William Chester "Baby Doll" Jacobson (August 16, 1890 – January 16, 1977) was an American

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...

. He played 11 seasons of

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

, principally with the

St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...

, between 1915 and 1927. He also played for the Detroit Tigers (1915),

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

(1926–1927),

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...

(1927), and Philadelphia Athletics (1927). Jacobson was one of the best hitters in the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

during his prime years. He batted above .300 for seven consecutive seasons, including a .355 season in 1920 and a .352 season in 1921. He also hit for power and finished second behind

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

with 122 runs batted in 1922. He compiled a .311 lifetime

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

and twice finished among the top ten in voting for the

American League Most Valuable Player Award The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers' ...

. During the eight years from 1919 to 1926, Jacobson compiled 1,473 hits, ranking sixth in the major leagues behind Baseball Hall of Famers

Sam Rice Edgar Charles "Sam" Rice (February 20, 1890 – October 13, 1974) was an American pitcher and outfielder in Major League Baseball. Although Rice made his debut as a relief pitcher, he is best known as an outfielder. Playing for the Washington Se ...

(1,639),

Rogers Hornsby Rogers Hornsby Sr. (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1915–1926, 193 ...

(1,626),

Harry Heilmann Harry Edwin Heilmann (August 3, 1894 – July 9, 1951), nicknamed "Slug", was an American baseball player and radio announcer. He played professional baseball for 19 years between 1913 and 1932, including 17 seasons in Major League Baseball with ...

(1,556),

George Sisler George Harold Sisler (March 24, 1893 – March 26, 1973), nicknamed "Gorgeous George", was an American professional baseball first baseman and player-manager. From 1915 through 1930, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis B ...

(1,495), and

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the ...

(1,478). Jacobson was also one of the best defensive outfielders of his era. He set 13 defensive records during his career, and his 488 putouts in 1924 stood as a major league record until 1928 and an American League record until 1948. He also led the major leagues with nine double plays started from the outfield in 1925.

Early years

Jacobson was born in 1890 in Cable, Illinois, an unincorporated community that is now part of the

Quad Cities Metropolitan Area The Quad Cities metropolitan area, more formally known as the Davenport–Moline–Rock Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the metropolitan area associated with the Quad Cities in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois. The area consists of t ...

. His father, Gustaf Jacobson, was a Swedish immigrant who worked as a farmer. His mother, Albatina, was the daughter of Swedish immigrants. Jacobson was the second oldest of five children.(The SABR biography erroneously identifies Jacobson as the oldest of four children. In fact, the 1900 Census entry identifies an older brother, Roy Jacobson, born in August 1888.)

Baseball career

Minor leagues

After playing sandlot baseball in 1908 in

Orion, Illinois Orion ( ) is a village in Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,861 at the 2010 census. It is the site for transmitters for many of the Quad Cities' radio and television stations, including KLJB, KWQC-TV, WMWC-TV, WQAD-TV, ...

, Jacobson began his professional baseball career in 1909 at age 18 with the

Rock Island Islanders The Rock Island Islanders was the primary name of the minor league baseball teams based in Rock Island, Illinois, one of the Quad Cities, between 1892 and 1937. Rock Island teams played as members of the Illinois–Iowa League (1892), Western Ass ...

of the

Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was a Minor League Baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 seasons, with teams based in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The league began pla ...

. After a brief stint with the Battle Creek Crickets of the

Southern Michigan League The Southern Michigan League was a Minor League Baseball circuit which operated between 1906 and 1912. It was classified as a Class D league from 1906 to 1910 and as a Class C league from 1911 to 1912. After that, the league was known as the Sou ...

in 1910, Jacobson returned to Rock Island for the balance of the 1910 season and the entire 1911 season. He compiled a .304

for Rock Island in 1911. OhYouBeautifulDoll-1911

After the 1911 season, Jacobson was signed by manager

John McGraw John Joseph McGraw (April 7, 1873 – February 25, 1934) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager who was for almost thirty years manager of the New York Giants. He was also the third baseman of the pennant-winning 1890 ...

of the New York Giants. In early April 1912, McGraw turned over Jacobson to the

Mobile Sea Gulls Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ...

of the

Southern Association The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A (1902–1935), Cla ...

