The Art of the Steal: Princeton Rays' Ariel Soriano
However, it was on the basepaths this past summer in which he really brought the electricity to compile an interesting statistic in the art of base stealing.
Soriano led the 2012 P-Rays with 19 stolen bases. This is not an eye-popping total until it is factored in that he accomplished this in 19 stolen base attempts, an unblemished record for the season!
A check through available Appalachian League records show that no player on any team in the league back through and including the 2005 campaign is even remotely close to stealing this many bases without being caught on the season. An additional review of Princeton franchise records back through and including the 1999 season unveiled that no P-Ray can match this feat either.
The Princeton team of this past summer easily led the Appalachian League in stolen bases with 102 as their next closest competitor (Burlington) was 17 behind at 85 steals.
The professional baseball teams representing Princeton throughout the years mentioned have always been among the league leaders in stolen bases and additionally have had three Appalachian League stolen base leaders over the past decade: Chad Cooper in 2003 with 25 steals, Desmond Jennings in 2006 with 32 steals, and Michael Ross in 2007 with 36 steals. Even one of the biggest stolen base artists in the major leagues over the past decade, Carl Crawford, started his professional career here as a member of the 1999 Princeton Devil Rays.
But, when it comes back to a high volume of stolen bases in a season without a tag ever beating him to the base, Ariel Soriano has carved his name into the memory of local baseball fans here forever more.
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