Get to know Lou Brock
- Brock, who turns 71 in June, is an ordained minister, as is his wife Jackie, who accompanied him Saturday night.
- Though Brock was best known for his speed and stolen base records, he also was a solid hitter. His career on-base percentage was .516 against Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan. And he hit a record .391 in World Series games, even though he was hitless in 17 of his first 19 Series at bats.
- Brock was born in Arkansas and raised in Arkansas. He didn't play baseball until he was 13 years old, and he started out as a left-handed pitcher.
- His namesake son, Lou Brock Jr., who turns 46 next month, played defensive back for USC and in the NFL.
- As a youngster he imagined that animals were running his under his bed. So his dad solved the problem; he cut the legs off the bed.
And here are five questions we asked Brock, with his answers, before Saturday's game:
Q: Should players who used performance-enhancing drugs be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame?
BROCK: "That's a good question, and a lot of people are searching for that answer. Using steroids is cheating, and cheating has no place in the game. So I would say no."
Q: Of all the players you've seen, does Alfred Pujols remind you of anyone?
BROCK: "Willie Mays. He doesn't have the speed of a Willie Mays, but in terms of batting he has a lot of the Willie Mays style, despite the fact that he stands a little different. On his approach to the ball, I don't think you can tell the difference between him and Mays."
Q: What do you think of the St. Louis Rams drafting Sam Bradford with the No. 1 picked in the NFL draft Thursday?
BROCK: "Bradford's good, and he could be great. It's great for St. Louis because we're reaching beyond the borders for more and more Rams fans."
Q: The late Buck O'Neill, who signed you and Ernie Banks, isn't in the Baseball Hall of Fame. What do you think of that?
BROCK: "Well, although he deserved to be in, he still got a good deal. Now they have a monument at the Hall of Fame in honor of him. It's right there in the lobby with Ted Williams and Babe Ruth. That, to me, in spite of the fact that he wasn't honored, he's there anyway. I think that's special when they make an award for you."
Q: How would you rate the Cardinals-Cubs rivalry with the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry?
BROCK: "The Cubs-Cardinals is a friendly rivalry. Boston-New York is a war. People don't like each other. But in terms of the effect it has on the culture it is in, you can't tell the different. They're passionate about their teams. But one promotes anger and the promotes friendships."
At the end of the interview, the personable Brock offered another story, about the Cubs' infamous trade of him to St. Louis for pitcher Ernie Broglio. It is still referred to as the worst trade in the Cubs' history. Brock's story also involved broadcaster (and former Chicago sportswriter) Brent Musburger.
"Brent Musburger was just out of college when the trade was made," Brock said. "They sent him in to do the story. It was his first assignment. The content of the interview led to a headline in the paper, 'Cubs pull off greatest steal since the Brink's Robbery.'
"So every time I see Brent, that's our connection. He wrote that, so every time I see him I say, "You still think that was the greatest steal since the Brink's Robbery?'"
Of course, the trade was a steal - but not for the Cubs.