Top 100 Indians: #67 Brook Jacoby

Brook Wallace Jacoby

Third Baseman, 1984-1992

Height: 5'11" Weight: 175 lbs

Throws: Right Bats: Right

How Acquired (1): Trade, August 28, 1983: Traded as PTBNL (October 21, 1983) with Brett Butler (PTBNL- October 21, 1983) by the Atlanta Braves for Len Barker

Left (1) Via: Trade, July 26, 1991: Traded to the Oakland Athletics for Lee Tinsley and Apolinar Garcia (minors)

How Acquired (2): Free Agent, January 27, 1992

Left (2) Via: Free Agency, October 29, 1992

And we now arrive to one of the core players on those terrible 1980s teams, Brook Jacoby.

Originally born in Philadelphia, shortly after his father's pitching career flamed out with the Class D Brunswick (GA) Phillies as 21 year old, the Jacoby clan would settle in Ventura, CA. There Brook Jr. became a local sensation for Ventura High School. But instead of heading to a university, Brook elected to stay close to home and attend Ventura College in the Western State Conference. Named to the all-conference squad and team MVP as a freshman, he was even more impressive as a sophomore. He batted .393 with a whopping 26 triples (vs 8 doubles) in 28 games. He became the only Ventura College player ever named team MVP twice..

After those sparkling two seasons, the Atlanta Braves used their seventh round pick on him in the 1979 January amateur draft. He spent most of 1979 with the Braves Gulf Coast Rookie League team, but got a few reps with Kingsport (TN) in the Appalachian League. He was decent, but unspectacular, and got bumped up to the Anderson (SC) Braves in the South Atlantic League (A) to start 1980. He blossomed there as a 20 year old, slashing a 296/368/508 line with 40 2B, 19 HR and 108 RBI. He got three late appearances with the Savannah (GA) Braves in the Southern League (AA).

He thrived for Savannah in 1981, another 292/344/501 line, and even got 10 at bats with Atlanta in September. He slashed 299/359/461 and 315/387/542 for the Richmond (VA) Braves in the International League (AAA) in 1982 and 1983. But the Braves already had a very solid 3B in Bob Horner (143 OPS+ in 1983), so when the Braves dealt for Len Barker at the August trade deadline, they had no problem sending him (and Brett Butler) after the season as PTBNL.

Toby Harrah was 34 in 1983 and league average (99 OPS+) for teh Tribe, so Jacoby would get a shot to unseat him the following spring. The front office didn't even wait for a full spring training, sending Harrah off to the Yankees in late February, anointing Jacoby as the 1984 third baseman. As a rookie, he struggled a bit, 264/314/369 87 OPS+, but rebounded nicely in 1985, 274/324/426 105 OPS+, with 20 homers and 87 RBIs.

Based on his progression and his early 1986 success, Jacoby nabbed his first All-Star nod and finished at 288/350/441 116 OPS+ 17 HR and 80 RBI. He broke out in his age 27 season in 1987, spiking to 32 homers and a 300/387/541 143 OPS+ line for the preseason AL favorites, but a mere 69 RBI for the run challenged Tribe. He slumped badly in 1988 (77 OPS+) but rebounded nicely in 1989, 272/348/416 114 OPS+. In 1990, he got his second nod as the Tribe All-Star representative. He finished at 293/365/426 and a 123 OPS+. He also moved to 1B in the second half after the failed Keith Hernandez experiment.

In 1991, with Carlos Baerga slated to play 3B, Jacoby opened as the first baseman again. But he struggled with an elbow injury most of the season and was traded to the Athletics for Lee Tinsley and minor leaguer Apolinar Garcia. Once he hit the free agency market, the Tribe resigned him to back up new hot shot, Jim Thome (Baerga had moved to second). Unfortunately Thome broke his wrist and Jacoby played a good chunk of the season, finishing at 261/324/326 85 OPS+ with a mere 11 extra base hits in 327 PA.

The Indians did not pursue him that offseason and neither did the rest of MLB. He played his final season with the Chunichi Dragons in the Japan Central League in 1993. Jacoby started his coaching career with the Reds as a roving hitting instructor in 2000 and the hitting coach for the Louisville Cardinals in 2001-2002. He spent the next four years with the Rangers as a hitting coach and hitting coordinator, before returning to the Reds. He has been the Reds major league hitting coach for the last six seasons.

Brook has three children with his wife Pamela, Brook III, Torrey and Sierra. He is also a member of the Ventura College Hall of Fame.

Sources

Wikipedia, Baseball Reference

Indians Career Stats

Selected Awards/Leaders

AL All-Star: 1989, 1990

AL oWAR: 8th, 1987-4.7

AL OPS: 10th, 1987-.928

AL HR: 9th, 1987-32

AL Strikeouts: 8th, 1986-137; 10th, 1985-120

AL OPS+: 8th, 1987-143

AL Double Plays Grounded Into: 5th, 1990-20; 7th, 1987-19

AL Assists (3B): 2nd, 1988-298; 3rd, 1986-292; 4th, 1985-319; 5th, 1989-268

AL Range Factor/Game 3B: 4th, 1987-2.69; 4th, 1988-2.63

Cleveland Indians Career Leader

• t-44th WAR Position Players (13.9)
• 38th oWAR (15.7)
• 15th Games Played (1240)
• 18th At Bats (4314)
• 21st Plate Appearances (4804)
• 32nd Runs Scored (521)
• t-18th Hits (1178)
• 19th Total Bases (1778)
• 27th Doubles (192)
• 16th Home Runs (120)
• 23rd Runs Batted In (524)
• 25th Bases On Balls (428)
• 7th Strikeouts (738)
• 19th Singles (842)
• 22nd Runs Created (592)
• 23rd Extra Base Hits (336)
• t-10th Sacrifice Flies (38)
• t-23rd Intentional Bases On Balls (25)
• 4th Double Plays Grounded Into (131)
• t-47th AB per HR (36.0)

Cleveland Indians Season Leader

• t-31st Home Runs (32, 1987)
• 16th Strikeouts (37, 1986)
• 39th Strikeouts (120, 1985)
• t-32nd Sacrifice Flies (8, 1989)
• t-24th Double Plays Grounded Into (20, 1990)
• t-29th Double Plays Grounded Into (19, 1987)
• 45th AB per HR (16.9, 1987)