Spook Jacobs facts for kids

Forrest Vandergrift Jacobs (born November 4, 1925 – died February 18, 2011) was a professional baseball player. He played as a second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1954 to 1956. Spook played for the Philadelphia / Kansas City Athletics and the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 155 pounds. His teammates gave him the nickname "Spook," which he used his whole life.

Spook Jacobs' Early Life and Career

Forrest Jacobs was born in Cheswold, Delaware. He finished high school in Salem, New Jersey in 1943. After school, he joined the United States Army. He served during World War II and became a sergeant. He received several awards for his service.

After his time in the army, Spook played professional baseball for 17 years. He played for teams like the Brooklyn Dodgers, Philadelphia / Kansas City Athletics, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He also played in winter leagues in Cuba, Panama, and Puerto Rico.

Playing in Winter Leagues

Spook was a great hitter in the winter leagues. He won batting titles in Panama in 1948–49 and 1949–50. He helped Panama win its only Caribbean World Series Championship. He hit the game-winning "walk-off" hit against Puerto Rico for the Carta Vieja Yankees.

He also won a batting title in Cuba during the 1955–1956 season. He played for the Leones de la Habana / Reds. In 1952–1953, he hit another game-winning "walk-off" hit for the Azules de Almandares. Because of his amazing plays, Spook was chosen for the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Cuban Sports Hall of Fame. He is the only American to receive both honors.

Spook Jacobs in Major League Baseball

In his MLB career, Spook Jacobs had a .247 batting average. His fielding percentage was .971. He stole 22 bases, with 17 of them in 1954. Some people thought his playing style was similar to Nellie Fox.

On April 13, 1954, Spook made his MLB debut. He became the only player in MLB history to get four hits in his first four times at bat. He is also one of only three players to go 4-for-4 in their first MLB game. The other two are Delino DeShields and Willie McCovey.

How Spook Got His Nickname

Spook Jacobs was known as a "slap hitter." This means he would hit the ball softly but accurately. He often hit the ball just over the heads of the infielders. This allowed him to get on base. A baseball writer gave him the nickname "Spook" in 1947. This was when he played for the Johnnies team in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Casey Stengel, a famous baseball manager, once said about him, "He's always been in our hair."

Spook played for the Brooklyn Dodgers' minor league teams for eight years. Then, in 1953, Connie Mack drafted him to the Philadelphia Athletics. The Dodgers had many good players in their minor league system. They could only lose one player per draft period. Spook was never called up to the Dodgers' top minor league team, the Canadian Montreal Royals. This was because they had too many players. Philadelphia manager Eddie Joost was very impressed by Spook's fielding skills. He also liked Spook's ability to do a hit-and-run.

Memorable Games

On April 20, 1954, Spook hit a triple in the fourth inning. This helped Philadelphia get a 5–0 lead over the Washington Senators.

On May 3, 1954, Chicago White Sox pitcher Sandalio Consuegra retired the first 19 Athletics hitters. Then, Spook Jacobs hit a double in the seventh inning. Later in the game, Spook successfully bunted. Consuegra threw the ball wildly, allowing two runs to score. Even though Chicago won 14–3, Spook got the only two hits for his team.

Playing for Different Teams

During spring training in 1956, Spook competed with Jim Finigan for the starting second base job. Finigan was a stronger hitter, but Spook was a faster runner. On July 4, 1956, the Pittsburgh Pirates sent Spook to the Hollywood Stars team. However, he was called back to the Pirates in late September.

Spook was injured in a game when he collided with his teammate, shortstop Dick Smith. They were both chasing a fly ball in a game against the San Diego Padres in April 1957. Spook was thought to have a hairline skull fracture. He was carried off the field on a stretcher. But he recovered and returned to play by May 7.

Spook Jacobs and Tommy Lasorda were teammates on the 1956 Athletics. In August 1957, Lasorda, who was pitching for the Los Angeles Angels (PCL), deliberately hit Spook with a pitch. This happened after another player hit a home run. Spook charged at Lasorda and then went after another player, Sparky Anderson. Spook's team, the Hollywood Stars, ended up scoring seven runs in that inning and won the game 11–4.

Spook was also involved in a fight in July 1955. He was playing for the Columbus Jets. In a game, Lou Limmer of the Toronto Maple Leafs slid into him at second base. Spook threw a punch at him in return. A sore arm led to Spook being sent to Columbus. But when his arm got better, he was chosen as the best second baseman in the International League for 1955. He had a .316 batting average that year.

Spook Jacobs' Later Life

After his baseball career, Spook and his wife, Bobbie, lived in Milford, Delaware. They owned and ran the Milford Bus Center. Later, they owned Mr. Donut/Donut Connection for 42 years before retiring.

The Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame welcomed Spook in 1991. He also became a member of seven other Sports Hall of Fames. These include the Delaware Baseball Hall of Fame and the Cuban Baseball and Sports Hall of Fames.

One of his proudest achievements was when his stamp collection was shown at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York in 2008. His collection was called Mail It Home.

Spook Jacobs passed away on February 18, 2011, at the age of 85. He is buried at the Milford Community Cemetery in Milford, Delaware.