MLB history: The eclectic 300-300 club

Over the course of MLB history, only eight players have hit at least 300 homers while stealing at least 300 bases. Let’s look at this exclusive club.

There have been close to 20,000 players in Major League Baseball since the first professional game took place in 1871. Out of those players, only eight times in MLB history has a player ended his career with at least 300 home runs and 300 steals. Just eight.

It is an eclectic list as well. There are players who are either in the Hall of Fame, or put together careers that warrant plenty of discussion regarding their enshrinement. Then there are those players who barely received any support for the Hall of Fame; in one case, not receiving a single vote despite his presence as one of the few players to be in the 300-300 club.

This is also a group that includes some notable exceptions. Rickey Henderson just missed joining, finishing his career three homers shy of the required 300 mark. Some of the greatest five tool players in MLB history missed out, slowing down later in their careers. Being a part of this group is a testament of not only the longevity required, but how special these careers were. Amazingly, of the eight players to join this club, three did so at Kauffman Stadium, only one of those doing so as a member of the Royals.

Let us take a look at the eight members of the 300-300 club, one of the most exclusive fraternities in MLB history.

Willie Mays

During the height of his career, Willie Mays was one of the more impressive all around players in MLB history. He cemented his stature as one of the greatest players of all time by founding the 300-300 club.

Mays was an impressive combination of power and speed, nearly founding the 40-40 club in 1956 when he hit 36 homers and stole 40 bases. Over the course of his career, Mays led the National League in steals four times, doing so from 1956 through 1959. He was a prodigious slugger as well, leading the NL in homers four times in his career.

Reaching the 300 mark in home runs was the easy part. He belted his 300th homer in the second game of a double header on July 4, 1961. Mays led off the top of the fourth against Jack Curtis, belting his offering deep down the left field line for his milestone homer.

The stolen bases were harder to come by. While Mays had tremendous speed in his younger days, the wear and tear of all those years taking a toll on him. But Mays was able to pick his spots, showing flashes of his previous speed. On April 8, 1969, Mays swiped his 300th base, in a season where he only stole six bases in total.

Mays finished his career with 660 homers, then the third most in MLB history, and 338 steals. It makes sense that one of the more exclusive clubs would be founded by one of baseball’s greatest players.

Bobby Bonds

Bobby Bonds and Willie Mays were close, to the point where Bonds asked Mays to be the godfather to one of his children. That closeness extended to their all around games.

The senior Bonds was not the player that Mays was, but that is hardly a knock against his career. He was one of the prototypes of the Three True Outcomes player – hitting home runs and drawing walks, but also striking out at rates that were hardly seen before that time.

Unlike Mays, it was easier for Bonds to get the 300 steals needed. He stole that base on June 19, 1976 in the first game of a double header. Bonds victimized Darrell Porter in the first inning, taking second after drawing a two out walk. Porter would later get his revenge, throwing Bonds out when he tried to steal second in the top of the third.

The homers were a little harder to come by, but he belted that 300th home run on May 2, 1979. Again, the Brewers factored into Bonds’ historic moment, as he took Moose Haas deep to lead off the second inning, providing the only run in the Indians 6-1 loss. At 33 years old, Bonds appeared to have plenty of time to add to his resume, but his career suddenly fell off after his 1979 campaign.

Bobby Bonds seemed to be on his way to an incredible career when it all suddenly fell apart. He still made history, as the second player in the 300-300 club.

Andre Dawson

Most fans have an image of Andre Dawson hobbling around the bases on bad knees, but there was a time when he was one of the top five tool talents in the game. That was proven when he became the third member of the 300-300 club

During his time with the Expos, Dawson was a star, with five seasons where he hit at least 20 homers and stole at least 20 bases. While his speed was pretty much gone after his 11 seasons in Montreal, Dawson was still a dangerous power hitter, leading the league in homers and RBI in his first season with the Cubs.

He belted his 300th career homer in the seventh inning of the Cubs’ matchup with the Mets on April 23, 1989, taking Ron Darling to deep left center to give the Cubs a brief 2-0 lead. However, the Mets would have the last laugh, as they came back for a 4-2 victory.

Darling and the Mets factored into Dawson’s 300th steal as well. On May 23, 1991, he hit a ground ball through the hole at short for a base hit, then stole second, beating Rick Cerone’s throw. With that stolen base, Dawson became the third member of the 300-300 club, with both milestones happening at Shea Stadium.

It took nine years, but Andrew Dawson eventually received his due, being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010, an honor that was long overdue.

Barry Bonds

Unlike the others on this list, when Barry Bonds became a member of the 300-300 club, he did not slow down.

