Hal McRae | |||
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Designated hitter / Outfielder / Manager | |||
Born: Avon Park, Florida |
July 10, 1945 |||
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MLB debut | |||
July 11, 1968, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
July 17, 1987, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Batting average | .290 | ||
Hits | 2,091 | ||
Home runs | 191 | ||
Runs batted in | 1,097 | ||
Managerial record | 399–473 | ||
Winning % | .458 | ||
Teams | |||
As player As manager As coach |
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Career highlights and awards | |||
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As player
As manager
As coach
Harold Abraham McRae (/məˈkreɪ/; born July 10, 1945) is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds (1968, 1970–72) and Kansas City Royals (1973–87). Utilized as a designated hitter for most of his career, McRae batted and threw right-handed. He is the father of former major league outfielder Brian McRae.
McRae was selected by the Reds in the 6th round of the 1965 draft with the 117th overall pick. Then in the pre-1969 offseason, playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, McRae suffered a multiple leg fracture sliding on the basepaths. In the words of Bill James in The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, "Before the accident, McRae was a burner, a center fielder who could fly...after the accident, his speed was major league average." He was considered a below-average outfielder with the Reds.
In spring training 1969, McRae came to the Reds' camp with his leg still in a cast from the fracture. The same offseason, St. Louis Cardinals announcer Harry Caray had suffered multiple fractures being struck by a car while on foot. During a Reds-Cardinals preseason game where Caray was interviewing ballplayers on the field while still on crutches, Reds Manager Dave Bristol pointed in Caray's direction and said to McRae, "Look at that. There's an old man. Broke two legs. Broke his shoulder. Broke his everything. And here he is walking around doing his job, doing anything he wants. Here you are, all you did was break your leg sliding into second base, and you can't get your leg out of your goddam cast! You ought to be ashamed of yourself."