Some baseball fans may have beef with Taco Bell.
Taco Bell is no longer an official sponsor of Major League Baseball, according to an MLB spokesperson, meaning the beloved ‘Steal a Base, Steal a Taco’ promotion won’t be taking place for the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees.
The 2024 World Series will mark the first Fall Classic without Taco Bell’s ‘Steal a Base, Steal a Taco’ giveaway since 2014.
What even was the promotion? Who has won? Let’s taco ’bout it:
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‘Steal a Base, Steal a Taco’ history
Taco Bell first offered its first ‘Steal a Base, Steal a Taco’ promotion during the 2007 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Colorado Rockies. The rules were simple: The first player from either team to successfully steal a base in the World Series ‘steals’ a free taco for Americans to redeem at Taco Bell locations across the country.
The promotion returned year after year — 2008, 2012, 2015 and every year since — and the same rules applied, although the rewards and redemption has varied year to year. In 2015, for example, fans won a free Breakfast Crunchwrap instead of a taco. In 2022, participants were able to guess the ‘Taco Hero’ in Taco Bell’s app to win a free medium fountain drink with their taco.
Every ‘Taco Hero’ in World Series history
Every World Series yields a winner, a loser, a MVP and — since Taco Bell implemented its ‘Steal a Base, Steal a Taco’ promotion in 2007 — a ‘Taco Hero.’
Here’s every ‘Taco Hero’ since Taco Bell’s tradition began:
2023: Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte stole the first base of the 2023 World Series in Game 1 against the Texas Rangers. Marte stole second base easily off Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi in the top of the third inning in the Diamondbacks’ 6-5 loss to the Rangers. The Rangers won the series 4-1.
2022: Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies
The Astros won the World Series 4-2.
2021: Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves
America won free tacos only three batters into the 2021 World Series. Albies used his speed to beat out an infield single in the top of the first inning of Game 1 vs. the Houston Astros, then promptly stole second in the Braves’ 6-2 win. The Braves won the World Series 4-2.
In honor of the 10th ‘Taco Hero,’ the base that Albies stole was memorialized in Cooperstown.
2020: Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers outfielder became the first two-time honoree when he stole second base in the fifth inning of Game 1 in his team’s 8-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020, two years after his steal in the 2018 World Series triggered the freebie.
The Dodgers went on to win the World Series 4-2.
2019: Trea Turner, Washington Nationals
Turner reached base with a single on the second pitch of Game 1, and then immediately stole second to earn everyone a free Doritos Locos Taco. The Nationals won 5-4. The Nationals went on to win the series in seven games.
‘My mom was asking me to win free tacos,’ Turner said postgame, jokingly adding, ‘I didn’t want to get yelled at so I figured I’d steal the base.’
2018: Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox
In the bottom of the first inning of Game 1 of the World Series in 2018, Betts led off with a single up the middle, then stole second base on the very next pitch. The Red Sox won 8-4 in Game 1 and won the World Series in five games.
2017: Cameron Maybin, Houston Astros
Outfielder Maybin singled in the 11th-inning of Game 2 of the World Series against the Dodgers. The single also set him up to steal second in the Astros’ 7-6 win. Maybin ended up scoring the go-ahead run when George Springer followed him with a homer to right field in extra innings.
Houston won the Fall Classic in seven games.
2016: Francisco Lindor, Cleveland
The shortstop stole a base in the bottom of the first inning in Cleveland’s 6-0 win over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the World Series at Progressive Field. It even caught the attention of then-President Barack Obama.
The Cubs won the World Series in seven games.
2015: Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City Royals
The Royals outfielder stole second base in the bottom of the sixth inning of his team’s 5-4 win over the New York Mets in Game 1 of the World Series in 2015. That year, however, America got free Taco Bell A.M. Crunchwraps, corresponding with Taco Bell’s ‘Steal a Base, Steal a Breakfast’ promotion. The Royals won the series, 4-1.
‘Who wants Taco Bell?’ Cain said afterwards. ‘It’s on me.’
2012: Ángel Pagán, San Francisco Giants
Pagán stole a base in the eighth inning of the Giants’ 2-0 win over the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 of the World Series at AT&T Park. Pagan not only won America free tacos, but he helped serve them at a Taco Bell location. The Giants swept the Tigers in the World Series.
2008: Jason Bartlett, Tampa Bay Rays
Bartlett stole second base in the bottom of the fifth inning in the Rays’ 3-2 loss to the Phillies in Game 1 of the World Series. The Rays lost the World Series to the Phillies, 4-1.
2007: Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox outfielder was the first ‘Taco Hero’ with a steal of second base in Game 2 of the 2007 World Series against the Colorado Rockies. Boston won the game 2-1 and went on to sweep the Fall Classic.
