RetroSimba

(Updated Aug. 6, 2019)

Lou Brock stole home twice in his major-league career. Both occurred on the front end of double steals.

Brock did it first with the Cubs on May 24, 1964, against the Reds at Cincinnati. He repeated the feat with the Cardinals on Aug. 6, 1970, against the Mets at St. Louis.

Mets pitcher Tom Seaver had won nine consecutive decisions entering his Aug. 6, 1970, start against the Cardinals at Busch Memorial Stadium. Brock led off the Cardinals’ first inning with a double and moved to third on an infield out. Joe Hague walked and Richie Allen struck out.

When Hague took off from first on a steal attempt, catcher Jerry Grote threw to second. Second baseman Wayne Garrett took Grote’s throw and Hague stopped. Garrett fired the ball to first baseman Art Shamsky. As Shamsky moved toward Hague, Brock broke for home. Shamsky, a left-handed thrower, turned around and made a high toss to Grote. Brock easily beat the throw and Hague went on to second base on a successful double steal.

“Once (Shamsky) makes a total commitment for the other runner (Hague), there’s no way he can make the play home,” Brock said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. ‘It’s too tough to throw accurately with something on the ball when you’re running in another direction.”

The thefts came against a battery that was good at guarding against steals. Grote threw out 39 percent of the baserunners attempting to steal against him in 1970. Seaver pitched in 37 games in 1970 and yielded only 14 stolen bases.

Brock’s steal of home gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead and propelled them to a 3-0 victory.

Asked about the play, Mets manager Gil Hodges told the Associated Press, “When you can’t execute properly, that’s what costs you.” Boxscore

Less than a month before he was traded by the Cubs to the Cardinals, Brock stole home for the first time in the big leagues. In the opener of a doubleheader on May 24, 1964, at Crosley Field, Brock singled against Reds starter Jim O’Toole with one out in the first. A single by Billy Williams advanced Brock to third. Brock and Williams then executed a double steal. The thefts were two of only 10 allowed by O’Toole in 30 games for the Reds in 1964. The catcher, Hal Smith, a former Cardinal, threw out five of 12 baserunners (42 percent) attempting to steal in 1964. Boxscore

Brock is the all-time National League leader in steals and ranks second in major-league history to Rickey Henderson. Brock had 50 steals with the Cubs and 888 with the Cardinals. In 1974, when Brock swiped a career-high 118 for the Cardinals, he had 112 steals of second and six of third.

He only once attempted to steal home in 1974. On Sept. 6, 1974, after Brock drove in a run with a fifth-inning triple, Mets pitcher Jerry Koosman, attempting a pickoff, threw to third baseman Wayne Garrett, catching Brock with too big a lead. Brock broke for home and Garrett’s peg to catcher Duffy Dyer was in time to nail Brock.

“I didn’t think Koosman would throw over there,” Brock said.

Three innings later, Brock singled against former teammate Harry Parker and stole second and third on successive pitches. The steals were Brock’s 100th and 101st of the season.

Said Parker: “It’s like trying to keep water from going over the dam. You know what’s coming, but you’re powerless.” Boxscore

Previously: Hot leadoff hitting helped Lou Brock earn steals record