Wise Kraken 36.2032: Colby Stephens, Record Holder?

[aaronweiner]

Colby Stephens already holds a place in the BBA record books. Last year, Stephens stole 56 bases in 70 tries, and if that doesn't sound like an overwhelming lot of bases next to Madison's Mons Raider, keep this in mind: Stephens is a CATCHER. Not only did Stephens break the all-time record for stolen bases in a season by a catcher last year, he absolutely shattered it: the previous record holder was former Omaha and Yellow Springs catcher Dennis Smart, who twice stole 30 bases in a year.

"I don't think of myself as a basestealer who's a catcher, I think of myself as a catcher who steals bases," said Stephens, who this season has twelve steals in 20 games played. "But it's pretty neat to have an all-time record already for the BBA."

Stephens, who is just 24 years old, is already tied for third all-time on the BBA leaderboard for steals by a catcher with 79 of them in 1/5 of the games played of Smart, who is the all-time leader with 160 stolen bases from the catcher position. His primary competition for the crown is also active: Charm City catcher Don Logan, who has a starting job sewn up for quite some time and has 66 steals in three plus major league seasons.

While there are several catchers in the Kraken organization that might press Stephens for a job, he might have a job in Carolina for years as a backup to #6 draft pick Francisco Flores, who is tearing up the minor leagues. He's a fan favorite, too: at the games, some fans hold up signs with his picture saying "Catcher if you can." Usually, they can't.

"He might be the fastest and most adept catcher ever to play the game on the basepaths," said Kraken GM Aaron Weiner. "Ares Papadias might end up pressing Colby for playing time in the future, but Colby has some qualities that few catchers who have ever played the game had, and that's worth something for sure."