baseball player
Personal Information
Born Louis Clark Brock, June 18, 1939 in El Dorado, Arkansas;
Education: Attended Southern University.
Career
Signed with the Chicago Cubs in 1961; Traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964, played until 1979.
Life's Work
In 1964, a promising young outfielder named Lou Brock was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the St. Louis Cardinals for Ernie Broglio. The trade became known as one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history, although few people could have predicted that outcome. At the time of the trade, Brock's best season at the plate had been an ordinary .263 and he was having trouble defensively, while Broglio had won 18 games twice in his career. Following the trade, Broglio would go on to win only seven more games and retire from baseball after three years, while Brock would lead the Cardinals to two world championships, become baseball's all-time stolen base leader, and be elected to the Hall of Fame.
Lou Brock was born on June 18, 1939, in El Dorado, Arkansas. Few people who knew him as a youngster would have guessed that he would go on to play 19 major-league seasons, steal 938 bases, and lead the National League in steals eight times. Of all of his playmates, Brock was the smallest and shyest and he did not begin playing baseball until he was 13. His interest in the game began after he wrote a school report about great baseball players such as Jackie Robinson and Joe DiMaggio. Brock attended Union High School in Mer Rouge, Louisiana, where he and his future wife Katie led their class academically and represented the school in state math and science competitions. He also joined the baseball team as a left- handed pitcher. Lou and Katie graduated from high school and attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Brock majored in math and played baseball, eventually switching positions from pitcher to outfielder. He had improved so much at his new position that he began to attract the interest of several major league clubs. After an impressive showing at the Pan American Games in 1959, the Chicago Cubs invited Brock to try out for the team.
In 1961, Brock signed with the Cubs for a $30,000 bonus. He did not want to leave Southern after three years, but he could not afford to turn down the Cubs' offer. Brock was assigned to St. Cloud of the Northern League, but his stint in the minor leagues was brief. After he led the Northern League in hits, runs, doubles, and batting average (.361), the Cubs called him up to the majors at the end of the 1961 season. They were so impressed with the young outfielder that Brock was added to the Cubs roster for the 1962 season. However, Brock was not prepared for this promotion. In the Lincoln Library of Sports Champions, Brock remarked, "I thought I wasn't ready...When they kept me with the Cubs in 1962, I asked myself why they kept me. What am I doing here? I realize I had the wrong attitude...It was both a blessing and a curse. I was learning with the best--but I was competing with the best. I didn't think I belonged. I let it hold me back." Brock struggled during his first year in the major leagues. He had compiled a respectable .263 batting average, but he was a defensive liability and was used only as a pinch-hitter late in the season. Brock had another mediocre season in 1963 and in 1964, after a promising start, went into a 3- for-42 slump at the plate. After two below-average seasons, the Cubs traded Brock to the St. Louis Cardinals in the middle of the 1964 season. Upon joining the Cardinals, Brock immediately became the starting left fielder. His impact on the team was dramatic. When Brock became a Cardinal on June 15th, the team was in fourth place, six and one-half games out of first. Brock hit .348 for the rest of the season as the Cardinals passed the Phillies, the Giants, and the Reds to capture the pennant. He eventually led his team to the 1964 World Series against the Yankees, which the Cardinals won in seven games.
In 1965 Brock scored 107 runs, hit .288, and stole 63 bases, beginning a string of consistently outstanding seasons. In 1966, after stealing 74 bases, he won the first of his eight base- stealing titles. Perhaps Brock's best season was in 1967. He led the National League with 113 runs scored, had 52 steals, notched 21 home runs, and drove in 78 runs. He capped the 1967 season with a stellar performance in the World Series against the Boston Red Sox, which the Cardinals won in seven games. He led the Cardinals back to the World Series in 1968, but they were defeated by the Detroit Tigers. At the time, Brock had the highest batting average (.391) of any player to appear in two or more World Series. He had also stolen 14 bases, a World Series record.
After stealing 51 bases in 1970 and finishing with the second- highest total in the league, Brock led the National League in stolen bases from 1971 to 1974. Incredibly, at the age of 35, Brock stole 118 bases during the 1974 season, breaking Maury Wills's single-season stolen base record of 104. In 1982, Rickey Henderson broke Brock's record with 130 steals. Brock told The Treasury of Baseball, "Baserunning arrogance is just like pitching arrogance or hitting arrogance. You are a force, and you have to instill that you are a force to the opposition. You have to have utter confidence." This aggressive attitude is one of the reasons why Brock became the oldest player to steal 100 bases. In 1977, Brock broke Ty Cobb's career stolen base record of 892. In 1978, at the age of 39, Brock hit only .221, but decided to play one more year in the hope of finishing his career on a strong note. For some professional athletes, the decision to extend their playing career leads to embarrassment or humiliation. This did not happen to Brock. He batted .304, became a member of the 3,000 hit club, and stole 21 bases in 1979. At the end of the season, Brock retired.
During his stellar career, Brock stole 938 bases, captured eight stolen-base titles, scored 90 runs in ten different seasons, and batted .300 in eight seasons. He stole 50 or more bases for 12 consecutive years, totaled 3,023 hits with a career .293 average, and was selected to the All-Star team six times. Since his playing career ended, Brock has remained active with the Cardinals organization and is the owner of a concessions business.
Awards
In 19 major league seasons scored 1,160 runs, knocked in 900 runs, had 3,023 hits, and a .293 career batting average; Stole 938 bases and appeared in six all-star games; Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.
Further Reading
Books
- Pro Sports Hall of Fame: Volume Eight, Creative Media Applications, Inc., 1997.
- The Lincoln Library of Sports Champions: Volume Two, Frontier Press Co., 1989.
- The Treasury of Baseball, A Celebration of America's Pastime, Illinois Publications International, Ltd., 1994.
- Chicago Tribune, July 27, 1988.
- Sports Illustrated, January 30, 1995, p. 11.
— Michael J. Watkins
