Rich Hacker

Richard Warren Hacker

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 160 lb.
• School Southern Illinois University
• High School New Athens Township High School
• Debut July 2, 1971
• Final Game September 26, 1971
• Born October 6, 1947 in Belleville, IL USA
• Died April 22, 2020 in Fairview Heights, IL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

The nephew of Warren Hacker, Rich Hacker played briefly as a shortstop for the Montreal Expos in 1971, but had a much longer career as a coach. The first four seasons of his professional career were spent in the New York Mets organization after being drafted in the secondary round of the 1967 amateur draft. He was a typical "good field, no hit" infielder, except for posting an accidental .326 average in just 13 games for the AA Memphis Blues in 1970. Before the 1971 season, he was traded to the Expos with Ron Swoboda in return for Don Hahn and spent most of the season with the AAA Winnipeg Whips, hitting .235 in 98 games. He was first called up as an injury replacement in early July, when starting SS Bobby Wine was finishing a stint on the disabled list, then returned to AAA four days later when Wine was re-activated. He returned when rosters expanded in September, but overall was just 4 for 33 in 16 games for Montreal. He then spent 1972 and 1973 in AAA with the Peninsula Whips, hitting .223 and .222 respectively in over 100 games both years.

Hacker began 1979 as scouting supervisor for the San Diego Padres. When Glenn Ezell had open-heart surgery in May, Hacker went to be the 1st base coach for player-manager Rusty Gerhardt with the AA Amarillo Gold Sox. When Tim Flannery was injured in August, Hacker was pressed into playing for the first time since 1973.

He was a St. Louis Cardinals coach from 1986 to 1990 and a member of the Toronto Blue Jays staff from 1991 to 1994. He had previously been a minor league manager in the Jays organization from 1981 to 1985.

He passed away from complications from cancer at 73 while in hospice care in 2020.

Year-By-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs
1981	GCL Blue Jays	Gulf Coast League	26-39	9th	Toronto Blue Jays
1982	Johnson City Cardinals	Appalachian League	32-35	4th	St. Louis Cardinals
1983	Johnson City Cardinals	Appalachian League	29-43	6th	St. Louis Cardinals
1984	Erie Cardinals	New York-Penn League	43-31	4th	St. Louis Cardinals
1985	Johnson City Cardinals	Appalachian League	39-29	2nd	St. Louis Cardinals

Related Sites

• Rich Hacker at the SABR Bio Project