Spook Jacobs
Encyclopedia
Forrest Vandergrift "Spook" Jacobs (November 4, 1925 – February 18, 2011) was a second baseman
in Major League Baseball
who played from 1954 through 1956 for the Philadelphia Athletics (1954), Kansas City Athletics (1955-'56), and Pittsburgh Pirates
(1956). Listed at 5'9", 155 lb., he batted and threw right handed.
, he graduated from Salem High School
, Salem, New Jersey
in 1943. Immediately after graduation, Jacobs enlisted in the United States Army where he served as a Sergeant during World War II
while being awarded the Asian Pacific Theatre Medal, the American Theatre Medal, the Good Conduct Medal
and the United States Victory Medal. Following his military discharge, he played professional baseball for 17 seasons for four major league organizations, Brooklyn Dodgers Philadelphia Athletics, Kansas City Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates
three of them in the majors, while playing for several professional league clubs in the Cuban and Panamanian winter leagues. Jacobs won batting titles in Panama for the Carta Vieja Yankees and in Cuba for the Havana Lions. Jacobs also had the game winning and Cuban Championship walk off hit in 1952-53 while playing for the Almendares "Blues" and Manager Bobby Bragan
. l
Jacobs posted a .247 average and a .971 fielding percentage in his major league career, stealing 22 bases, 17 of them in 1954 and an overall .301 lifetime His build reminded some of Nellie Fox
.
On April 13, 1954, in his opening day major league debut, Jacobs became the only player in major league history to collect four consecutive hits in his first four major league at bats. He is also one of only three players in major league history to go 4-for-4 in their major league debut, the others being Delino DeShields
and Willie McCovey
. Jacobs was a pesky hitter who reached base by slapping balls through the infield, and gained his ghostly nickname from
his tendency to dump hits just over the heads of opposing infielders. A baseball writer gave Jacobs the nickname in 1947 when he was playing with Johnstown, Pennsylvania
, club, the Johnnies, of the Middle Atlantic League
. Casey Stengel
once said of him, "He's always been in our hair."
Jacobs was a farmhand of the Brooklyn Dodgers for eight years before becoming the property of the Philadelphia Athletics. The Dodgers had vast minor league holdings in 1954, and loaded a number of their prospects on the roster of a single club. Under the rules of the time, only one selected player could be lost to a team per draft period. Jacobs was never called up to the Dodgers' top farm club, the Montreal Royals
, because of their surplus of players. On one occasion, he was passed over when Brooklyn picked Junior Gilliam. Clyde Sukeforth
hinted that the Pittsburgh Pirates might have an interest in drafting Jacobs, but the team chose Danny Lynch instead. Philadelphia manager Eddie Joost
was particularly impressed by Jacobs' fielding and his hit and run
capability.
On April 20, 1954, Jacobs' fourth inning triple, followed by an error on a fly ball hit by Vic Power
, gave Philadelphia a 5-0 lead over the Washington Senators
. On May 3, 1954, Chicago White Sox
right-hander, Sandy Consuegra
, retired the first 19 Athletics' hitters before Jacobs doubled in the seventh inning with one man out. Consuegra retired the next five hitters prior to encountering trouble in the ninth. Then Jacobs bunted successfully, and Consuegra threw wildly into right field, allowing two runs to score. Chicago beat Philadelphia 14-3 at Connie Mack Stadium
, with Jacobs collecting the only two hits for the losers.
Jacobs was involved in a fracas while playing for the Columbus Jets
in July 1955. Lou Limmer
of the Toronto Maple Leafs
slid into him at second base, knocking Jacobs head over heels. Jacobs was thrown out of the International League
game in the fourth inning for throwing a punch in retaliation. A sore arm led to his demotion to Columbus. His arm recovered and Jacobs was selected as the outstanding International League second baseman in 1955, batting .316.
During 1956 spring training, Jacobs competed with Jim Finigan
for the starting second baseman job for the Kansas City Athletics. Finigan was considered a more powerful hitter, but Jacobs was a faster player. He was optioned to the Hollywood Stars
of the Pacific Coast League by the Pittsburgh Pirates
on July 4, 1956. Jacobs was among 14 players recalled by the Pirates in September 1956.
