A stolen moment

Ron LeFlore steals his 62nd base of the 1980 season during the Montreal Expos’ 5-4 victory over Cincinnati 44 years ago today at Olympic Stadium.

LeFlore, though, has little time to celebrate his latest stolen base in front of the Monday night crowd of 40,301.

Seems LeFlore’s eyes catch the Olympic Stadium scoreboard, where a message notes his stolen base in the seventh inning comes 115 years after Ned Cuthbert of the Philadelphia Keystones is credited with the game’s first-ever steal in 1865.

As LeFlore reads the message, he mindlessly wanders off second base and is promptly picked off by Cincinnati pitcher Dave Tomlin.

LeFlore finishes the 1980 season – his only one in Montreal – with a career-high 97 stolen bases before moving on to the Chicago White Sox for his final two seasons in the majors.

LeFlore’s career totals in nine seasons with Detroit, Montreal and Chicago: 455 stolen bases and one embarrassing pickoff.