Outfoxed.


If you’ve ever been to Cooperstown, you may have missed Jake Fox’s plaque in the Baseball Hall of Fame. It’s easy to overlook.

Because it’s not there.

Which is surprising because, in March of 2011, Fox had a Hall-of-Fame-worthy spring training.

In twenty-seven games he hit ten home runs, a pace which in the regular season would mean the magical 60. He batted .297, with a Ted Williams-like OPS of 1.122.

Hall of Fame numbers indeed.

Then the season started. By the end of May, Fox was hitting .188 with two home runs. The Orioles sent him down. He popped back up briefly in September. Then never played another major league baseball game.

But that one spring. That one glorious spring. He was Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Mike Trout rolled into one. He was spring Rougned Odor, spring Ronald Guzman, and spring Eli White rolled onto one.

Beward the ides of March. And the stats of March.

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