no. 625 - lou brock

Who is the man: Lou Brock achieved his first .300 season since 1964 by hitting .304 in 1970 with 202 hits, his third 200-hit season.

Can ya dig it: For whatever reason, I'm just noticing now that Brock is carrying a bat. It's an odd crop because you can't see his hands.

Right on: I love Brock's cards. He was a baseball titan when I was just getting to know this game. I've never gotten over that.

You see that cat Brock is a bad mother: People had started talking about Brock losing a step during the early 1970s. So he went out and set the record for most stolen bases in a season with a staggering 118 in 1974.

Shut your mouth: Brock used to take 8-millimeter movies of pitchers during practice so he could study their deliveries and moves to first base. Don Drysdale noticed it one day and asked Brock what he was doing. "Taking home movies," Brock said. Drysdale said, "I don't want to be in any of your movies, Brock." The next time Drysdale faced Brock, he knocked him down.

No one understands him but his woman: Brock had one of the most oft-cited offseason jobs as owner and operator of a flower shop. He even appeared in a commercial for the phone book Yellow Pages from his shop in 1974.

(A word about the back): Brock may have set a record for his 6th straight year of 50 or more stolen bases in 1970, but for the first time since 1965, he didn't lead the National League in stolen bases. The Reds' Bobby Tolan broke Brock's streak with 57 to Brock's 51. (Brock would start a new streak in 1971 that lasted until 1975).