4. Lou Brock (Chicago Cubs 1961-64, St. Louis Cardinals 1964-79) -— Hall of Fame, 45.3 bWAR
Chicago Cubs fans knew this name was coming on this list, and Brock will always be linked to Wrigleyville as one of the greats who got away.
Swapped to the Cardinals for pitcher Ernie Broglio as part of a six-player deal on June 15, 1964, Brock became a part of the St. Louis franchise just three days before his 26th birthday. By the time that he retired from the Cardinals following his age-40 season, Brock had piled up more than 3,000 hits and was the stolen base king of baseball, setting marks for both single season swipes (118 in 1974) and career steals (938).
Both records have since been shattered by Rickey Henderson. However, for years, there was no greater weapon on the basepaths than Brock.
According to an article on Brock’s trade from the Cubs to the Cardinals on the Baseball Hall of Fame site, “On his first full day as a Cardinal, Manager Johnny Keane brought Brock to left field, and told him that ‘It’s a big one and it’s all yours. If you can do what I think you can, you ought to be able to play out here the rest of your life.’
And that’s exactly what he did. Brock would be a five-time All-Star with the Cardinals and has a statue outside of Busch Stadium, recognizing his contributions to the franchise. It’s also a constant reminder to Cubs fans of what could have been.