Hal McRae

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Harold Abraham McRae

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Biographical Information[edit]

The father of Brian McRae, Hal McRae was his son's manager with the Kansas City Royals from 1991 to 1994. Unfortunately for McRae, many younger fans remember him for his famous 1993 tirade against the media during which he ranted and raved before throwing a telephone and bloodying the face of a reporter.

He was the first player to make his career essentially as a designated hitter. Originally an outfielder with the Cincinnati Reds, a multiple leg fracture sapped his speed and a shoulder injury took away his throwing arm. He found a home as the DH of the Royals for a number of seasons, dealt with Wayne Simpson to Kansas City in exchange for Roger Nelson and Richie Scheinblum in 1972. He was still a part-time outfielder for the Royals from 1973 to 1975, but he really thrived after becoming a full-time DH, even leading the American League in RBI in 1982 (winning a Silver Slugger in the process) and finishing second in the batting race to teammate George Brett in 1976.

In addition to stints as skipper of the Royals and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, McRae has also been hitting coach for the Montreal Expos, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and the St. Louis Cardinals, with whom he won a ring in 2006.

In 1989, Hal was inducted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame. That winter, he played for the Bradenton Explorers of the Senior Professional Baseball Association. He hit just .171 in 13 games with the team.

Notable Achievements[edit]

  • 3-time AL All-Star (1975, 1976 & 1982)
  • AL Silver Slugger Award Winner (1982/DH)
  • AL On-Base Percentage Leader (1976)
  • AL OPS Leader (1976)
  • 2-time AL Doubles Leader (1977 & 1982)
  • AL RBI Leader (1982)
  • 20-Home Runs Seasons: 2 (1977 & 1982)
  • 100 RBI Seasons: 1 (1982)
  • 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 1 (1977)
  • Won a World Series with the Kansas City Royals in 1985


Preceded by
John Wathan
Kansas City Royals Manager
1991-1994
Succeeded by
Bob Boone
Preceded by
Larry Rothschild
Tampa Bay Devil Rays Manager
2001-2002
Succeeded by
Lou Piniella

Year-By-Year Managerial Record[edit]

Year Team League Record Finish Organization Playoffs Notes
1991 Kansas City Royals American League 66-58 6th Kansas City Royals replaced John Wathan (15-22) and
Bob Schaefer (1-0) on May 24
1992 Kansas City Royals American League 72-90 5th (t) Kansas City Royals
1993 Kansas City Royals American League 84-78 3rd Kansas City Royals
1994 Kansas City Royals American League 64-51 3rd Kansas City Royals
2001 Tampa Bay Devil Rays American League 58-90 5th Tampa Bay Devil Rays replaced Larry Rothschild (4-10) on April 18
2002 Tampa Bay Devil Rays American League 55-106 5th Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Further Reading[edit]

  • Hal McRae (as told to George Vass): "The Game I'll Never Forget", Baseball Digest, March 1985, pp. 56-58. [1]

Related Sites[edit]