During a blissful seven-week stretch in the summer of 2004, Bucky Jacobsen was a shooting star.



Promoted from Triple-A Tacoma in July of that season, the 28-year-old went deep in just his second game in the majors. He hit another home run on the following day, a walk-off a few days later. A career minor leaguer who months earlier would have done just about anything for a chance at playing Triple A, Jacobsen was suddenly a cult hero — the lumberjack-looking dude with a red goatee who hit tape-measure homers with ease.



But shooting stars burn out quickly, and Jacobsen’s major-league career lasted all of 42 games. He hit .275/.335/.500 with nine home runs and 28 RBI before being sidelined in September with a knee injury that would prove to be his downfall.



“I think if he didn’t actually exist, you would think that this was a Sidd Finch kind of story,” said Bill Bavasi, the general manager of the team in 2004.



But it was...