Lou Brock
Before Rickey Henderson rewrote the record books, Brock owned the stolen base throne with 938 career swipes. But what made him truly dangerous wasn't just the speed — it was the timing. He swiped 50-plus bases twelve times and led the National League eight times, terrorizing pitchers who knew he was going but couldn't stop him.
The 1964 trade from Chicago to St. Louis ranks among the Cubs' worst decisions ever. Brock immediately sparked the Cardinals to a World Series title and became the catalyst for their golden era. His .391 average in three World Series appearances showed he elevated his game when it mattered most.
That .293 career average tells only part of the story. Brock understood his role: get on base, create chaos, score runs. His 1,610 career runs scored reflect a player who turned singles into doubles and doubles into triples through pure aggression on the basepaths.
Career · Batting
19 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | CHC | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | .091 | .258 | — |
| 1962 | CHC | 123 | 434 | 9 | 35 | .263 | .731 | — |
| 1963 | CHC | 148 | 547 | 9 | 37 | .258 | .682 | — |
| 1964 | STL | 155 | 634 | 14 | 58 | .315 | .821 | — |
| 1965 | STL | 155 | 631 | 16 | 69 | .288 | .791 | — |
| 1966 | STL | 156 | 643 | 15 | 46 | .285 | .749 | — |
| 1967 | STL | 159 | 689 | 21 | 76 | .299 | .799 | — |
| 1968 | STL | 159 | 660 | 6 | 51 | .279 | .746 | — |
| 1969 | STL | 157 | 655 | 12 | 47 | .298 | .782 | — |
| 1970 | STL | 155 | 664 | 13 | 57 | .304 | .783 | 110 |
| 1971 | STL | 157 | 640 | 7 | 61 | .313 | .810 | 119 |
| 1972 | STL | 153 | 621 | 3 | 42 | .311 | .752 | 113 |
| 1973 | STL | 160 | 650 | 7 | 63 | .297 | .762 | 108 |
| 1974 | STL | 153 | 635 | 3 | 48 | .306 | .749 | 108 |
| 1975 | STL | 136 | 528 | 3 | 47 | .309 | .758 | 108 |
| 1976 | STL | 133 | 498 | 4 | 67 | .301 | .738 | 108 |
| 1977 | STL | 141 | 489 | 2 | 46 | .272 | .670 | 92 |
| 1978 | STL | 92 | 298 | 0 | 12 | .221 | .514 | 73 |
| 1979 | STL | 120 | 405 | 5 | 38 | .304 | .739 | 102 |
| Career | 2616 | 10332 | 149 | 900 | .293 | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.