Lou Brock MLB Career and Early Life

Lou Brock was known for his blazing speed on the basepaths and by how well he played in every phase of the game. Those skills resulted in Brock having a Hall of Fame career and winning two championships with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Brock’s story is one of a man rising from poor beginnings to the top of his profession and becoming one of the most respected men in baseball. Brock came up with the Chicago Cubs, but famously (or infamously) played most of his career with the Cardinals after a trade.

In his 19-year career, Brock led the league in steals eight times. He also made the All-Star Team six times. Brock retired after the 1979 season and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1985.

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Lou Brock Early Life

Brock was born in El Dorado, Arkansas, although his mother soon moved to Collinston, Louisiana. In the book he co-wrote with Frank Schulze, “Stealing Is My Game,” Brock wrote that the poverty in the area impacted him. He wondered how he could escape his surroundings.

As it turned out, a minor breaking of the rules proved to be his salvation. After throwing a spitball in class, Brock faced punishment from a teacher. The teacher decided to make Brock research and write about the careers of Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Don Newcombe, and Jackie Robinson. Two things struck Brock: the amazing accomplishments on the field and the fact the players made good money. Baseball started to look like a viable option to escape poverty.

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However, Brock started playing baseball late, not joining a team until he was in 11th grade. He went on to play college baseball for Southern University in Baton Rouge and quickly improved his game. The Cubs signed Brock as an amateur free agent in 1960.

Brock played in the minors in 1961, winning the batting title in the Northern League with a .361 average while playing for the Cubs’ St. Cloud, Minnesota, affiliate. He also stole 38 bases. He was called up at the end of that season, making just 12 plate appearances. He stayed with the club in 1962.

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In his rookie season in 1962, Brock scored 73 runs and stole 16 bases. He also hit a home run into the centerfield bleachers at the Polo Grounds in New York City. He’s one of only four players to accomplish that feat, a list that includes Joe Adcock, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.

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Unfortunately for the Cubs and their long-suffering fans, the team’s management was not impressed as Brock even as he scored 79 runs and stole 24 bases in 1963. During the 1964 season, the team traded Brock to the rival Cardinals for pitcher Ernie Broglio. Also involved in the deal were Jack Spring and Paul Toth from the Cubs and Bobby Shantz and Doug Clemens from the Cardinals.

It’s one of the most lopsided trades in history. Brock went on to a Hall of Fame career. Broglio went on to a 7-19 record with a 5.40 ERA for the Cubs, retiring after spending 1967 in the minors. Brock hit .334 against the Cubs over the rest of his career, rubbing a little salt into the wound.

With the Cardinals, Brock blossomed. He hit .348 and stole 33 bases over the rest of the 1964 season. That season ended with the Cardinals defeating the New York Yankees. By 1967, he made his first All-Star team, which he would do again five more times in the 1970s. In the 1967 World Series in which the Cardinals defeated the Boston Red Sox , Brock hit .414, scored eight and stole a World Series-record seven bases.

In the 1968 World Series that the Cardinals lost against the Detroit Tigers, Brock hit .464. He did not wilt on the biggest stage of the sport.

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He broke Ty Cobb’s career stolen base record when he stole his 893rd base in 1977 (Rickey Henderson later broke Brock’s record). In 1979, he became the 14th player in baseball history to reach 3,000 hits. At the age of 40 in 1979, he hit .304. He retired at the end of the season.

Brock became a successful florist in St. Louis after retirement. He also worked as a baserunning coach during spring training for several teams, including the Cardinals. Brock also was an ordained minister with the Abundant Life Fellowship Church in St. Louis. Brock died on Sept. 6, 2020, in St. Charles, Missouri.