The Art Of The Steal. Philadelphia Inquirer, March 1, 2005:

[I]t all began with a wink of an eye after Rivera walked Kevin Millar with no outs in the bottom of the ninth in Game 4 of the series. "Terry winked at me and I knew what I had to do," the 32-year-old Roberts, now with the San Diego Padres, said before a recent workout with his new team.

Amazingly, Roberts hadn't played in 10 days when Francona sent him in to pinch-run. But when the 5-foot-10, 175-pound speedster was called upon, he was ready for his moment. He had spent days studying video of Yankees relievers' pickoff moves, looking for an edge. ... Roberts spent the innings leading up to his steal of the century in the clubhouse, stretching, running in place, and riding a stationary bike. ...

Roberts took his lead. Immediately, thoughts of Maury Wills, the great former Los Angeles Dodgers basestealer, crept in his mind. When Roberts was with the Dodgers, Wills had tutored him. "He used to tell me that one day I'd have the opportunity to make a big difference in my career by stealing a base when everyone knows it's coming," Roberts recalled. "All I could think about was what Maury said: This was my opportunity." ...