Cardinal’s Lou Brock: King of the Stolen Bases

Lou Brock was an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985 — his first year of eligibility, only one of twenty to do so, which dovetails well with his retired number for the St Cardinals #20.. He was considered the consummate stolen base specialist surpassing the Georgia Peach, Ty Cobb’s record of 892 in the 1977 season. He was a solid clutch player and led the National League in steals every year but one.

“The numbers can hardly tell the full story of Louis Clark Brock. They cannot tell you about his 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. “  New York Daily News reporter Phil Pepe, 1970

Louis Clark Brock played college baseball at Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana before signing as an amateur free agent with the Cubs in 1960. After two years tearing up the minor leagues, Brock surfaced in Chicago at the tail end of the 1961 season, becoming the Cubs’ regular center fielder in 1962. The following year, 24-year-old Brock played 148 games as Chicago’s right fielder. He scored 79 runs, stole 24 bases.

I don’t think about goals and records. Competition keeps me playing. — Lou Brock

But on June 15, 1964, just three days shy of his twenty-fifth birthday, the Cubs—desperate for pitching – dealt Brock to the Cardinals as part of a trade for the pitcher Ernie Broglio, Ernie felt the Cardinals got the better of the deal, because while Broglio was just in his second season, and had won a league-leading 21 games in 1960, and the Cy Young award, his arm was giving out. His career ended that year, and Broglio always believed the Cardinals knew that. Of course, there is no proof but that is also part of the trade: each side is holding back essential information from the other.  The Cubs, though were in a bind and needed pitching, and Broglio was up for grabs.

“I guess that fewer than two percent of the people in baseball thought it was a good trade for us,” said Cardinals third baseman Ken Boyer about it.

Brock proved the doubters wrong, hitting .348 with 81 runs scored and 33 stolen bases in just 103 games for St. Louis. He led the Cardinals to the National League pennant. In the World Series, the Cardinals’ new left fielder hit .300 with five RBIs to help St. Louis beat the Yankees in seven games. The Cubs did not go to the Big Show, but with no pitching they wouldn’t have either. The Cardinals, though, went and won twice. It would be nearly forty-five years before they would win again.

Can we find the bases?

Lou is a bucket with an intercepted Neptune handle that comes into play later in life too. His Moon is exalted in Cancer right on the third house cusp, which is its domain. Brock was a stealth player, with Mars and Saturn in mutual reception and square his Uranus. But it was the grand square to asteroid Hidalgo ( 15 Scorpio 25) at the descendant (13 Scorpio 57) at opposite Uranus that made stealing bases a natural. He had a powerful swing and was wily but honest despite his comments about competitions. He loved applause and played to the fans; popular players always do, and stealing bases is a big crowd-pleaser. When they were pumped, so was he. In short, Lou was a natural showman, and stealing bases is very much in your face baseball.

All of which brings us to Brock’s second act — his retirement.

Retirement

After retiring , Brock stayed in St. Louis. He liked the town; the town liked him. He and his wife, Katie Mae, became ordained ministers for the Abundant Life Fellowship Church there, fulfilling his intercepted Neptune in the fifth house at 20 Virgo 37. This has the Hyperion Symbol of “healing messages left at the temple of the future.”

Brock is the father of former University of Southern California Trojan and National Football League player Lou Brock, jr, and granduncle of sports journalist and broadcaster Taylor Rooks.

The Reverend Brock passed on September 6, 2020 in Saint Louis. He is buried at Bellerive Gardens in Creve Coeur, Missouri on the river. Stan Musial is nearby.

Updates: This post was updated on November 14, 2025. The chart was missing, as was the obit.