Revisiting ‘Brock for Broglio’ the best trade in Cardinals history
Lou Brock originally joined the St. Louis Cardinals as part of an infamous trade.
The great Lou Brock has died at the age of 81. The MLB Hall of Famer made a name for himself as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, but got his start with another team.
Brock was signed by the Chicago Cubs and reached the majors in 1961. He was average at the start of his career and the Cubs decided to package him in a deal during the 1964 season. The supposed centerpiece for the Cubs was receiving pitcher Ernie Broglio from the Cardinals. Broglio was out of the league after 1966 and Brock went on to be a Cardinals legend.
The lopsided trade won by the Cardinals
The Cubs continued on with their curse and Brock went on to win two World Series titles with the Cardinals, including one in 1964. He also finished his career with six All-Star appearances and even batted .304 in his final MLB season in 1979.
Broglio showed up as a hyped pitcher after winning 21 games in 1960 and 18 in 1963. He proceeded to go 7-19 over the course of three years with the Cubs and had a combined 5.40 ERA with the team. Meanwhile, fans were left wondering if Brock could have led the Cubs to greatness.
Trading prospects and young players is always tricky. There are future stars in every organization and it is the job of the front office to identify the talent. The impatience surrounding Brock turned out to be a disaster and defined the Cubs’ curse that lasted until 2016.
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Brock’s legacy may have been entirely different if he was never traded. He may have been relegated to the bench in Chicago or even spent more time in the minors. The change of scenery altered Cardinals, Cubs, and MLB history and only one group there came out on the losing end.