Not only was the fourth member of the 300-300 club, joining his godfather and father as he made the fraternity into a family affair. He continued making history as time went on, becoming the only member of the 400-400 and the 500-500 clubs. Of course, those accomplishments are tainted by PED allegations, but there is no question that Bonds was one of the greatest players of his era.

Although he is most remembered for being the all time and single season home run king, Bonds was a formidable threat on the basepaths in his younger days. He stole his 300th base on July 26, 1994, drawing a first inning walk from Orel Hershiser and promptly stealing second. He was 1-2 with a double and two walks in his four plate appearances in that game, a 12-5 Giants victory.

Bonds’ 300th homer came less than two years later on April 29, 1996. After Matt Williams walked to led off the top of the fifth inning, Bonds sent Ben Rivera’s 1-0 offering to deep right to reach that milestone, giving the Giants a 2-1 lead. The Phillies would come back in the bottom of the frame to take the lead en route to an eventual 6-3 victory over San Francisco.

Barry Bonds has yet to reach the Hall of Fame due to those PED allegations, but he is creeping closer. His presence in the 300-300 club, as well as being the only member of the 400-400 and 500-500 clubs, may help him get there.

Reggie Sanders

Reggie Sanders came the closest to missing out on this club, but he was able to just barely sneak in.

Both his 300th homer and 300th steal came in 2006 as a member of the Royals. He swiped that milestone base on April 21 in the first game of a double header against the Indians, a game where their comeback attempt was doomed by the bullpen. Sanders reached on a base hit to put runners at the corners, and after a sacrifice fly, stole second against Victor Martinez. He eventually came around to score in the Royals 6-5 loss.

The milestone homer came on June 10, another Royals defeat. With the Royals trailing 9-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Sanders took Chad Harville’s 0-1 pitch to left center for his 300th career blast. At the very least, Royals fans were able to see history made that night, as Sanders became the fifth member of the 300-300 club.

That homer also made him the most overlooked member of the fraternity. Despite a solid career, he only had one All Star appearance, and only earned MVP votes once. Sanders did not receive a vote for the Hall of Fame in 2013, being dropped off the ballot. His moment in the sun did not even last long, as the sixth member of the group joined four days later.

Reggie Sanders was overlooked for much of his career. But he was able to make history on a mediocre Royals team.

Steve Finley

Steve Finley was the oldest player of this group to join the 300-300 club, belting his 300th homer when he was 41 years old.

His 300th steal came when he was still a member of the Diamondbacks. Finley was off to a slow start to the season when he led off the second inning on April 27, 2004. He drew a walk after an eight pitch plate appearance, then promptly stole second before coming around to score on a one out single in Arizona’s eventual 10-1 victory.

The milestone homer came just four days after Reggie Sanders became the fifth member of the 300-300 club. Finley was now a part of the Giants, his career winding down when he stepped to the plate against his former team on June 14, 2006. He led off the game against Claudio Vargas, taking his 2-2 pitch to deep right for his 300th homer, setting the tone for the Giants’ eventual 11-4 victory.

Finley was also somewhat underappreciated during his career. He was another five tool talent, overshadowed by the powerful sluggers of his era. While he was a two time All Star and a five time Gold Glove winner, he was still somewhat forgotten during his time. He received only four votes in his one year on the Hall of Fame ballot, a disappointing number for a solid player.

Another relatively anonymous member of the list, Steve Finley was a better player than most fans remember. He certainly made a mark upon the game.

Alex Rodriguez

During his heyday, Alex Rodriguez was one of the premier power-speed threats in the game. But one has to wonder how legitimate his numbers were.

He did not waste any time in reaching the 300 home run plateau, doing so in just his eighth full season in the majors. On April 2, 2003, in just the third game of the season, Rodriguez belted that milestone homer against the Angels. With two outs in the top of the fifth, Rodriguez took deep to center for a three run homer, cutting the Angels lead to 5-4 in an eventual 11-5 loss for Texas.

His 300th career steal took longer to accomplish. The one time 40-40 man had stopped running as much as the years went on, stealing only four bases in 2010. One of them, on August 14, was the one needed to hit that milestone, as he swiped third with two out in the top of the second against Sean O’Sullivan and Jason Kendall.

But his numbers are tainted due to his PED use. Rodriguez was suspended twice for PEDs, and had even attempted to sue Major League Baseball, claiming that he was the subject of a witch hunt. Those suspensions will likely keep Rodriguez out of the Hall, although his overall numbers would make him worthy.

However, those numbers are tainted, as is his place in the 300-300 club. Even with a player such as Barry Bonds in the fraternity, Alex Rodriguez may be the most controversial member.