(Continued from Homepage)
Lee must have been a heckuva job because Brock was inspired to try out for the professional league after helping Southern to win the NAIA championship in his junior year. Brock was selected to play on the U.S. team in the 1959 Pan American Games.
Brock tried out with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1960 and ended up as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs.
He made his debut in 1961 and made an immediate impact with his great speed and base running skills.
In 1964, Brock almost caused a rebellion when he was traded away to the St. Louis Cardinals for a popular Card white pitcher named Ernie Broglio. (The trade of Brock for Broglio proved to be one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history as Brock would go on baseball supremacy while Broglio’s injury prone career ended abruptly.
Brock has received numerous attributes since since his passing and for those who didn’t witness his greatness on the field, here’s a brief summary:
• 1964 Brock played left field with the Cardinals…batted .348 and stole 33 bases, leading the Cards to the world championship over the New York Yankees – their first in 18 years.
• 1967 In the ’67 World Series against the Boston Red Sox, he hit .414…added a home run and drove in 3 runs and had a perfect 7 for 7 stolen bases as the Cards won their second title.
• 1968 Brock hit .464….had 13 hits and tied his own World Series record with seven more stolen bases, but the Cards fell to the Detroit Tigers in seven games.
• 1974 At the age of 35, Brock had his career best season when he broke former Dodger Maury Wills single season stolen base record with 118.
• 1977 He broke Ty Cobb’s career stolen bases record, 938 (since by Ricky Henderson).
• The 6-time All-Star led the major leagues in steals six times.
• The only player in history to steal 50 or more bases in 12 straight seasons
• Led the National League in doubles and triples in 1968
• Led the league in singles in 1972
• 1974 Runner-up for the NL Most Valuable Player Award
AWARDS
1968 The Babe Ruth Award (as the outstanding player in the 1967 World Series)
1974 The Sporting News Player of the Year
1975 The Roberto Clemente Award (for best exemplifying the game of baseball on and off the field)
1977 The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
1978 The National League designated the Lou Brock Award (for its annual stolen bases leader)
1979 National League Comeback Player of the Year
1979 The St. Louis Cardinals retired Brock’s jersey, no. 20
1979 The Baseball Hall of Fame
The Hutch Award (for the player who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire of Fred Hutchinson)
1983 Inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
1992 Inducted into the Missouri Sports of Fame
1994 Inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame
1995 Inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame
1999 Ranked No. 58, The Sporting News 100 Greatest Baseball Players
Finalist, the Major League Baseball All-Century Team
2006 The Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award (recognized for his accomplishments on and off the field)
2014 The inaugural St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum (Brock was among the 22 former players and personnel inducted)
After a storied career, Brock became a minister who shared his success by investing into the lives and spirits of others.
from the cotton fields to a field of dreams, his was a life worth living.