Lou Brock, the Cardinals Legend Dies at 81

Lou Brock, baseball Hall of Famer, dies at 81. The St. Louis Cardinals legend has been going through different health ailments for the last few months. No specific reason for death was established by family & acquaintances of Brock. In a statement, Bill DeWitt Jr., Cardinals chairman said that “Lou Brock was one of the most revered members of the St. Louis Cardinals organization and one of the very best to ever wear the Birds on the Bat. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.”

About Lou Brock's career with the Cardinals.

It was in 1964 that Brock was acquired by the Cardinals. The American professional baseball outfielder started his MLB career with the Chicago Cubs of 1961. However, Brock spent most part of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. For his stupendous games he played, in 1985, Brock was inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Later in 2014, he was also inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame. 

The Cardinals Legend is known for having broken Ty Cobb's all-time major league stolen base record in the year 1977. There are uncountable victories to count for Brock - he was a National League (NL) stolen base leader & an All-Star for six seasons - for as many as eight seasons. In 1968, he led the National League (NL) - both in doubles & triples. Later in 1972, he led the National League in singles. For the NL 1974, Brock was the runner up for the Most Valuable Player Award. 

For every game, he played and for his outstanding performances in every game, Brock became one of the baserunners in the history of baseball that players used to fear. With a total of 938, Brock was the all-time stolen base leader for the National League. The 1974 season was the most productive for him with 118 bases in 153 games. It was at the age of 35 during the 1975 season (with a single-season record) that he took retirement as baseball’s all-time leader in steals. Later in 1991, the record was broken by Rickey Henderson, who is the only person to have broken Brock’s records. 

Lou Brock's retirement.

In 1979, after retirement, Brock worked as a successful businessman in St. Louis itself. In the later years of his life, he suffered from several health ailments. Irrespective of everything, Brock continued being a part of the Cardinals games where he got a lot of fan followings & love. 

Brock’s legacy will be remembered for a variety of reasons. He was the first one to have played National Baseball Hall of Fame’s first-ballot electee. Brock was one of those players with immense strength as described by his teammates. He remained the NBA's toughest player until he was diagnosed with diabetes and had to get his left leg amputated.  In the later parts of his life, he suffered bone marrow cancer, a stroke & a heart ailment - in spite of all the physical pain he was going through, Brock remained motivated & optimistic. 

Nothing, not even these health mayhems made the legend from following his passion. It was only death that in the end, defeated him. Brock’s most teammates remember him as “Toughest SOB I’ve ever seen. McCarverone of the National Baseball Hall said, “Never saw him in the training room.”

Baseman Keith Hernandez broke down and said, “If Bob Gibson weren’t in the National League all those years, Lou would have been the toughest guy I ever saw, met on a baseball field. He and Bob were 1-2, as far as I was concerned. Quote it with a heavy heart. No one was more crucial to me on the big-league level than Lou. I don’t think I would have made it without Lou.”