Armour: The great Lou Brock’s record-setting World Series play

From SABR member Mark Armour at The National Pastime Museum on October 23, 2017:

At the 1964 baseball trading deadline (June 15 in those days), the St. Louis Cardinals made a six-player deal with the Cubs, a trade that really boiled down to swapping pitcher Ernie Broglio for outfielder Lou Brock. This deal remains famous as one of baseball’s all-time great swindles even as modern analysts have chipped away at Brock’s claim to greatness (He was not a very good defensive player, he did not walk much for a leadoff man, etc.).

While he was actually playing, Brock was most famous for two things. First, he led the league in stolen bases nine times, despite not really being given a green light until he got to St. Louis at age 26. Stolen bases are not as championed as they once were (Who led the NL in steals in 2016? Wrong, it was Jonathan Villar), but in Brock’s era the stolen base crown was a valued accomplishment.

Second, Brock was a great postseason player on one of the era’s iconic teams. That remains undeniable, though perhaps less well known.

Read the full article here: https://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com/article/great-lou-brock-record-setting-world-series-play



Originally published: October 23, 2017. Last Updated: October 23, 2017.