Jake Jacobs
Encyclopedia
Lamar Gary "Jake" Jacobs (June 9, 1937 — July 26, 2010) was a professional baseball
outfielder
. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball
, and , Washington Senators
and Minnesota Twins
. Listed at 6' 0", 175 lb., he batted and threw right handed.
A native of Youngstown, Ohio
, Jacobs attended Boardman High School and graduated from Ohio University
. He was signed as a bonus baby non-drafted free agent by the Washington Senators in 1959, being immediately allocated to Class-D Sanford Greyhounds. In his professional debut, Jacobs led his team with a .313 batting average
and a 448 slugging percentage, gaining a promotion to the Class-A Charlotte Hornets
the next year.
Jacobs spent most of 1960 with Charlotte before joining the Senators in late September, appearing in two games as a pinch hitter
and four as a pinch runner
. He ascended to Triple-A in 1961, and split the season between the Syracuse Chiefs and Indianapolis Indians
before returning to the majors in September for four games with the Minnesota Twins (the Senators had moved to Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota during the offseason). He played two more years in the minors, for the Vancouver Mounties
in 1962 and Charlotte again in 1963.
In his brief majors career, Jacobs was a .200 hitter (2-for-10) and scored two runs in 10 games. In five minor league seasons, he posted a .277 average in 545 games.
Following his baseball career, Jacobs spent the next 25 years as an insurance salesman for Ohio National Life and attained numerous awards such as a recurrent member of the Million Dollar Round Table. While playing at Indianapolis, he met Janice Oliver, a former Miss Indiana. They were married in 1962 and had four children and eight grandchildren. He was also heavily involved with the YMCA
in his native Youngstown, and was a big supporter and trainer for Sports World Ministries.
Jacobs died in Palmetto, Florida
, at the age of 73.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
. He played parts of two seasons 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...
, and , 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...
and Minnesota Twins
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...
. Listed at 6' 0", 175 lb., he batted and threw right handed.
A native of Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, Jacobs attended Boardman High School and graduated from Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
. He was signed as a bonus baby non-drafted free agent by the Washington Senators in 1959, being immediately allocated to Class-D Sanford Greyhounds. In his professional debut, Jacobs led his team with a .313 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
and a 448 slugging percentage, gaining a promotion to the Class-A Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets (baseball)
The Charlotte Hornets was the name of an American minor league baseball franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club was originally founded in 1901, and lasted in some form until 1973, capturing 11 league titles during its history...
the next year.
Jacobs spent most of 1960 with Charlotte before joining the Senators in late September, appearing in two games as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
and four as a pinch runner
Pinch runner
A pinch runner is a baseball player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing a player on base. In the typical case, the pinch runner is faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted...
. He ascended to Triple-A in 1961, and split the season between the Syracuse Chiefs and Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
before returning to the majors in September for four games with the Minnesota Twins (the Senators had moved to Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota during the offseason). He played two more years in the minors, for the Vancouver Mounties
Vancouver Mounties
The Vancouver Mounties were a high-level minor league baseball club based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Mounties played in the Pacific Coast League from 1956 through 1962 as the relocated Oakland Oaks franchise, and from 1965 through 1969 when the Dallas Rangers moved back to Canada.The...
in 1962 and Charlotte again in 1963.
In his brief majors career, Jacobs was a .200 hitter (2-for-10) and scored two runs in 10 games. In five minor league seasons, he posted a .277 average in 545 games.
Following his baseball career, Jacobs spent the next 25 years as an insurance salesman for Ohio National Life and attained numerous awards such as a recurrent member of the Million Dollar Round Table. While playing at Indianapolis, he met Janice Oliver, a former Miss Indiana. They were married in 1962 and had four children and eight grandchildren. He was also heavily involved with the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
in his native Youngstown, and was a big supporter and trainer for Sports World Ministries.
Jacobs died in Palmetto, Florida
Palmetto, Florida
Palmetto is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was listed as 12,606 It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Palmetto is located at ....
, at the age of 73.