St. Louis Cardinals: Hall of Famer Lou Brock is Battling Cancer

Jul 25, 2015; Cooperstown, NY, USA; Hall of Famer Lou Brock waves to fans as he arrives at National Baseball Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 25, 2015; Cooperstown, NY, USA; Hall of Famer Lou Brock waves to fans as he arrives at National Baseball Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports /
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St. Louis Cardinals legend Lou Brock is currently undergoing treatment for cancer. As a result, he has cancelled his Busch Stadium appearance at the end of the month.

The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Thursday that Hall of Fame and legendary outfielder Lou Brock has been diagnosed with cancer. Brock is 77-years old and is one of eight living Cardinals players that have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Over his career, Brock batted .293/.343/.410 and stole 938 bases. He competed in 19 major league seasons spanning from 1961 to 1979. Brock has since been an active member of the St. Louis Cardinals’ alumni and is often seen at Busch Stadium. He is also known for attending spring training or workouts during the season to talk to the players.

The St. Louis Cardinals posted the following press release on the matter:

"“The St. Louis Cardinals announced that Lou Brock has cancelled his April 25th Budweiser Bash appearance at Busch Stadium as he is currently undergoing treatment for Multiple Myeloma. The Hall of Famer was recently diagnosed with the bone cancer and has been undergoing treatment in St. Louis.”"

Multiple Myeloma is a rare type of blood cancer and it often forms a mass or tumor in the bone marrow. It’s considered treatable but unfortunately, it is generally not seen as curable. This type of  cancer is more common among older individuals and has a 48.5% five-year survival rate (while undergoing treatment) according to the National Cancer Institute.

During the Opening Day series against the Chicago Cubs the St. Louis Cardinals had a number of their alumni players on the field for the festivities. Lou Brock was not present for health reasons and we all now know why. Brock has also battled serious health issues in the past. Back in October of 2015, Brock had part of his left leg amputated due to an infection related to diabetes.

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We at Redbird Rants extend our best wishes to Lou Brock, his family, and the St. Louis Cardinals. Cancer has an effect on too many people and Brock is one of our own.