Baseball Hall of Famer, Cardinals Legend Lou Brock Dies at Age 81

St. Louis Cardinals legend and Hall of Famer Lou Brock died Sunday.

Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks shared the news of her great uncle's death:

Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted Brock, who played for the Chicago Cubs and Cardinals during a career that spanned from 1961 through 1979, died at the age of 81 after he "fought through a number of medical conditions in recent years."

There was a moment of silence for the all-time great prior to Sunday's game between his two teams:

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred offered his condolences in a statement:

Tony Clark—the executive director of the Major League Baseball Player Association—issued a statement on Brock's death, saying the legend "personified the aggressive style of play the Cardinals helped bring to our game":

Brock started his career on the Cubs, and they traded him to the rival Cardinals in his fourth season.

He then went on to become one of the best players in St. Louis history as a six-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion who was best known for his ability to steal bases with game-changing speed. He led the National League in stolen bases eight times during his career, including when he stole a stunning 118 bases in 1974.

Brock also mixed in some power, reaching double-digit home runs seven times, and finished with a batting average above .300 eight times.

In all, the legendary player finished his career with a .293/.343/.410 slash line, 3,023 hits, 149 home runs, 900 RBI, 938 steals and 1,610 runs.

He was at his best when the lights were the brightest, hitting .300 in the 1964 World Series win over the New York Yankees in the same season he was traded to St. Louis and slashing .414/.452/.655 with one home run, three RBI and seven stolen bases in the 1967 World Series win over the Boston Red Sox.

In his third trip to the World Series, Brock hit .464 with seven steals, but his team came up short in the 1968 Fall Classic against the Detroit Tigers.

Brock was forever immortalized when he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.