Fansided

Top 25 MLB trades of all time

By Joshua Sadlock

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 09: Pitcher Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning of a game at Citi Field on April 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 09: Pitcher Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning of a game at Citi Field on April 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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MONTREAL, QUEBEC – CIRCA 1978: Outfielder Lou Brock #20 of the St. Louis Cardinals running the bases against the Montreal Expos during a Major League Baseball game circa 1978 at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec. Brock played for the Cardinals from 1964-79. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QUEBEC – CIRCA 1978: Outfielder Lou Brock #20 of the St. Louis Cardinals running the bases against the Montreal Expos during a Major League Baseball game circa 1978 at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec. Brock played for the Cardinals from 1964-79. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

8. Lou Brock to the Cardinals, 1964

  • Cardinals get: Lou Brock, Jack Spring, Paul Toth
  • Cubs get: Ernie Broglio, Doug Clemens, Bobby Shantz

The St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs fans do not have a very friendly relationship, and perhaps this trade has something to do with it. Hall of Famer Lou Brock played the first three-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Cubs before they swapped him for Ernie Broglio in a deadline deal in 1964. For the Cubs, Brock was a pure speedster without much else going on with his game In 327 games with Chicago, he hit only .257/.306/.383 with 20 home runs and 50 stolen bases.

Since most of you are already aware that Lou Brock is a Hall of Famer and a member of the 3,000-hit club, it goes without saying that his career really took off after going to the Cardinals. He played 16 years in St. Louis and hit .297/.347/.414 with 434 doubles, 121 triples, 129 homers, 814 RBI and 888 steals.

Brock led the major leagues in stolen bases four times and retired as the all-time leader in all major baserunning statistics. Rickey Henderson eventually broke Brock’s single-season record of 118 steals and also topped his career totals. Modern baseball thinking may have had Brock run a little less, as he was also caught nearly 300 times for his career.

The Cardinals won the World Series in Brock’s first year with the franchise. He hit .300 in his first trip to the Fall Classic. St. Louis got back to the World Series twice more with Brock, and won it all in 1967. In his three trips to the World Series, Brock hit .391/.424/.655 with seven doubles, two triples, four home runs, 13 RBI and 14 stolen bases.

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