Overview
Ernest Gilbert Broglio was an American professional baseball player best known for his role as a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Born in Berkeley, California, he reached the majors in the late 1950s and took the mound primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals and later the Chicago Cubs. His active big-league years ran from 1959 through 1966, and he remained a notable figure in baseball history because of a high-profile mid‑1960s trade.
Playing style and career highlights
Broglio pitched during an era when starters often completed games and teams relied heavily on a four‑man rotation. Teammates and contemporaries described him as a pitcher who mixed control and competitive intensity. Over his MLB tenure he compiled seasons that included both starting assignments and relief appearances. His career was marked by a strong early run in St. Louis, followed by diminishing effectiveness after a change of teams.
- Role: right-handed starting pitcher and occasional reliever
- Teams: Cardinals and Cubs
- Era: late 1950s through mid-1960s, a period of changing workload expectations for pitchers
The 1964 trade and its aftermath
In June 1964 Broglio was the principal player the Cubs received in a trade that sent outfielder Lou Brock to the Cardinals. At the time the exchange was widely viewed as favorable to Chicago because Broglio was an established starting pitcher. Within a short period the trade was reassessed as Brock blossomed into one of the game’s most dynamic base‑stealers and run producers, while Broglio suffered arm trouble and did not return to his previous form. Over decades commentators have referred to the transaction when discussing one of baseball’s more lopsided midseason deals and the unpredictability of player health and development; Brock would later be recognized as a Hall of Fame outfielder.
Later life and death
After his major league career ended in the mid-1960s, Broglio lived privately and participated in local events and reunions. He remained connected to baseball communities in California, where he had grown up in Berkeley. Broglio died on July 16, 2019 from cancer in San Jose, California at the age of 83.
Legacy and notable facts
Ernie Broglio’s name endures largely because the trade that moved him is often cited as a turning point for the Cardinals franchise and as an example of how injuries and player development can reshape assessments of value. While he had noteworthy seasons and was respected by teammates, the broader public remembers him primarily in the context of that transaction and its long-term consequences for both clubs involved.