. On opening day of the 1912 season, the band began playing the popular song, " Oh, You Beautiful Doll", as Jacobson came to the plate. Jacobson recalled, "Well I led off with a home run on the first pitch and a lady sitting behind the plate jumped up and shouted, 'You must be that beautiful doll they were talking about.' The name stuck with me and that was it." In his first season in Mobile, Jacobson compiled a .261 batting average. After the 1912 season, it was expected that Jacobson would be called up by the Giants in 1913. In November 1912, the ''Sporting Life'' reported:

McGraw dug him out of the I. I. I. League a year ago and turned him over to Mike Finn at Mobile after looking him over at
Marlin Marlins are fish from the family Istiophoridae, which includes about 10 species. A marlin has an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long, rigid dorsal fin which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name is thought to deri ...
. . . . Finn developed him into a slashing outfielder, and the Southern League averages show that he hit better than .260 and stole enough bases to justify McGraw that he has improved. Bill was originally a catcher and
Wilbert Robinson Wilbert Robinson (June 29, 1864 – August 8, 1934), nicknamed "Uncle Robbie", was an American catcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Philadelphia Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, and St. Louis Cardinals ...
tried to induce him to return to that trade, but William prefers the outfielding business. A bad finger crowded him out from behind the bat.

After two seasons in Mobile, Jacobson joined the

Chattanooga Lookouts The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...

in 1914. He appeared in 155 games for Chattanooga in 1914 and set a Southern Association record with 15 home runs. He also compiled a .319 batting average and totalled 64

extra base hit In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire ano ...

Detroit Tigers

On April 14, 1915, Jacobson made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers. As the 1915 Tigers had one of the best outfields in major league history with

Sam Crawford Samuel Earl Crawford (April 18, 1880 – June 15, 1968), nicknamed "Wahoo Sam", was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Crawford batted and threw left-handed, stood tall and weighed . Born in Wahoo, Nebraska, he had a s ...

, and

Bobby Veach Robert Hayes Veach (June 29, 1888 – August 7, 1945) was an American baseball player from 1910 to 1930 including 14 seasons in the major leagues. He was the starting left fielder for the Detroit Tigers from 1912 to 1923 and also played for the B ...

, manager

Hughie Jennings Hugh Ambrose Jennings (April 2, 1869 – February 1, 1928) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager from 1891 to 1925. Jennings was a leader, both as a batter and as a shortstop, with the Baltimore Orioles teams that won N ...

sought to convert Jacobson into a first baseman. Jacobson compiled a .215 batting average in 37 games for the Tigers. On August 18, 1915, the Tigers traded Jacobson with $15,000 to the

for pitcher Bill James.

St. Louis Browns

1915 to 1917

Jacobson appeared in 34 games for the Browns in 1915, compiling a .209 batting average. He spent the 1916 season with the

Little Rock Travelers The Little Rock Travelers were an American minor league baseball team located in Little Rock, Arkansas, and members (1902–1910, 1915–1958, 1960–1961) of the Southern Association, which as a Class A, A1 or Double-A circuit was typically two ...

of the

. He hit for a .346 average in 139 games for the Travelers. After a strong showing in Little Rock, Jacobson returned to the Browns in 1917. He split his playing time between center and right field in 1917 and compiled a .248 batting average in 148 games. He struck out 67 times in 1917, second most in the American League, but he also led the league with seven double plays started from right field. In August 1917, after the

American entry into World War I American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

, Jacobson enlisted in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. He missed the entire 1918 season due to military service.

