Thanks again.
Craig Brooks must have gotten real tired of Winston-Salem NC, as the Red Sox kept him in Class A ball for
four seasons. Yes, he got better every year, but you have to progress players, IMO.
And yes, the Sox had Fred Lynn in CF, but that's not forever. Plan ahead!
Finally, the 1.017 OPS Brooks posted in 1980 forced their hand, and Brooks was even better at AA Bristol in '81 (1.028). Albeit only in 50 games…perhaps there was an injury? This got him to Pawtucket in '82, but when he flopped there, he was 26 years old, and the team sent him back down far more quickly than they'd promoted him.
In the game, the Sox gave him 469 PA in 1980 (Lynn and Yaz both battled injuries) and Brooks posted a nice .844 OPS. A bit of sophomore slump in '81 so far, but still.
Could only find the one pic. (Don't know if the more recent [Caucasian, pitcher] "Craig Brooks" confused the issue.) Hope it's sufficient.