Lou Brock Set the Tone from the Start

 

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TRIVIA QUESTION: While Lou Brock was not considered a "slugger"he did strike out an inordinate number of times for a lead off hitter for the time period. How many times did Brock "K" at least 100 times in a season during his career?  
 
ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: The Dodgers and Braves were the two teams which drafted but were unable to secure the rights to Tom Seaver who eventually signed with the NY Mets.

You might say Lou Brock set the tone for a Hall of Fame career almost as soon as his trade from the Cubs to the Cardinals was complete. The date of the trade which sent Brock to St. Louis, essentially for Ernie Broglio was June 15, 1964. Brock would arrive that same day and fail as a pinch-hitter in the Cards 9-3 loss to Houston. However, he was ready the following day.

Brock started in right field against the Colt 45's and proceeded to show off the speed the Cardinals so sorely lacked at the time. Batting second in the order behind Curt Flood, Brock drew a walk, but was left stranded there when Bill White lined into an inning ending double play.

After failing to get aboard in the third he got a single to center in the fifth. His speed allowed him to move up, over to third on an error and a ground out. Ken Boyer slashed a triple to bring him home for his first run as a Cardinal. The very next inning Brock slashed his own triple to left but wasn't able to score.

In the eighth he drew a walk and stole second for his first as a Cardinal and 11th of the season. Again his St. Louis teammates could not bring him home. As St. Louis closed out Houston 7-1 Brock finished two-for-three, two walks and a stolen base. Not bad for his full time debut. 

Brock would finish the season with a flourish hitting .315 on 200 hits, 11 triples, 14 homers and 43 steals and 111 runs scored as the Cards won the pennant. He was on his way to 938 SBs, a .293 lifetime BA and 1610 runs scored.

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