ST. LOUIS — Six months after his left leg was amputated below the knee, Hall of Famer Lou Brock threw out the ceremonial first pitch Monday before the St. Louis Cardinals’ home opener against Milwaukee.
Michael Wacha allowed four hits in six scoreless innings and the Cardinals had 10 extra-base hits in routing the Milwaukee Brewers 10-1. But the pregame was hard to beat.
Jeremy Hazelbaker was 4-for-4 with a triple, a double and a sacrifice fly, lifting his average to .526.
Meanwhile, Brock, 76, missed spring training for the first time in two decades with the Cardinals organization and targeted the opener as a return.
“I thought I could participate in the parade, but then they asked if I could throw out the first pitch, and that’s a challenge,” Brock said. “I’m like whoa!”
Brock’s leg was amputated because of an infection caused by complications from diabetes. He was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes 15 years ago.
Wearing a prosthesis, Brock threw a strike to Cardinals catching great Ted Simmons, a former teammate.
“Somebody said — I don’t know who it was — they said, ‘Finally, Lou, after all these years, you hit the cutoff man,’ ” Brock said.
Brock was surrounded by his wife, Jackie, and the rest of the Cardinals Hall of Famers.
Brock stole a National League-record 938 bases, including 118 in 1974. He had 3,023 hits, becoming a star after a trade from the Chicago Cubs in 1964 for pitcher Ernie Broglio.
Brock said he had to almost learn how to throw a ball all over again while wearing a prosthesis. But he got advice from good places, including Hall of Famer Bob Gibson.
“He did say, ‘Flip your wrist, and I don’t want to see you using your body and falling down,’ ” Brock said. “I said: ‘That’s why you’re here. You’re supposed to pick me up.’ ”
