Hall of Famer Lou Brock recovering after partial amputation of left leg
When you think of St. Louis Cardinals great Lou Brock, you think of his incredible speed and his legendary base stealing prowess, both of which paved his path to baseball’s Hall of Fame.
It’s those memories that bring smiles to the faces of many longtime baseball fans, but it’s those thoughts that also make recent news about Brock’s health all the more disheartening.
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According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Brock had his left leg amputated below the knee on Oct 27. The National League’s all-time stolen base leader had been battling an infection related to a diabetic condition. The good news though is Brock is recuperating now and is already taking steps on his road to recovery.
An infection relative to a diabetic condition has necessitated the amputation of Brock’s left leg just below the knee. But the Brock family has sent a message that the Base Burglar is recovering well and, according to a source, Brock already is taking steps with a walker and will be fitted for a prosthetic device.
Base Burglar is a simple, yet completely fitting nickname. For his career, Brock stole 938 bases in 19 seasons, second only to Rickey Henderson in baseball history. He may not have been the most efficient base stealer, having been caught on roughly one-fourth of his attempts, but he was fearless. In fact, Brock never stopped running, notching double-digit steals in each of his final 18 seasons. He stole a career best 118 in 1974 at age 35.
Brock was a cornerstone for some great Cardinals teams during the 60s and 70s. Another was Hall of Fame Bob Gibson pitcher. According to the Post-Dispatch, Gibson was among those to visit Brock in an attempt to raise his spirits.
Brock was visited in the hospital last weekend by former teammate Bob Gibson, who was able to make Brock laugh with one of his remarks, and former manager Red Schoendienst, another Hall of Famer who also lifted Brock’s morale.
Gibson, who turned 80 on Monday, said he talked with Brock for 15 to 20 minutes before Brock became tired.
“You can’t be in too many good spirits when you’re in the hospital,” said Gibson. But Gibson said he was hopeful that Brock would be able to meet this new challenge which is certainly greater than any he faced on the field.
“He’s got a lot road ahead, but he’s a tough guy,” longtime friend Dick Zitzmann added while speaking to the Associated Press. “He’s got a great attitude.”
[Elsewhere: Joe Torre says MLB will consider rules changes on slides to second base}
Brock’s greatest years were spent with the Cardinals, though he’ll also go down in Cubs’ lore as the one who got away. On June 15, 1964, Chicago traded Brock to its longtime rivals in order to acquire right-handed pitcher Ernie Broglio. Brock went on to play 16 seasons with the Cardinals, earning six All-Star selections. He also played in three World Series, batting .391 with 14 stolen bases in 21 World Series games.
Brock finished his career with 3,023 hits and was inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1985.
We offer Lou Brock our best wishes as he continues his recovery and hope to see him at Busch Stadium again next season.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813