Jacobs was injured when he collided with Hollywood shortstop, Dick Smith, during a game in the Pacific Coast League
. Both players were chasing a fly ball in a game against the San Diego Padres
(April 11, 1957), and Jacobs was thought to have suffered a hairline skull fracture after being carried from the field on a stretcher. He recovered and returned to the Stars' lineup on May 7.
Tommy Lasorda
and Jacobs were teammates on the 1956 Athletics. While pitching for the Los Angeles Angels (PCL)
, Lasorda deliberately hit Jacobs in the fifth inning of an August 1957 game. The knockdown came after relief pitcher, Fred Waters
, hit a 400-foot home run which broke a 4-4 tie. Jacobs charged Lasorda and then went after his rival second baseman, Sparky Anderson
. Hollywood went on to score seven runs in the fifth inning to gain an 11-4 win at Gilmore Field
.
, where they owned and operated the Milford Bus Center, then Mr. Donut/Donut Connection, over a span of 42 years before retiring.
The Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame
inducted Jacobs in 1991. He also became a member of seven Sports Hall of Fames - Delaware Baseball, Columbus, Ohio Baseball, Cuban Baseball, Cuban Sports, Eastern Shore Baseball, South Jersey and Salem County, New Jersey.
One of his proudest achievements was when his personal stamp collection titled "Mail It Home" was featured in 2008 at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York
.
Jacobs died at the Delaware Hospice Center in [Kent County], Milford, Delaware
, on February 18, 2011, at the age of 85. He is buried at the Milford, Community Cemetery.
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played from 1954 through 1956 for the Philadelphia Athletics (1954), Kansas City Athletics (1955-'56), and Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1956). Listed at 5'9", 155 lb., he batted and threw right handed.
Baseball career
Born Forrest Vandergrift Jacobs in Cheswold, DelawareCheswold, Delaware
Cheswold is a town in Kent County in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,380 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cheswold is located at ....
, he graduated from Salem High School
Salem High School (New Jersey)
Salem High School is a comprehensive community four-year public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Salem City, in Salem County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Salem City School District....
, Salem, New Jersey
Salem, New Jersey
Salem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 5,146. It is the county seat of Salem County, the most rural county in the state of New Jersey. The name Salem is related to the Hebrew word shalom, meaning "peace".The town and...
in 1943. Immediately after graduation, Jacobs enlisted in the United States Army where he served as a Sergeant during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
while being awarded the Asian Pacific Theatre Medal, the American Theatre Medal, the Good Conduct Medal
Good Conduct Medal
The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States military. The Navy Good Conduct Medal was first issued in 1869, followed by a Marine version in 1896. The Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal was issued in 1923 and the Army Good Conduct Medal in 1941. The Air Force was...
and the United States Victory Medal. Following his military discharge, he played professional baseball for 17 seasons for four major league organizations, Brooklyn Dodgers Philadelphia Athletics, Kansas City Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
three of them in the majors, while playing for several professional league clubs in the Cuban and Panamanian winter leagues. Jacobs won batting titles in Panama for the Carta Vieja Yankees and in Cuba for the Havana Lions. Jacobs also had the game winning and Cuban Championship walk off hit in 1952-53 while playing for the Almendares "Blues" and Manager Bobby Bragan
Bobby Bragan
Robert Randall Bragan was a shortstop, catcher, manager, and coach in American Major League Baseball. He also was an influential executive in minor league baseball...
. l
Jacobs posted a .247 average and a .971 fielding percentage in his major league career, stealing 22 bases, 17 of them in 1954 and an overall .301 lifetime His build reminded some of Nellie Fox
Nellie Fox
Jacob Nelson Fox was a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Chicago White Sox. Fox was born in St. Thomas Township, Pennsylvania. He was selected as the MVP of the American League in...
.
