Hal McRae
Harold Abraham McRae
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 180 lb.
- School Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
- High School E.O. Douglas High School
- Debut July 11, 1968
- Final Game July 17, 1987
- Born July 10, 1945 in Avon Park, FL USA
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]
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated:
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.