Stole first

“Stole first” in baseball describes a baserunner’s successful advancement to the next base without the batter striking the ball. For instance, imagine a scenario where the pitcher throws a wild pitch, and the catcher fails to catch it. The baserunner, who was on the first base, seizes this opportunity to sprint to the second base, successfully stealing first base. This is a classic example of ‘stole first’ in action. Put otherwise, the runner takes advantage of a circumstance in which the defense is either inattentive or reacts slowly to steal a base. Usually, the pitcher’s first pitch accomplishes this because the defence is mostly concentrated on the hitter at the beginning of an inning. A baserunner who successfully steals first base is better positioned to go on to the next base should other runners reach base later in the inning. By using this tactic, the offence may get scoring chances, and the defence may be under pressure.