Hall of Fame outfielder, speedster Brock dies at age 81
Source: Hall of Fame outfielder, speedster Brock dies at age 81
The glory days of America’s sport, Baseball, has lost an icon. LOU, the redbird who flew around bases as fans waited to chant, “LOU, LOU, LOU” has passed. Lou Brock of ultimately the St. Louis Cardinals passed on Sunday. His contribution to the sport highlights skill along with the racial divide he navigated.
2020 has been a year that professional sports have had to meet both the challenges of race relations and the global importance of fan safety during the Covid-19 pandemic. Lou’s contribution to sports came at a time where other greats, notably predecessors like Jackie Robinson in Baseball, and perhaps most transforming, Muhammad Ali in Boxing, solidified the greatness of skilled athletes not being held back because of race. For St. Louis, the metropolitan area has struggled with curbing racial barriers. Notoriously, the policing tactics that lead first to the 2014 Ferguson riots and most recently to the political insensitivity of citizens when dealing with the urban unrest in front of their door have exemplified the barriers.
Lou Brock found a way to lead his team and inspire a city and region. Ideally, new generations will take note of the greatness found on the field and the lessons that can be applied to lives daily. For Lou, the chant “LOU, LOU, LOU” will be synonymous with “PLAY BALL“. For America, perhaps it can represent “Peace in the Streets.”