On April 13, 1954, in his opening day major league debut, Jacobs became the only player in major league history to collect four consecutive hits in his first four major league at bats. He is also one of only three players in major league history to go 4-for-4 in their major league debut, the others being Delino DeShields
Delino DeShields
Delino Lamont DeShields is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who enjoyed a 13-year career with 5 teams. He is currently the manager for the Dayton Dragons in the Cincinnati Reds organization....
and Willie McCovey
Willie McCovey
Willie Lee McCovey , nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between and...
. Jacobs was a pesky hitter who reached base by slapping balls through the infield, and gained his ghostly nickname from
his tendency to dump hits just over the heads of opposing infielders. A baseball writer gave Jacobs the nickname in 1947 when he was playing with Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
, club, the Johnnies, of the Middle Atlantic League
Middle Atlantic League
The Middle Atlantic League was a lower-level circuit in American minor league baseball that played during the second quarter of the 20th century.-History:...
. Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
once said of him, "He's always been in our hair."
Jacobs was a farmhand of the Brooklyn Dodgers for eight years before becoming the property of the Philadelphia Athletics. The Dodgers had vast minor league holdings in 1954, and loaded a number of their prospects on the roster of a single club. Under the rules of the time, only one selected player could be lost to a team per draft period. Jacobs was never called up to the Dodgers' top farm club, the Montreal Royals
Montreal Royals
The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec, that existed from 1897–1917 and from 1928–60 as a member of the International League and its progenitor, the original Eastern League...
, because of their surplus of players. On one occasion, he was passed over when Brooklyn picked Junior Gilliam. Clyde Sukeforth
Clyde Sukeforth
Clyde Leroy Sukeforth , nicknamed "Sukey," was a former Major League Baseball catcher, coach, scout and manager who was best known for scouting and signing the Major Leagues' first black player in the modern era, Jackie Robinson.Sukeforth was born in Washington, Maine...
hinted that the Pittsburgh Pirates might have an interest in drafting Jacobs, but the team chose Danny Lynch instead. Philadelphia manager Eddie Joost
Eddie Joost
Edwin David Joost was a shortstop and manager in American Major League Baseball. In 1954, Joost became the third and last manager in the 54-year history of the Philadelphia Athletics. Under Joost, the A's finished last in the American League and lost over 100 games...
was particularly impressed by Jacobs' fielding and his hit and run
Hit and run (baseball)
A hit and run is a high risk/high reward offensive strategy used in baseball.When the offense has a baserunner on first base , the runner on first breaks for second as the pitch is thrown...
capability.
On April 20, 1954, Jacobs' fourth inning triple, followed by an error on a fly ball hit by Vic Power
Victor Pellot
Victor Pellot a.k.a. "Vic Power" was the second black Puerto Rican to play in Major League Baseball and the first Puerto Rican to play in the American League...
, gave Philadelphia a 5-0 lead over the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. On May 3, 1954, Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
right-hander, Sandy Consuegra
Sandy Consuegra
Sandalio Simeon Consuegra Castello [con-SWEH-grah] was a Cuban-born relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1950 through 1957, Consuegra played for the Washington Senators , Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles and New York Giants...
, retired the first 19 Athletics' hitters before Jacobs doubled in the seventh inning with one man out. Consuegra retired the next five hitters prior to encountering trouble in the ninth. Then Jacobs bunted successfully, and Consuegra threw wildly into right field, allowing two runs to score. Chicago beat Philadelphia 14-3 at Connie Mack Stadium
Connie Mack Stadium
Shibe Park, known later as Connie Mack Stadium, was a major league baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When it opened April 12, 1909, it became baseball's first steel-and-concrete stadium. In different eras it was home to "The $100,000 Infield", "The Whiz Kids" and "The 1964 Phold"...
, with Jacobs collecting the only two hits for the losers.
