Mansfield Athletics

Brookens played shortstop for the Mountaineers from 1972-74 before being selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers after his junior season. Brookens batted .246 over a 12-year major league career with the Tigers, New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians. He won a World Series ring with the Tigers in 1984.
 
He was inducted into the Mansfield University Athletic-Alumni Hall of Fame in 1985.
 
Brookens spent several years as a manager in the Tigers' minor league organization before being called up as Detroit's first base coach in 2009 under manager Jim Leyland. He also served on the USA Baseball coaching staff with Leyland during the 2017 World Baseball Classic.