Overview of prime years

Jacobson returned to the Browns in 1919 at age 28. For eight consecutive seasons from 1919 to 1926, he began the season as the Browns' starting center fielder. During those eight seasons, he was one of the best fielding outfielders in the American League. He led the league's center fielders in putouts in 1921 (386), 1923 (409), and 1924 (488), and was among the top five in that category every year from 1919 to 1925. In 1925, he led the league's center fielders with nine double plays started from the outfield. He set 13 American League fielding records during his major league career. His 488 putouts in 1924 was a major league record until 1928 and an American League record until 1948. During his prime, Jacobson also hit for both average and power. He finished among the league's leaders in batting average in 1919 (.323), 1920 (.355), and 1921 (.352). During the eight years from 1919 to 1926, Jacobson had 1,473, hits, ranking sixth in the major leagues behind Baseball Hall of Famers

(1,639),

(1,626),

(1,556),

(1,495), and

(1,478), and ahead of Hall of Famers Babe Ruth (1,436),

Tris Speaker Tristram Edgar Speaker (April 4, 1888 – December 8, 1958), nicknamed "the Gray Eagle", was an American professional baseball player. Considered one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), he compiled a career ba ...

(1,420),

Zack Wheat Zachariah Davis Wheat (May 23, 1888 – March 11, 1972), nicknamed "Buck", was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left fielder from 1909 to 1927, most notably as a member of the Brooklyn Do ...

(1,416), Eddie Collins (1,412),

Dave Bancroft David James Bancroft (April 20, 1891 – October 9, 1972) was an American professional baseball shortstop and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants, Boston Braves and the Brooklyn Robins ...

(1,377), and

Max Carey Maximillian George Carnarius (January 11, 1890 – May 30, 1976), known as Max George Carey, was an American professional baseball center fielder and manager. Carey played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1910 through 1 ...

(1,333). At and , Jacobson was bigger than Babe Ruth. In July 1920, John B. Sheridan wrote in ''The Sporting News'' that Jacobson would be a better hitter than Ruth but for his unusual batting stance:

There are men playing ball today who would be harder hitters than Ruth or than Hornsby if they applied the proper style to their bat stroke. Jacobson of the Browns is larger and stronger than Ruth or than Hornsby. Yet he does not hit the ball at all so often or as far as these more famous sluggers. Why? Jacobson takes less than a half swing at the ball. He stands in a position that is, as the Irishman said, 'agin himself.' That is, he faces the pitcher 'full front' so that he cannot pull back his right arm to get a full swing. Instead of swinging he pushes or shoves the bat at the ball. He gets a little less than a half swing at it. Yet, now and then, he hits an abnormally long ball. t. Louis manager Jimmy Burke told Jacobson that if he stood as
Ray Chapman Raymond Johnson Chapman (January 15, 1891 – August 17, 1920) was an American baseball player. He spent his entire career as a shortstop for the Cleveland Indians. Chapman was hit in the head by a pitch thrown by pitcher Carl Mays and died ...
stands, forward hip and shoulder in to the plate he would hit two or three balls out of the park every day. I think Burke is right.

Writing in ''The New York Times'',

John Kieran John Francis Kieran (August 2, 1892 – December 10, 1981) was an American author, journalist, amateur naturalist and radio and television personality. Early years A native of The Bronx, Kieran was the son of Dr. James M. Kieran and his wife, K ...

later wrote of Jacobson: "There was no style to him at all. He didn't know his own strength. But he went galumphing all over the outfield to haul down long drives and, when he came to the plate, he got even with a lot of fellows who made him sweat in the outfield. He was the

Johnny Mize John Robert Mize (January 7, 1913 – June 2, 1993), nicknamed "Big Jawn" and "The Big Cat", was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 15 seasons between 1936 ...

type of hitter; he just overpowered the ball."

