twins, setting a record for the most in a single spring over at least the past two decades. In homage to Rickey Henderson, Ward pulled the base from the ground after sliding into second base safely. The gesture, encouraged by teammates and manager Alex Cora, paid tribute to Henderson's iconic celebration when he broke the all-time stolen base record.
During Thursday's spring training game between the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins, Braiden Ward swiped his 17th stolen base of the spring in the top of the second inning. This feat established a new record for the most stolen bases in a single spring training by any player in at least the past two decades, surpassing previous marks.
After safely reaching second base, the 27-year-old Ward reached down and pulled the base out of the ground, mimicking a famous move by Rickey Henderson. Henderson, known as the "Man of Steal," performed the same action in 1991 when he broke Lou Brock's all-time record with his 939th career stolen base. Ward's tribute was somewhat subdued; he held the base half-heartedly rather than hoisting it triumphantly overhead like Henderson.
The idea originated from Ward's teammates, who brought it up when he had reached 13 stolen bases. "I had no idea about it until I had maybe about 13 bags and someone had mentioned it," Ward said on the To The Show Baseball Podcast. "And then [manager Alex Cora] brought it up and told me to go do it in front of everyone and now kind of the whole team is kind of behind me, they want me to do it. They're trying to get me to Rickey Henderson it at the very end, you know pick up the bag. Like anyone cares, but just kind of a fun thing for the team. So I might do it, if I get it."
Ward's speed has been standout this spring, with 17 steals—10 more than Jared Oliva of the San Francisco Giants, who leads the rest of the league. Caught only once, Ward benefited from a .526 on-base percentage, second only to Matt McLain's .667 and tied with Max Muncy. In five minor league seasons, Ward has recorded 211 career stolen bases, peaking at 57 in a season twice. Henderson's all-time total of 1,406 remains a distant benchmark.