Jake Wood

Who is Jake Wood?

Jacob "Jake" Wood Jr. is a former professional baseball player. He played seven seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers and the Cincinnati Reds, primarily as a second baseman. He threw and batted right-handed.

He was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the second oldest child and oldest son of nine children of Jacob, Sr., and Roberta Wood. Jake grew up in an integrated neighborhood, learned to play stickball and baseball as a youth, and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1955. He earned a scholarship to Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware, and he played one season of college ball.

Wood was signed as an amateur free agent by the Tigers in early 1957. He attended Detroit's minor league camp in Lakeland, Florida, worked his way up through the Tigers' system, and batted more than .300 with five teams in the minors. Jake made his major league debut at age 23 on the Tigers' season-opener on April 11, 1961, starting at second base and batting leadoff in a 9-5 home loss to the Cleveland Indians.