Power drought has teams running more often on basepaths

ATLANTA – Lou Brock caught everyone’s attention when he stopped by Turner Field before a game this week.

Hmmm, maybe the Go-Go Braves were looking for yet another guy who can steal bases – though, in fairness, the 72-year-old Hall of Famer probably has lost a step or two since his playing days.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re gonna get a little more speed in there,” Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said with a smile, looking at Brock sitting a few feet down in the dugout.

All kidding aside, teams throughout baseball have gotten serious about the running game in this pitching-dominated, post-steroids era. Just look at the Braves, who used to be known for their one-base-at-a-time, wait-for-the-homer offense. Now, after trading for N.L. stolen-base leader Michael Bourn and calling up speedster Jose Constanza from the minors, Atlanta is suddenly running its own little track meet.

“When the power’s not working, you can go to the running game,” said Brock, who ranks second in career stolen bases and was in town for a speaking engagement. “The running game never goes into a slump. It’s there at all times.”

The Braves aren’t the only team that’s running, running and running some more.

According to STATS LLC, stolen bases through the first three-fourths of the season were up 11 percent per game over a year ago, which would be the largest single-season increase since a 20.7 percent jump in 1976.

Not so coincidentally, Major League Baseball was on pace for its lowest ERA since 1992 and fewest home runs since 1995. Scoring is at a premium, which largely explains the increase in not only stolen bases, but more teams daring to hit and run and trying to take an extra base.

“If you’ve got good pitching, one thing is not gonna happen: You’re not gonna hit home runs,” Brock said. “So you’ve got to do something to counteract that. The only thing I know of that can counteract that is either a lot of hits or hit-and-runs.”

Or just swipe a base clean.

The San Diego Padres are leading the majors in steals (147 going into Friday’s game), an absolute necessity given they play in pitcher-friendly Petco Park and don’t have even one hitter with as many as 10 homers.

“You don’t have those games where you have a number of guys with big power in the lineup, where you wait for the homer,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “More teams are conscious of the overall lack of power. Because of the uptick in pitching, you have to try and get to second base, you have to try and get to third base any way you can to help manufacture runs. It’s something we know, especially in our park. We have to do that to help us score runs.”

Baseball has cracked down on the steroid use that contributed to all those outrageous home run totals in the 1990s and early 2000s.

With the threat of hefty suspensions looming over those who test positive for performance-enhancing drugs, more players are relying on their legs to generate runs.

Of course, speed alone doesn’t guarantee success. Just look at the Padres, who are last in the N.L. West.

“The pitcher has to get the hitters out and not worry about who’s on base,” Florida manager Jack McKeon said. “To me, it’s overrated sometimes. You lead the league in stolen bases and you’re in last place. That’s like leading the league in home runs and being in last place. It’s an odd combination to me.”