Lou remembered as 'surrogate son' to O'Neil

Along with the rest of the baseball world, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick has a heavy heart in the wake of the passing of Hall of Famer Lou Brock on Sunday. Kendrick called Brock one of his favorite people in baseball.

Kendrick knew Brock through Buck O’Neil, the founder of the museum. It was O’Neil -- as a scout with the Chicago Cubs -- who signed Brock to his first professional contract in 1960. Brock ended up having a Hall of Fame career, collecting 3,023 hits, stealing 938 bases and guiding the Cardinals to three pennants and two World Series titles.

“Lou was Buck’s surrogate son,” Kendrick said via telephone. “He was tremendously proud of not only Lou Brock, a future Hall of Famer, but Lou Brock the man. Many of the characteristics that you saw in Lou was Buck O’Neil.

“Buck’s influence was not only on Lou, but Ernie Banks. Those were his surrogate sons. They embodied the characteristics and spirit of Buck O’Neil. That’s why they were two of the most approachable superstars you will ever see.”

One would think that O’Neil was upset when the Cubs traded Brock to the Cardinals during the middle of the 1964 season for pitchers Ernie Broglio and Bobby Shantz and outfielder Doug Clemens. Quite to contrary. According to Kendrick, Brock needed a change of scenery and was traded with O’Neil’s blessing.

“[The Cubs] go to Buck and said, ‘Well Buck, we have a chance to get Broglio, but we need to trade Lou. What do you think?’ Buck the company man said what he needed to say. But he also knew that Lou was having some trouble playing that sunny outfield [at Wrigley Field]. They played a lot of day games and that outfield could be a little difficult for a young ballplayer. Buck knew in his heart that in order for Lou to flourish, he needed to be out of Chicago where he could play every day. Buck signed off on the deal.”

The Cubs made the deal and the rest is history. In his first year with the Cardinals, Brock took advantage of his new surroundings, hitting .348 and guiding the Cardinals to their first World Series title since 1946. Brock of course went on to become a Hall of Fame player, while Broglio, Shantz and Clemens were only mentioned when referenced as part of one of the worst trades ever made.

“Buck would laugh,” Kendrick said. “But he would laugh with great pride. He said, ‘Every time I went to Busch Stadium, they gave me a standing ovation for the gift that kept on giving.’ Buck was happy for his guy because this was always more than baseball for Buck. He was so proud of his protégé.”

After Brock retired from the game in 1979, Brock and O’Neil kept in touch. Brock often visited the Negro League Baseball Museum.

“How could he not? His surrogate father founded the Negro League Museum,” Kendrick said. “Lou always gave of himself to be at the Negro League Baseball Museum, support various functions and to be there with Buck. Even after Buck passed away, Lou continued to come to the museum until he got too sick to visit.”