(Updated Jan. 25, 2024)
On the night he broke the record for stolen bases in a season, Lou Brock triggered a wide range of emotions. Cool Papa Bell was delighted. Maury Wills was melancholy. Bob Boone was bitter.
Brock was relieved.
“I’m glad to get it behind me,” Brock said to the Associated Press.
On Sept. 10, 1974, in an 8-2 Phillies victory over the Cardinals at St. Louis, Brock got his 104th and 105th stolen bases of the season, surpassing the mark of 104 established by Maury Wills of the 1962 Dodgers. The steals were the 739th and 740th of Brock’s career and made him the all-time National League leader, surpassing Max Carey, who swiped 738 for the Pirates and Dodgers from 1910-29.
In achieving the single-season record, Brock stole second base 100 times and third base five times.
Sorry, Maury
Brock, 35, got his 105 steals in 134 games. Wills got his 104 steals in 165 games. (The Dodgers and Giants had a three-game playoff after ending the 162-game schedule in a tie for first place.)
“I never thought anyone would approach the record this soon, probably not in my lifetime,” Wills said. “I just feel that was my record. I was very proud of it … I don’t think anyone looks forward to seeing his own record broken.”
Asked by The Sporting News to compare his skills with Brock’s, Wills replied, “I had more finesse and got a better lead, but I guess Brock has more speed.”
In his book “On the Run,” Wills said, “I wasn’t at the game when Brock stole his 105th base. I was at an NBC studio, waiting to comment on it. When it happened, they asked me how I felt about it. ‘I don’t like it at all,’ I said honestly. ‘I wasn’t pulling for him.’ ”
Hometown hero
The game against the Phillies on Sept. 10 was the Cardinals’ last at home before embarking on a trip to New York, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Brock was motivated to break the record at St. Louis.
“The only pressure was that which I’d put on myself by saying I wanted to do this at home,” Brock said.
In the first inning, before 27,285 at Busch Stadium, Brock led off with a single against Dick Ruthven. On the second pitch to the next batter, Ron Hunt, Brock broke for second and beat Boone’s throw, which bounced into center field. Brock was credited with a steal of second and advanced to third on the error.
Brock led off the seventh with a single. On Ruthven’s second pitch to Hunt, Brock took off and beat a wide throw from Boone to shortstop Larry Bowa for the record-breaking 105th steal. Video at 2-minute mark
“On 105, I felt my legs swaying just before I reached the base,” Brock said. “I didn’t even have enough energy to pop up with my slide. I guess I was pretty well spent.”
Salute to Lou
As Cardinals fans chanted “Lou, Lou, Lou,” the game was halted and Brock was honored in an on-field ceremony. Second-base umpire John McSherry shook hands with Brock. Bowa did, too.
Bell, a Negro League speedster who had been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, presented Brock with the second-base bag. “We decided to give him his 105th base because if we didn’t he was going to steal it anyway,” Bell said.
Addressing the crowd, Brock thanked Ted Sizemore _ “My partner in crime.” _ who had batted behind him for most of the season and patiently took pitches in order to provide Brock with the chances to attempt steals.
Brock also thanked teammates Bake McBride and Reggie Smith “for helping me clock the pitcher’s delivery” and trainer Gene Gieselmann because he “pumps my legs up every day.”
Said Brock of the record: “The key to it all was getting on base enough and staying healthy.”
Sour grapes
Two innings later, with the Cardinals trailing by six, Brock led off the ninth and reached first on Bowa’s error. He tried to swipe second, but was caught by Boone.
Boone criticized Brock for running into an out with the Cardinals so far behind.
“I thought it was brutal,” Boone said. “When anybody tries to steal with his club six runs behind, he better darn sure make it. I lost a lot of respect for the man when he tried that … You just can’t get thrown out in that situation.
“My dad played with a guy named Jungle Jim Rivera and he was paid by the number of bases he stole. Maybe Brock’s got something like that in his contract, too. I don’t know why he did it. It wasn’t good baseball.”
Said Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt: “What the hell’s he stealing for in the ninth inning?”
Replied Brock: “Sometimes you can make things happen by the unexpected.”
Green means go
Several Phillies defended Brock.
“Everybody knows he’s going to run and he still does and makes it most of the time,” Bowa said.
Said Phillies second baseman Dave Cash: “When a man steals 104 or 105 bases, you don’t put the red light on.”
Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton, Brock’s former Cardinals teammate, said, “These people came to see him run.” Boxscore
Brock finished the 1974 season with 118 steals. It was the only time in 19 seasons in the majors he swiped more than 74.
In 1979, Brock told writer Roger Angell, “That record meant the most, because it was the only one where I challenged. All the other records I just caught up with, because of time. They were milestones.”
Brock’s record of 118 steals in a season didn’t last long. In 1982, Rickey Henderson swiped 130 for the Athletics. Henderson is the big-league career leader in steals at 1,406. Brock is second at 938.
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