A GREAT MAN On June 21, 1954, Brooks Lawrence, a minor league baseball player, got word that he was to play in the major leagues. Though elated, he still recalled his lifelong quest to reach that goal and capture his dream. His story, of his family and his youth, college years, and service during World War II, features his ongoing love of the game of baseball. The difficulties and adversities he confronted as an African-American in both the minor and major leagues and how he overcame them make his ultimate triumph as a Hall of Famer an inspiring story. Brooks was a remarkable man with a remarkable story.