sports RIP, Lou Brock

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He was known for his speed and the pressure he put on his opponents when he was on base, but Lou Brock was much more than a stolen-base specialist. He was a daring leadoff man, a complete player and a clutch hitter. He was gentle, driven, universally admired and respected by his peers.

And the Hall of Famer will always be remembered as a Cardinals legend. Brock died on Sunday at the age of 81. The Cardinals and Cubs, Brock's first team, played each other in Chicago on Sunday night and held a collective moment of silence for Brock before the game.

https://www.mlb.com/news/lou-brock-dies-at-81

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Lou Brock spent the bulk of his career with the Cardinals, but began with the Cubs. In 1964, they needed a starting pitcher, so they traded Brock to St. Louis for Ernie Broglio on the June 15th deadline. At the time, the trade angered the Cardinal clubhouse, because Broglio was really good and really well-liked in the clubhouse. As it turned out, manager Johnny Keane wanted Brock because he thought his presence could improve their lineup after Musial retired and wanted him to run on the basepaths.

The trade is one of the most lopsided of all time and the worst in Cub history. Brock was a force on the basepaths. While he never walked all that much over his career (his .343 OBP is one reason why he has a 45.4 WAR), he picked up a ton of hits, notching 3,023 over his 19-year career. From 1966-1974, he led the NL or Majors in stolen bases in eight out of nine seasons. His best year, 1974 at age 35, he hit a milestone, breaking the all-time single-season stolen base record with 118 (Maury Wills had 104 in 1962, the NL's first 162-game season). At the time of retirement, his 938 stolen bases (out of 1,245 attempts, a 75.34% success rate) were the most of all time.

Where he shone brightest, though, was the World Series. His home run in Game 7 began a 5th-inning rally to help propel the Cardinals to their first World Series since '46. Three years later (the first 20-homer, 50-steal season in history), he stole seven bases (three of them in Game 7), hit .414, and started a large chunk of their rallies. The following WS, he stole seven again and hit .464. In his three World Series (21 games), he had 34 hits, good for a .391 average.

But his accomplishments don't stop there. While still an active player, the National League created the Lou Brock Award, which awards the player in that league with the most stolen bases. 1979 was his last year, and he won the NL Comeback Player of the Year, was an All-Star, recorded his 3,000th career hit during the season, and had his jersey number retired. Six years later, the BBWAA elected him to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

RIP, Lou Brock.

P.S.: Earlier this week, Tom Seaver passed away, and Seaver and Brock faced each other more times than anyone else (157 plate appearances). They died within a week of each other.

P.P.S.: On the day he turned 81, he was serenaded with a loud "Happy Birthday to You!"

My eyes are welling.