Buddy Hancken

Morris Medlock Hancken

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 175 lb.
• School Birmingham-Southern College
• Debut May 14, 1940
• Final Game May 14, 1940
• Born August 30, 1914 in Birmingham, AL USA
• Died February 15, 2007 in Orange, TX USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Catcher Buddy Hancken played in just one major league game, never getting a chance to bat. He had been brought to spring training in 1940 because he had experience catching knuckleballers, one year after playing for the Pacific Coast League Champions Seattle Rainiers in 1939. Unfortunately for him, the Philadelphia Athletics sent their two knuckleball pitchers down to the minors, and Hancken's skills were no longer needed. He was sent down to the Williamsport Grays in 1940 and the Buffalo Bisons in 1941. He then missed the 1942 through 1946 seasons due to voluntary retirement and military service.

Hancken was a player/manager in the minors from 1948 to 1953. He scouted for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1954-1959, the Washington Senators in 1960, Minnesota Twins in 1961, and New York Mets in 1962. He managed in the minors in 1963 and 1966-1967. Hancken was a Houston Astros coach from September 1967 to 1972.

He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II (GB).

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs
1947	Ballinger Cats	Longhorn League	50-34	3rd	none	League Champs	replaced Stuart Williams (18-28) on June 12
1948	Greenville Majors	Big State League	40-51	--	none	--	replaced by Nat Love (12-42) July 19
1949	Waco Pirates	Big State League	76-72	4th	Pittsburgh Pirates	League Champs
1950	Waco Pirates	Big State League	72-76	6th	Pittsburgh Pirates
1951	Columbia Reds	South Atlantic League	46-92	8th	Cincinnati Reds
1952	Baton Rouge Red Sticks	Evangeline League	76-64	3rd	none	Lost League Finals
1953	Lake Charles Lakers	Gulf Coast League	54-89	8th	none
1963	Batavia Pirates	New York-Penn League	63-67	3rd	Pittsburgh Pirates	League Champs
1966	Amarillo Sonics	Texas League	77-63	2nd	Houston Astros	Lost in 1st round
1967	Amarillo Sonics	Texas League	75-65	2nd	Houston Astros	none

Further Reading

• Larry Stone: "Those were the most wonderful days I believe I ever had", in Mark Armour, ed.: Rain Check: Baseball in the Pacific Northwest, Society for American Baseball Research, Cleveland, OH, 2006, p. 105.