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Lou Brock

Joined Elite "3,000 Hits" Club

At the start of the 1979 season, Brock announced that it would be his last. Fans may have thought him washed up, but Brock had unfinished business. There was still one record Brock was chasing-he wanted to get 3,000 hits so he could be remembered as a hitter and not just a base-stealer.

Brock's goal worried teammates. The St. Louis Cardinals Encyclopedia quoted teammate Ken Boyer as saying: "I want very much to see Lou get 3000 hits, but I can't lose ball games or my job if he can't deliver."

Brock had spent the off-season building up the muscles in his legs and watching tapes of himself at bat. He was ready to make his mark in 1979. That season, Brock smacked 123 hits for a .304 batting average. He ended the season with 3,023 career hits, making him the 14th player to reach the hallowed 3,000th mark. It took 20 years before another National League player, Tony Gwynn, did it in 2000.

Along the way, Brock married three times. He divorced his high school sweetheart, Katie, in 1974. The couple had two children, Wanda, and Lou Brock, Jr., who played football for the San Diego Chargers. Brock later married and divorced Virgie Brock. In 1995, he married Jacqueline Brock, a special education teacher from the St. Louis area.

Where Is He Now?

After the renowned base stealer retired from baseball in 1979, Brock remained close to the Cardinals organization and in 1994 began working as a base-running and outfield instructor for the team, particularly helping out during spring training.

When he's not busy with baseball, Brock tends to the company he founded, Brockworld Products, Inc. Brock is president of the St. Louis-based company, which is a marketing and promotional ventures firm. He is also involved with raising funds for the Lou Brock Scholarship Foundation, which helps students who can't afford college.

Brock and his wife, the Rev. Jacqueline Brock, live in St. Charles, Missouri, and are involved with area charitable and civic efforts, mostly those aimed at helping youth. They also serve as elders to the Abundant Life Fellowship Church near Black Jack, Missouri.

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Famous Sports StarsBaseballLou Brock Biography - Reared In Small Southern Town, Slugged Way Onto College Baseball Team, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments - SELECTED WRITINGS BY BROCK: