Hall of Fame remembers Lou Brock

Hall of Famer Lou Brock passed away on Sunday at the age of 81. Photo: National Baseball Hall of Fame

September 6, 2020

Official National Baseball Hall of Fame Press Release

“Baseball and I have a mutual respect for each other. I have given a lot. It has given me a lot.” – Lou Brock

Remembering Lou Brock

“Lou Brock perfected the art of the stolen base over a 19-year Hall of Fame career and cherished his membership in the Hall," said Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “For decades after his election in 1985, he and his beloved wife Jackie would return to Cooperstown each summer, and his smile would brighten Induction Weekend. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire staff of the Hall of Fame, we send our deepest condolences to Jackie and the Brock family.”
– Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman, Baseball Hall of Fame

“There are two things I will remember most about Lou. First was his vibrant smile. Whenever you were in a room with Lou, you couldn't miss it – the biggest, brightest, most vibrant smile on earth. The other was that he was surely hurt numerous times, but never once in my life did I know he was playing hurt.”

– Hall of Famer and former Cardinals teammate Ted Simmons

Lou Brock Bio

Born: June 18, 1939 at El Dorado, Ark.

Died: Sept. 6, 2020

Height: 5-foot-11 Weight: 170

Threw and batted left

Lou Brock amassed 938 career stolen bases in becoming the first player to break Ty Cobb’s modern record of 897. A six-time All-Star, Brock recorded 3,023 hits, 1,610 runs, 486 doubles, 141 triples and 149 home runs. He led the St. Louis Cardinals to three National League pennants and two World Series championships, hitting .391 in World Series play. The N.L. now honors each season’s stolen base leader with the Lou Brock Award.

Quotes about Lou Brock

Phil Pepe of the New York Daily News: “The numbers can hardly tell the full story of Louis Clark Brock. They cannot tell you of the enthusiasm he possessed, the zest for the game, the excitement he generated, the joy of watching him. If you have not seen him play, you have missed one of the great joys of sport.”

Teammate Dal Maxvill: “If Brock were 25 (years old) when he set the (all-time stolen base) record, I wouldn’t have been surprised. But at 35 it has to be amazing.”

Teammate and manager Ken Boyer: “A player like Brock comes along once in a generation – if that often.”

On the web: View Lou Brock’s Hall of Fame plaque and a video tribute.