Lou Brock Still Claims He Was Safe

By: Mike Stone

Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock will be the recipient of the Hank Greenberg Achievement Award, from the Michigan Jewish Foundation at the 22nd annual Hank Greenberg Memorial Golf Tournamet, Monday June 4 at Franklin Hills Country Club.

Brock played most of his career for the St. Louis Cardinals and he was involved in the most controversial play of the 1968 World Series between the Tigers and Cardinals.

In the fifth inning of the game five with the Tigers trailing in the series 3-1 and 3-2 in the game, Brock was on 2nd when Julian Javier got a base hit to left.

"The ball went over Mickey Stanley's head at short," Brock said, "I did not have a great jump, but I thought I could make it, but Willie Horton made the throw of his life." Brock never slid, "I never thought Horton could make that throw and the next thing I knew I was going to collide with Bill Freehan and we know who would have won that." I was safe but the umpire called me out so I was out," Brock recalled. The Tigers went on to win the game and of course the next two games to win the series.

Brock, who still does work for the Cardinals thinks the game was better when he played because, "we played for our dinner and our next contract so we played hard in September, not like today's guys who can hit .230 and get a raise."

Brock will also be signing autographs for charity at the DC Sports store in 12 Oaks Mall, Sunday 1:00-2:00.

You can listen to the whole interview below.