ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Lou Brock, a former base stealing champion, has had his left leg amputated below the knee due to an infection related to diabetes.
The Cardinals and a longtime friend, Dick Zitzmann, confirmed that the 76-year-old Brock had had the procedure done. Brock is undergoing therapy at an area hospital and will be fitted for a prosthetic leg. Zitzmann says the operation was done Oct. 27. Brock was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes about 15 years ago.
Brock stole a National League-record 938 bases, including 118 in 1974. He had 3,023 hits, becoming a star after a celebrated trade from the Cubs in 1964 for pitcher Ernie Broglio.