Jacobs was involved in a fracas while playing for the Columbus Jets
Columbus Jets
The Columbus Jets were a Minor League baseball team that played in Columbus, Ohio from 1955 to 1970. The team moved from Ottawa, Canada where they were known as the Ottawa Athletics. The Jets were a member of the International League. From 1955-56 they were the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City...
in July 1955. Lou Limmer
Lou Limmer
Louis Limmer, known as Lou was a Major League Baseball player in 1951 and 1954 for the Philadelphia Athletics....
of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
slid into him at second base, knocking Jacobs head over heels. Jacobs was thrown out of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
game in the fourth inning for throwing a punch in retaliation. A sore arm led to his demotion to Columbus. His arm recovered and Jacobs was selected as the outstanding International League second baseman in 1955, batting .316.
During 1956 spring training, Jacobs competed with Jim Finigan
Jim Finigan
James Leroy Finigan was a Major League Baseball infielder. He was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before the 1948 season, and traded to the Philadelphia Athletics in an 11-player deal on December 16, 1953...
for the starting second baseman job for the Kansas City Athletics. Finigan was considered a more powerful hitter, but Jacobs was a faster player. He was optioned to the Hollywood Stars
Hollywood Stars
The Hollywood Stars were a minor league baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early and mid 20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.-Hollywood Stars :...
of the Pacific Coast League by the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
on July 4, 1956. Jacobs was among 14 players recalled by the Pirates in September 1956.
Jacobs was injured when he collided with Hollywood shortstop, Dick Smith, during a game in the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
. Both players were chasing a fly ball in a game against the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres (PCL)
The San Diego Padres were a minor league baseball team which played in the Pacific Coast League from 1936 through 1968. The team that would eventually become the Padres was well traveled prior to moving to San Diego. It began its existence in 1903 as the Sacramento Solons, a charter member of the PCL...
(April 11, 1957), and Jacobs was thought to have suffered a hairline skull fracture after being carried from the field on a stretcher. He recovered and returned to the Stars' lineup on May 7.
Tommy Lasorda
Tommy Lasorda
Thomas Charles Lasorda is a former Major League baseball player and manager. marked his sixth decade in one capacity or another with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest non-continuous tenure anyone has had with the team, edging Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully...
and Jacobs were teammates on the 1956 Athletics. While pitching for the Los Angeles Angels (PCL)
Los Angeles Angels (PCL)
The Los Angeles Angels were a team based in Los Angeles, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1957, after which they transferred to Spokane, Washington to become the Spokane Indians. Los Angeles would later become the host city to a Major League Baseball team, the...
, Lasorda deliberately hit Jacobs in the fifth inning of an August 1957 game. The knockdown came after relief pitcher, Fred Waters
Fred Waters
Fred Warren Waters was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played in and with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He batted and threw left-handed....
, hit a 400-foot home run which broke a 4-4 tie. Jacobs charged Lasorda and then went after his rival second baseman, Sparky Anderson
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson was an American Major League Baseball manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both...
. Hollywood went on to score seven runs in the fifth inning to gain an 11-4 win at Gilmore Field
Gilmore Field
Gilmore Field is a former minor league baseball park that served as home to the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League from 1939-1957 when they, along with their intra-city rivals, the Los Angeles Angels, were displaced by the transplanted Brooklyn Dodgers of the National...
.
Later life
After his baseball career ended, Jacobs and his wife Bobbie settled in Milford, DelawareMilford, Delaware
Milford is a city in Kent and Sussex counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 9,559....
, where they owned and operated the Milford Bus Center, then Mr. Donut/Donut Connection, over a span of 42 years before retiring.
The Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame
Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame
The Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame is a membership-based organization founded in 1976. The organization runs a museum with exhibits at Daniel S...
inducted Jacobs in 1991. He also became a member of seven Sports Hall of Fames - Delaware Baseball, Columbus, Ohio Baseball, Cuban Baseball, Cuban Sports, Eastern Shore Baseball, South Jersey and Salem County, New Jersey.
One of his proudest achievements was when his personal stamp collection titled "Mail It Home" was featured in 2008 at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
.
Jacobs died at the Delaware Hospice Center in [Kent County], Milford, Delaware
Milford, Delaware
Milford is a city in Kent and Sussex counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 9,559....
, on February 18, 2011, at the age of 85. He is buried at the Milford, Community Cemetery.