St. Louis Cardinals legend Lou Brock passed away on Sept. 6, prompting tributes from multiple MLB players, coaches and organizations alike. Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, who briefly spent time with Brock, also responded to the MLB legend’s death. He explained what Brock meant to him personally, as well as the sport of baseball.
“Well, I mean, Lou is kind of the standard. You know, coming over here to the Cardinals in 1982 and having a chance to get to know Lou Brock, not only as a player,” Smith said to 5 On Your Side Sports. “He was in his last year in 1979, which was my second year in pro ball and, you know, Lou was a class act both on and off the field. He was an easy guy to talk to him, was always willing to share his knowledge of the game, and I think that Lou is what makes Cardinal baseball what it is today. I mean, the excitement that is created by… he was able to create excitement, both with his legs and with his bat you know, so he was one of the most exciting cardinals and one of the nicest people you ever want to meet.”
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Smith continued and explained that Brock was never in a bad mood. He said that the Hall of Famer always had a smile on his face and that he had a kind word for everybody. Smith explained that Brock “was just one of those rare individuals who could light up a room.”
“I mean, I think he accepted in a totally different way understanding the importance of who he was and who he represented,” Smith continued. “It wasn’t just about himself. You know, I think he understood that it was about how we as a people accepted it, because he was going to be… we were going to be judged by how he reacted to a situation. And I think that a lot of that came from how Jackie Robinson approached Major League Baseball as well.”
Following Brock’s death, his two former teams took part in a joint moment of silence. The Chicago Cubs, who traded Brock to the Cardinals, hosted the St. Louis team on Sept. 6. Before the opening pitch, the organization put Brock’s photo on the jumbotron to honor him. “We join the [Cardinals] organization and all [MLB] in mourning the passing of Hall of Famer Lou Brock,” the Cubs said in a statement.