1919 to 1926

In 1919, after his discharge from the military, Jacobson played in 120 games for the Browns. During the 1919 season, Jacobson was among the American League leaders with a .323 batting average (7th), .453 slugging percentage (8th), 31 doubles (9th), and a 2.92 range factor in center field (2nd). His .323 batting average in 1919 was 75 points higher than he had managed in 1917 before entering the military. Jacobson credited St. Louis manager Jimmy Burke for his improvement at the plate. Jacobson had married in March 1919, and Burke advised him early in the 1919 season that he would be staying with the Browns and told him, "Send for your wife today." Jacobson recalled that, relieved of the worry of being sent to the minors, he saw the ball better than he ever had: "After five years of trial and five years of failure I have made good at last. That's all I know. Whatever improvement I have shown is due to Burke's four words, 'Send for your wife.' When Burke made that crack, he made me a success where I had been one of the most pitiable failures in baseball." In 1920, Jacobson had what some consider his finest season. He finished second behind Babe Ruth with 122 runs batted in, and his .355 batting average was a career high. He was again among the American League leaders in runs batted in (2nd), batting average (6th) and with a .501 slugging percentage (8th), 216 hits (4th), 305 total bases (5th), 264 times on base (6th), 14 triples (7th), 57 extra base hits (9th), 97 runs scored (10th), a .981 fielding percentage in center field (2nd), and a 2.68 range factor (3rd among all American League outfielders). In 1921, Jacobson continued his torrid hitting. For the third consecutive year, he finished among the American League leaders with a .352 average. He was among the league leaders in batting average (6th) and with 211 hits (4th), 38 doubles (7th), and 14 triples (7th). He also led the league's center fielders with 386 putouts and had the second highest fielding percentage (.982) among all of the league's outfielders. In 1922, Jacobson helped lead the Browns to one of the best seasons in the club's history. The 1922 Browns, with

batting .420, finished in second place in the American League, one game behind the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

, with a 93–61 record. Jacobson compiled a .317 batting average in 1922 with 102 RBIs and career highs with 16 triples and 19 stolen bases. He was among the league's leaders in triples (2nd), RBIs (5th), and stolen bases (7th). He hit three triples in one game against the Detroit Tigers on September 9. He also had the second highest range factor (2.74) among all American League outfielders in 1922. In 1923, Jacobson's batting average dropped to .309 and, with Sisler out of the lineup with a sinus infection, the Browns dropped from second place to fifth in the American League. In 1924, Jacobson rebounded and had one of the best seasons of his career. He finished second in the American League behind Ruth in both total bases (306) and extra base hits (72) and third in the league with 19 home runs. He hit for the cycle on April 17 against the White Sox. His 488 putouts were a major league record for outfielders that stood for 24 years. He also finished eighth in the voting for the American League's 1924 Most Valuable Player Award. In 1925, Jacobson finished seventh in the MVP voting after compiling a .342 batting average and .513 slugging percentage. He was among the American League leaders with 277 total bases (7th), 15 home runs (7th), 54 extra base hits (9th), 184 hits (10th), and 103 runs scored (10th). Jacobson began the 1926 season as the Browns' starting center fielder for the eighth consecutive year. He appeared in 50 games for the Browns and saw his batting average fall below .300 for the first time since 1917. He compiled a .286 batting average for St. Louis during the 1926 season.

Boston Red Sox

On June 15, 1926, Jacobson was part of a three-team trade that sent Jacobson to the

Bing Miller Edmund John "Bing" Miller (August 30, 1894 – May 7, 1966) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1922 to 1936, most prominently as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics ...

to the Browns, and

Howard Ehmke Howard John Ehmke (April 24, 1894 – March 17, 1959) was an American baseball pitcher. He played professional baseball for 16 years from 1914 to 1930, including 15 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Buffalo Blues (1915), Detroit Tigers (19 ...

to the Philadelphia Athletics. Jacobson's bat was revitalized in Boston, as he compiled a .305 average in 98 games for the Red Sox in 1926. He finished the season as one of the American League leaders with 51 doubles (4th), 61 extra base hits (6th), 89 RBIs (10th), and 26 sacrifice hits (10th). His .981 fielding percentage also ranked second among the league's center fielders. In 1927, Jacobson became a left fielder for the Red Sox. At age 36, his offensive production dropped to the lowest level since his rookie season of 1915. He compiled a .245 batting average in 45 games for Boston.

