|
|
(Page 1)
Larcenous Lou Brock was born on June 18, 1939 in El Dorado, Arkansas. He grew up on a cotton plantation in Collinston, Louisiana where he tirelessly worked for most of his childhood. As a child, Brock was regarded as a quiet and introverted boy, a child that no one would have predicted would become a National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. In fact, Brock did not even begin playing baseball until the age of 13 after he was inspired by a class paper he wrote on baseball legends Jackie Robinson and Joe DiMaggio. After a while, he began to fall in love with the classic American pastime and he accomplished many amazing feats both on and off the field.
Brock attended Union High School in Mer Rouge, Louisiana after completing elementary school. There he met his future wife Katie. Lou was on the basketball team and math and chemistry competition squads where he represented his school in various state competitions. Union High School is also where Brock joined his first baseball team, playing as their left handed pitcher. Eventually he earned an academic scholarship to Southern University and he and Katie moved to Baton Rogue, Louisiana to enrich their minds and lives.
Math had been a passion for Brock since his elementary school days, so it was only logical he choose mathematics as his college major. Unfortunately, he lost his scholarship after only one semester at Southern University when he received a C+ instead of a B average. Lowly and depressed about his current academic situation, Brock volunteered to retrieve balls for the college baseball team during his semester break. After one tiring day working on the field, the coaches rewarded Brock with five practice batting swings. He mustered up all his strength and launched three of the five balls over the fence, much to the amazement of the coaches. Thrilled with his performance, the coaches offered Brock a full baseball scholarship on the spot. In time, Brock made the transition from pitcher to outfielder and displayed his winning talents.
Brock excelled in his new position as an outfielder. He gave it his all, eventually helping Southern's baseball team climb to the NAIA World Series Championship. The young phenom was so fantastic on the field that major league clubs began coming out to see him play. Among Brock's onlookers was the United States Olympic Committee. They saw the young man's talent and couldn't pass him up, offering him a playing position at the 1959 Pan American Games. Brock took that opportunity and ran with it, once again giving his all on the field. His efforts paid off when he was offered a contract with the Chicago Cubs in 1961. Brock signed with the Cubs for a $30,000 bonus and began playing for their minor league team, St. Cloud in the Northern League.
After leading the Northern League in hits, runs, doubles and batting average (.361), it was clear Brock's stint in the minor league wouldn't last long. The Cubs quickly advanced him to the major league, where he finished out the 1961 season. He gave the Cubs nothing less than the best and in 1962 he was invited back for the 1962 season. This was a great complement to his abilities but, unfortunately, Brock was ill prepared for his major league promotion.
In the 1962 season he had a .263 batting average and, later in the season, was only brought in games as a pitch-hitter. His 1963 and 1964 seasons were not much better; in 1964 he churned out a dismal 3 for 42 at the plate and stolen a mere 50 bases in two and a half seasons. As result, the Cubs traded Brock to the St. Louis Cardinals in the middle of the 1964 season. That trade is now referred to as one of the worst trades in baseball history. The Chicago Cubs received Ernie Broglio who had won 60 games for the Cardinals in three years. At the time, the trade seemed to make sense, but after the young and promising Brock blossomed on the field, it was clear how lopsided the deal really was.
Page 1:2
Next Page >>
|
