William Chester "Baby Doll" Jacobson (August 16, 1890 – January 16, 1977) was an American baseball outfielder.

He also played for the Detroit Tigers (1915), Boston Red Sox (1926–1927), Cleveland Indians (1927), and Philadelphia Athletics (1927).

He compiled a .311 lifetime batting average and twice finished among the top ten in voting for the American League Most Valuable Player Award.

During the eight years from 1919 to 1926, Jacobson compiled 1,473 hits, ranking sixth in the major leagues behind Baseball Hall of Famers Sam Rice (1,639), Rogers Hornsby (1,626), Harry Heilmann (1,556), George Sisler (1,495), and Ty Cobb (1,478).

Jacobson was born in 1890 in Cable, Illinois,[1] an unincorporated community that is now part of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area.

In early April 1912, McGraw turned over Jacobson to the Mobile Sea Gulls of the Southern Association.

[7] On opening day of the 1912 season, the band began playing the popular song, "Oh, You Beautiful Doll", as Jacobson came to the plate.

Jacobson recalled, "Well I led off with a home run on the first pitch and a lady sitting behind the plate jumped up and shouted, 'You must be that beautiful doll they were talking about.'

Finn developed him into a slashing outfielder, and the Southern League averages show that he hit better than .260 and stole enough bases to justify McGraw that he has improved.

Bill was originally a catcher and Wilbert Robinson tried to induce him to return to that trade, but William prefers the outfielding business.

As the 1915 Tigers had one of the best outfields in major league history with Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford, and Bobby Veach, manager Hughie Jennings sought to convert Jacobson into a first baseman.

On August 18, 1915, the Tigers traded Jacobson with $15,000 to the St. Louis Browns for pitcher Bill James.

He split his playing time between center and right field in 1917 and compiled a .248 batting average in 148 games.

[1] In August 1917, after the American entry into World War I, Jacobson enlisted in the United States Navy.

[1] During the eight years from 1919 to 1926, Jacobson had 1,473, hits, ranking sixth in the major leagues behind Baseball Hall of Famers Sam Rice (1,639), Rogers Hornsby (1,626), Harry Heilmann (1,556), George Sisler (1,495), and Ty Cobb (1,478), and ahead of Hall of Famers Babe Ruth (1,436), Tris Speaker (1,420), Zack Wheat (1,416), Eddie Collins (1,412), Dave Bancroft (1,377), and Max Carey (1,333).

In July 1920, John B. Sheridan wrote in The Sporting News that Jacobson would be a better hitter than Ruth but for his unusual batting stance: There are men playing ball today who would be harder hitters than Ruth or than Hornsby if they applied the proper style to their bat stroke.

[St. Louis manager] Jimmy Burke told Jacobson that if he stood as Ray Chapman stands, forward hip and shoulder in to the plate he would hit two or three balls out of the park every day.

During the 1919 season, Jacobson was among the American League leaders with a .323 batting average (7th), .453 slugging percentage (8th), 31 doubles (9th), and a 2.92 range factor in center field (2nd).

Jacobson had married in March 1919, and Burke advised him early in the 1919 season that he would be staying with the Browns and told him, "Send for your wife today."

The 1922 Browns, with George Sisler batting .420, finished in second place in the American League, one game behind the New York Yankees, with a 93–61 record.

[17] Jacobson compiled a .317 batting average in 1922 with 102 RBIs and career highs with 16 triples and 19 stolen bases.

[1] In 1925, Jacobson finished seventh in the MVP voting after compiling a .342 batting average and .513 slugging percentage.

Jacobson began the 1926 season as the Browns' starting center fielder for the eighth consecutive year.

[2] After retiring from baseball, he worked as a farmer in Colona Township, located in Henry County, Illinois, not far from where he was raised.

[23] At the time of the 1930 United States Census, he was listed as a farmer in Colona Township, residing with his wife Vurl and their three children, William, Jr., Carita and Julian.

[24] By the time of the 1940 United States Census, Jacobson remained in Colona Township, though his family had by then grown to five children with the addition of sons Ted and Bruce.

[28] At the time of his death, The Sporting News wrote: "Although he never received more than a passing glance in the Hall of Fame voting, Jacobson's credentials are superior to many of the old-timers who have been enshrined.