Brock for Broglio

The phrase Brock for Broglio is sometimes used in the sport of baseball to signify a trade that in hindsight, turns out to be a ridicuously lopsided transaction.

The names in the phrase refer to Lou Brock and Ernie Broglio respectively, as on June 15, 1964, the Chicago Cubs traded away Brock, who was struggling at the time and had been a disappointment to the club, for Broglio, who in turn was coming off some impressive seasons while pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals. (The trade was actually a six-player deal: Brock, Jack Spring and Paul Toth to the Cardinals for Broglio, Bobby Shantz, and Doug Clemens.)

Almost immediately the effects of the trade were felt as Brock would bat .348 for the Cardinals and lead them to winning the 1964 World Series. Meanwhile, Broglio went only 4-7 with a 4.04 ERA for the Cubs, and turned out to be a big disappointment for the rest of his career. By 1966 Broglio was out of Major League Baseball while Brock, who also helped the Cardinals to another World Series title in 1967, played successfully for the Cardinals until 1979, en route to his Hall of Fame election in 1985.

This is sometimes referred to as the most lopsided trade ever in baseball.