Mike Matheny spent five years with the St. Louis Cardinals as a player and, later, more than six and a half as their manager. So the current Kansas City Royals manager had ample time to meet and form a bond with Cardinals legend Lou Brock.
Brock, a Hall of Fame ballplayer and one of the most prolific leadoff hitters and base-stealers of all time, died recently at the age of 81. Brock's longtime agent and friend confirmed his death Sunday, and it triggered reaction around Major League Baseball that continued on Monday.
"First of all, just so sad to hear," Matheny said. "I had enough time to spend with him that I consider Lou Brock a friend. How amazing of a statement is that?"
A six-time All-Star, Brock played a key role on Cardinals teams that won the World Series in 1964 and 1967 and claimed the NL pennant in 1968 before losing in the World Series to the Detroit Tigers in seven games.
Brock registered 938 career stolen bases, including a career-high 118 in 1974. Both of those marks were MLB records until they were broken by Rickey Henderson. The Lou Brock Award, given to the National League's leader in steals, was named after him while he was still an active player.
Brock led the league in steals eight times, recorded 3,023 hits in his career and boasted a .293 lifetime batting average in the majors.
"I was able to spend time with him away from the field, whether it was at charity events or (other events)," Matheny said. "I spent time with him and his wife Jacky. They're special people. I got to watch how Lou navigated being a superstar and then kind of a folk hero and how he was always such a bright light in the community and in the organization."
According to The Associated Press, Brock and his third wife, Jacky, became ordained ministers serving at Abundant Life Fellowship Church in St. Louis after the conclusion of his playing career. Brock had also lost a leg from diabetes in recent years and was diagnosed with cancer in 2017.
"He was around and would come by and throw out words of encouragement, but also just talk the game," Matheny said. "(It's great) to have voices like a Lou Brock, a Red Schoendienst, a Bob Gibson, some of the legends, the (Whitey) Herzogs, to be able to have those sort of people where you have not just the professional relationship, but you get to know them as people. I just have such a deep respect for how they went about their business and a lot of the adversity they were overcoming.
"Lou was battling quite a bit for a while here, but he'd always show up with a smile on his face. He was the exact same guy every single time I was around him. Condolences out to the family. I miss him. He was a good person."
MLB's commissioner Rob Manfred and MLBPA executive director Tony Clark were among those who released statements in response to Brock's death.
"On behalf of Major League Baseball, I send my condolences to the family and friends of Hall of Famer Lou Brock, as well as the loyal fans of the St. Louis Cardinals," Manfred's statement read. "Lou was among the game's most exciting players, becoming the 14th player in history to reach 3,000 hits and holding Baseball's all-time record for stolen bases in a season and career for many years. He was known for his dominant performances in his three career World Series. Lou was an outstanding representative of our National Pastime and he will be deeply missed."
Clark said, "Lou Brock personified the aggressive style of play the Cardinals helped bring to our game in the '60s and '70s, including rising to the occasion with his bat and on the base paths for the club's World Series teams in 1964, 1967 and 1968. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends and fans across the country."