Late 1920s

In June 1927, Jacobson was sold by the Red Sox to the

. He was released by the Indians after compiling a .252 average in 32 games. In August 1927, he was selected off waivers by the Philadelphia Athletics. He compiled a .229 average in 17 games for the Athletics. Jacobson appeared in his last major league game on September 22, 1927. Jacobson continued to play minor league baseball in 1928 and 1929. He played for four teams in 1928 and compiled a .342 batting average in 55 games in the

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

. In 1929, he compiled a .304 average in 130 games for the

Quincy Indians The Quincy Indians were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1928 to 1933. They were located in Quincy, Illinois. From 1928 to 1932, they played in the Class B Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was ...

of the

. In February 1930, Jacobson announced that he was retiring from baseball after purchasing a farm near

, where he had begun playing sandlot baseball in 1908. He reportedly played semipro ball in the Henry County League in 1930.

Career statistics

In 1,472 games over 11 seasons, Jacobson posted a .311

(1,714-for-5,507) with 787 runs, 328 doubles, 94 triples, 83

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s, 818 RBI, 86 stolen bases, 355 bases on balls, .357 on-base percentage and .450 slugging percentage. Defensively, he recorded a .973 fielding percentage playing at all three outfield positions and first base.

Family and later years

Jacobson was married in 1919 to Vurl Cruse. After retiring from baseball, he worked as a farmer in Colona Township, located in

Henry County, Illinois Henry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. The 2010 United States Census, listed its population at 50,486. Its county seat is Cambridge. Henry County is included in the Davenport- Moline- Rock Island, IA-IL Metropolitan ...

, not far from where he was raised. At the time of the

1930 United States Census The United States census of 1930, conducted by the Census Bureau one month from April 1, 1930, determined the resident population of the United States to be 122,775,046, an increase of 13.7 percent over the 106,021,537 persons enumerated durin ...

, he was listed as a farmer in Colona Township, residing with his wife Vurl and their three children, William, Jr., Carita and Julian. By the time of the

1940 United States Census The United States census of 1940, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 132,164,569, an increase of 7.3 percent over the 1930 population of 122,775,046 people. The census date of record w ...

, Jacobson remained in Colona Township, though his family had by then grown to five children with the addition of sons Ted and Bruce. As of 1942, Jacobson was still self-employed as a farmer in Colona Township. Jacobson retired from farming in 1960 and died in

, at the age of 86 and was buried at Dayton Corners Cemetery in

Colona, Illinois Colona is a city in Henry County, Illinois, along the Green River. It is part of the Quad Cities metropolitan area. The population was 5,099 at the 2010 census, down from 5,173 at the 2000 census. The City of Colona was created in 1997 by the ...

.BaseballLibrary.com
Retrieved October 24, 2006. At the time of his death, ''The Sporting News'' wrote: "Although he never received more than a passing glance in the Hall of Fame voting, Jacobson's credentials are superior to many of the old-timers who have been enshrined."

References

External links

, o
Retrosheet
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobson, Baby Doll 1890 births 1977 deaths Major League Baseball center fielders Detroit Tigers players St. Louis Browns players Boston Red Sox players Cleveland Indians players Philadelphia Athletics players Rock Island Islanders players Battle Creek Crickets players Mobile Sea Gulls players Chattanooga Lookouts players Little Rock Travelers players Baltimore Orioles (International League) players Indianapolis Indians players Toledo Mud Hens players Quincy Indians players Baseball players from Illinois People from Mercer County, Illinois People from Henry County, Illinois American people of Swedish descent

Early years

Baseball career

Minor leagues

Detroit Tigers

St. Louis Browns

1915 to 1917

Overview of prime years

1919 to 1926

Boston Red Sox

Late 1920s

Career statistics

Family and later years

See also

References

Further reading

External links