How Taco Bell’s ‘Steal a Base, Steal a Taco’ Works

Main League Baseball has lengthy prided itself on its many traditions. And over the previous decade or so, that occurs to incorporate Taco Bell’s “Steal a Base, Steal a Taco.”

The promotion, which provides followers the prospect to win a free taco as soon as a base is stolen in the course of the World Sequence, is again once more for the beginning of the 2023 Fall Traditional. The Texas Rangers host the Arizona Diamondbacks in Recreation 1 of this yr’s World Sequence on Friday night time.

Each groups on this yr’s World Sequence misplaced greater than 100 video games as not too long ago as two seasons in the past and had been below .500 final yr. The Rangers and Diamondbacks each earned Wild Card spots on this yr’s playoffs and needed to overcome 3-2 Championship Sequence deficits by successful Video games 6 and seven on the street to clinch their respective pennants.

And now they’ll present tacos to followers throughout America.

World Sequence signage is seen in the course of the World Sequence Exercise Day for the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday at Globe Life Discipline in Arlington, Texas. Recreation 1 of the 2023 World Sequence…


Carmen Mandato/Getty Photos/Getty Photos

How Followers Can Get a Free Taco

A lot for peanuts and Cracker Jack. The beginning of a World Sequence means it’s taco time for baseball followers.

Any followers who wish to take part should register for a Taco Bell rewards program account on the fast-food restaurant’s web site and obtain its cellular app to be eligible for the free taco. The primary time a base is stolen in the course of the best-of-seven sequence it’ll activate the reward within the app. Individuals nationwide can have 10 days to redeem the reward for a free Doritos Locos Taco.

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Reward members who efficiently guess, within the app, the participant who finally ends up stealing the primary base may even obtain a free medium fountain drink, based on MLB. They could even have an opportunity at “Taco Bell for Life” within the type of a $15,000 digital present card.

Who Will Steal First Base of the World Sequence?

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll is the odds-on favourite to be America’s “Taco Hero” throughout this yr’s Fall Traditional.

Carroll stole 54 bases in the course of the common season and swiped two luggage in Arizona’s series-clinching win over the Philadelphia Phillies earlier this week. DraftKings Sportsbook gave the 23-year-old +140 odds as of Friday afternoon, the very best of any participant, to steer the 2023 World Sequence in stolen bases. However will Carroll be the primary participant to swipe a bag? Consultants lean towards “sure.”

MLB’s official web site polled 58 beat writers, producers and different baseball aficionados on who will steal the primary base on this sequence. Forty-nine of them voted for Carroll. Whether or not it’s the D-backs outfielder or not, the primary stolen base of the World Sequence is more likely to come on Friday night time. The “taco-clinching” steal, as MLB calls it, has occurred in Recreation 1 in every Fall Traditional since 2018, the league mentioned.

Groups with the “Taco Hero” are 8-3 within the World Sequence total. Here is a rundown of previous gamers who’ve swiped a bag and activated the promotion.

2022: Kyle Schwarber, Phillies
2021: Ozzie Albies, Braves
2020: Mookie Betts, Dodgers
2019: Trea Turner, Nationals
2018: Mookie Betts, Purple Sox
2017: Cameron Maybin, Astros
2016: Francisco Lindor, Cleveland
2015: Lorenzo Cain, Royals
2012: Ángel Pagán, Giants
2008: Jason Bartlett, Rays
2007: Jacoby Ellsbury, Purple Sox

“My mother was asking me to win free tacos. I did not wish to get yelled at so I figured I would steal the bottom,” Turner memorably mentioned in the course of the 2019 sequence after stealing a base. “I am kidding. I simply felt like being aggressive.”

What Time Does the World Sequence Begin?

The primary pitch of Recreation 1 of the 2023 World Sequence is scheduled for 8:03 p.m. ET on Friday at Globe Life Discipline. The sport will air on Fox. Joe Davis (play-by-play) and John Smoltz (analyst) can be on the decision from Arlington, whereas Tom Verducci and Ken Rosenthal will provide updates all through the published.

Arizona (84-78) has the third-worst report, by successful proportion, of any workforce to achieve the World Sequence. And most oddsmakers think about the Diamondbacks underdogs to the Rangers on this yr’s Fall Traditional. However that is nothing new for Arizona.

“We simply put it on our record and maintain these receipts and stroll round with slightly bit extra of a chip on our shoulder,” Diamondbacks Supervisor Torey Lovullo instructed reporters Thursday. “It offers you slightly bit extra motivation. And when you will get slightly bit extra, you’re taking it.”

The Diamondbacks are searching for their first World Sequence win of their second-ever look. The franchise beforehand received the Fall Traditional in 2001 by defeating the New York Yankees in seven video games. The Rangers (90-72) have by no means received a World Sequence, relationship all the way in which again to when the franchise began play because the enlargement Washington Senators in 1961. This marks Texas’ first time clinching the American League pennant since doing so in back-to-back years in 2010 and 2011.

Earlier than the season, the chances of a Diamondbacks-Rangers World Sequence had been set at 1,750 to 1.

“We weren’t involved with what folks considered us,” mentioned first-year Rangers Supervisor Bruce Bochy, who received three World Sequence throughout his time with the San Francisco Giants. “We thought we belonged and we thought we might win.”