The St. Louis Cardinals announced Thursday that Hall of Fame outfielder Lou Brock has been diagnosed with bone cancer and is currently undergoing treatment for Multiple Myeloma.
#STLCards announce that Lou Brock was recently diagnosed with bone cancer and is currently undergoing treatment for Multiple Myeloma.
— Jenifer Langosch (@LangoschMLB) April 13, 2017
Brock started his career with the Chicago Cubs, but was traded to St. Louis in 1964, in what amounts to one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history. His impact was immediate, as Brock hit .348/.387/.527 as a Cardinal that year, helping St. Louis to the NL pennant and World Series title, the city’s first since 1946.
The Cardinals would win another championship in 1967 and the pennant in 1968 with Brock at the top of their order. He was the quintessential old-school leadoff hitter, finishing his career with a .293/.343/.410 slash line and breaking Ty Cobb’s all-time stolen base record.
His 938 stolen bases stood as the all-time record until Rickey Henderson broke it in 1991. Brock’s 118 stolen bases in 1974 was a single-season record for the modern era as well until Henderson stole 130 in 1982.
Brock was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985 and his No. 20 is retired by the Cardinals. He is currently 77 years of age.