Cardinals legend Lou Brock dies at 81

Baseball Hall of Famer and St. Louis Cardinals legend Lou Brock has died at the age of 81.

The news was first reported by Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who added that Brock had battled multiple medical conditions in recent years. No specific cause of death was given.

The Cardinals acquired Brock in an initially unpopular trade in 1964. He went on to become one of the most feared baserunners in baseball history. He is the National League’s all-time stolen base leader with 938. Brock also led the NL in steals eight times. His finest season in that regard came in 1974, when he stole 118 bases in 153 games at the age of 35. That was a single-season record at the time, and he retired as baseball’s all-time leader in steals. That mark lasted until Rickey Henderson broke it in 1991, and Henderson remains the only player who has stolen more bases than Brock did.

A first-ballot Hall of Famer, he also had 3,023 hits in his career, which was primarily spent with the Cardinals. He was a six-time All-Star and played a major role in two World Series wins in 1964 and 1967.

After retiring in 1979, Brock remained in St. Louis and became a successful businessman. He battled significant health problems in the final few years of his life. He remained a regular at Cardinals games, where he was a beloved figure among St. Louis fans.