SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — When deciding on his son’s name, Larry Lee knew he wanted it to have a baseball theme.

In San Luis Obispo, Calif., the Lee family isn’t just a baseball family, it’s the baseball family. Larry’s father, Tom Lee, was an athlete and multi-sport coach. His two older brothers, Terry and Mike, both played in the Giants organization. Terry was a first-round pick. Larry himself has been the head coach for 20 years of local Division I college Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

So Larry’s son, of course, had to stay in baseball lore. And Larry wanted him to be the namesake of his favorite player, Hall of Famer Lou Brock.

But, try saying Brock Lee’s name out loud. It quickly became clear that this was not a viable option.

“It’s the only last name you can’t name your child Brock,” Larry said. “That wouldn’t have been a good upbringing.”

His next choice was Major. Like the Major League. But Major Lee didn’t sit well with Larry either. “It was too cheesy,” he said.

So he went with Brooks. Named after Brooks Robinson. And 21 years later, the choice turned out to be prescient.

Brooks Lee is a strong, stocky and agile infielder. It’s a switch-hitter, a powerful run producer. And he should be one of the best 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 surname recognizing a family that is dedicated to the game.

“It’s an emotional connection to me being at Cal Poly,” Brooks said. “People from all over the community come and say things when I’m in public. I don’t consider myself a local hero.