Hall of Famer Lou Brock passed away Sunday at age 81. He was one of baseball’s signature sluggers and stolen bases leader who helped the St. Louis Cardinals win three pennants and two World Series titles in the 1960s.
Brock’s agent and friend for years, Dick Zitzmann, confirmed the death but said he could not provide further details. The Cardinals and Cubs observed a minute’s silence in memory of the outfielder prior to their meeting at Wrigley Field.
Brock lost a leg to diabetes in recent years and was diagnosed with cancer in 2017.
“There are two things I’ll remember more about Lou,” Ted Simmons, also a Hall of Famer and former teammate of Brock on the Cardinals, said in a statement. «The first thing is his smile. Wherever you were in a room with Lou, you couldn’t miss it, it was the biggest, brightest and most vibrant smile on Earth. The other thing is that he was probably injured on numerous occasions, but never in my whole life did I know if I was playing with an injury.
Brock came to St. Louis in June 1964, as part of a trade with the Cubs for pitcher Ernie Broglio, in what became one of the most lopsided trades in the sport.
Throughout his career, Brock stole 938 bases, including 118 in 1974. Both were records in the majors until they were broken by Rickey Henderson.
“Lou was an outstanding representative of our national pastime and we will miss him deeply,” Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
Brock’s death came after star pitcher Tom Seaver passed away Monday. Brock and Seaver met 157 times, the most prolific meeting for both of them in their careers.
Along with starter Bob Gibson and center fielder Curt Flood, Brock was a support for St. Louis as the team’s combination of speed, defense and throwing made him the best of the 1960s and a symbol of the most aggressive style. of the National League at that time, compared to the American League.
Commissioner Robert D. Manfred issued the following statement Sunday night:
“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I send my condolences to the family of Hall of Famer Lou Brock, as well as all of the loyal fans of the St. Louis Cardinals. Lou was one of the most fascinating players in baseball, he became the 14th player in history to reach 3,000 hits and owns the most stolen bases in a season and was the MLB leader in that department by many years. He was noted for his dominating performances in all three of his lifetime World Series. Lou was an extraordinary representative of our National Pastime and will be deeply missed. ” (GG)) (Tpomado MLB.com)