Why Cal Poly's Brooks Lee Passed Up Millions to Stay Home ...
2/24/2022 9:53:00 AM | Baseball
By Sam Blum
The Athletic
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — When deciding what to name his son, Larry Lee knew he wanted there to be a baseball theme.
In San Luis Obispo, Calif., the Lee family is not just a baseball family, it's the baseball family. Larry's father, Tom Lee, was an athlete and multiple-sport coach. His two older brothers, Terry and Mike, both played in the Giants organization. Terry was a first-round pick. Larry himself is the 20-year head coach of the local Division I college, Cal Poly.
So Larry's son, of course, had to keep in the baseball tradition. And Larry wanted him to be the namesake of his favorite player, Hall of Famer Lou Brock.
But, try saying the name Brock Lee out loud. It quickly became clear that wasn't a viable option.
"That's the one last name that you can't name your kid Brock," Larry said. "It would not have been a good upbringing."
His next choice was Major. Like Major League. But Major Lee also didn't sit right with Larry. "That was too corny," he said.
So he settled on Brooks. Named after Brooks Robinson. And 21 years later, the choice has proven prescient.
Brooks Lee is a strong, stocky and nimble infielder. He's a switch-hitter, a power-hitting run producer. And he's projected to be one of the top picks, if not the first, in the 2022 MLB Draft.
The name Brooks Lee — it's a baseball name. The first name, honoring an all-time great. The last name recognizing a family that's dedicated itself to the game.
"It's an emotional connection with me being at Cal Poly," Brooks said. "People throughout the community will come up and say things when I'm out in public. I don't view myself as a hometown hero. But it's a little different when you have people coming up to you and saying, we appreciate you playing for your dad.
"I'm playing for myself. But I'm also playing for the people that have a connection and a tie to me."
To read the complete story in The Athletic, click here (subscription required).
