Stan Hack: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

Line 1:

'''Stanley Camfield Hack''' ([[December 6]] [[1909]] - [[December 15]] [[1979]]), nicknamed "Smiling Stan," was an [[United States|American]] [[third baseman]] and [[manager (baseball)|manager]] in [[Major League Baseball]] who played his entire career for the [[Chicago Cubs]] fromand was the [[1932National League]]'s top third baseman in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Usually a [[batting order (baseball)|1932leadoff]] throughhitter, he [[1947batting average|batted]] .301 lifetime, scored 100 [[run (baseball)|runs]] seven times and led the NL in [[hit (baseball)|1947hits]] and [[stolen base]]s twice each. HackHis batted1092 left-handed[[base on balls|walks]] ranked fourth in NL history when he retired, and threwremain righta franchise record; he also hit .348 over four [[World Series]]. His .394 career [[on base percentage]] was the highest by a 20th-handedcentury third baseman until [[Wade Boggs]] exceeded it in the late 1980s, and was the top NL mark until 2001. AHack nativeled the NL in [[putout]]s five times, in [[double play]]s three times and in [[assist (baseball)|assists]] and [[fielding percentage]] twice each. At the end of his career he ranked second in major league history to [[SacramentoPie Traynor]] in games (1836) at third base, Californiasecond in NL history to Traynor in putouts (1944), assists (3494) and [[total chances]] (5684), heand wasthird nicknamedin "Smilin'NL Stan"history forin hisdouble good-naturedplays demeanor(255).

Hack, who batted left-handed and threw right-handed, was born in [[Sacramento, California]]. He broke in with the Cubs in [[1932 in baseball|1932]], and backed up [[Woody English]] in his first two years before becoming the full-time third baseman in 1934. In the [[1932 World Series]] against the [[New York Yankees]], his sole appearance was as a pinch runner for [[Gabby Hartnett]] in the eighth inning of the final 13-6 Game 4 loss. In his first full year in 1934, he batted a respectable .289 and tied for fifth in the league with 11 steals. In [[1935 in baseball|1935]] he began to assume Traynor's mantle as the league's top third baseman, batting .311 and finishing third in the NL in on base percentage and tied for fourth in steals. Batting an unusually low seventh in the [[1935 World Series]] against the [[Detroit Tigers]], he hit only .227 as the Cubs lost in six games. In Game 3 he singled, stole second base and scored to give Chicago a 2-0 lead in the second inning, and singled and scored again in the ninth as the Cubs tied the game 5-5, though they lost 6-5 in 11 innings. In Game 6 at [[Tiger Stadium|Navin Field]] he [[double (baseball)|doubled]] with two out in the sixth inning, and [[triple (baseball)|tripled]] to lead off the ninth with the scored tied 3-3; but the Cubs were unable to drive him in. Manager [[Charlie Grimm]] opted to let starting pitcher [[Larry French]] bat with one out, and French hit a ground ball to the pitcher, with [[Augie Galan]] flying to left to end the inning; the Tigers won the Series in the bottom of the inning when [[Mickey Cochrane]] scored on [[Goose Goslin]]'s single.

In a 16-season career, Hack posted a .301 [[batting average|average]] with 57 [[home run]]s and 642 [[run batted in|RBI]] in 1938 [[games played|games]], as he made the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|National League All-Star]] team five times.

In 1936 Hack batted .298, and tied for second in the NL with 17 steals – the first of five straight years in which he finished first or second. He also scored 100 runs for the first time, and had a career-high 78 [[run batted in|runs batted in]]. He led the league in putouts (151), assists (247) and double plays (25) in [[1937 in baseball|1937]], and was second in runs (106) and steals (16) and third in walks (83) while hitting .297. [[1938 in baseball|1938]] marked his best season to date as he hit .320 (sixth in the league), led the NL in steals (16), was second in hits (195) and runs (109), fourth in walks (94) and fifth in on base percentage (.411). He had 67 RBI as the team featured a remarkably well-balanced offense, with seven of the eight regulars having between 56 and 67 RBI. He was among the league's top ten players in doubles, triples (a career-best 11)and total bases, led the NL in putouts (178) and double plays (26), and made his first of five [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] teams as the Cubs won the pennant by two games; Hack finished seventh in the [[MLB Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] voting. In the [[1938 World Series|World Series]] against the Yankees, he was one of the Cubs' scarce heroes, batting .471 although they were swept in four games. In Game 1 he had three singles and drove in the only Chicago run in a 3-1 loss. He singled and scored in the first inning of Game 2, and did so again to tie the score 2-2 in the third inning though they went on to lose 6-3. He doubled and scored in the fifth inning of Game 3 for a 1-0 lead, but they lost 5-2; he had two more hits in the 8-3 Game 4 loss.

In [[1939 in baseball|1939]] he batted .298 and tied for the NL lead in steals with 17, also finishing second in runs (112) and pacing the league in putouts (177). He had another outstanding campaign in [[1940 in baseball|1940]], topping the league in putouts (175), assists (302) and double plays (27), finishing fourth with a .317 batting average, and tying for the NL lead in hits (191). He was one behind the league leader with 21 steals.

In a 16-season career, Hack had 1239 runs, 363 doubles, 57 [[home run]]s, 642 RBI and 165 stolen bases in 1938 [[games played|games]].

Hack died at age 70 in [[Dixon, Illinois]].

==Trivia==

*''The Chicago Cubs'', by Warren Brown, published after the Cubs' appearance in the [[1945 World Series]], tells this story: It's Game 6 of the [[1935 World Series|1935 Series]], at Detroit, top of the ninth, the game tied, the Cubs trailing in the Series 3 games to 2. Hack leads off with a triple. Tying run on third, no outs. And the Cubs ''cannot bring him home''. In the last of the inning, the Tigers win the game and the Series. Jump ahead 10 years. The Cubs and Tigers square off again. The first game is at Detroit. Hack is seen in the dugout, gazing out towards third base. The writer asks him what he's doing. Stan says, "I was just looking to see if I was ''still standing there!''"

==External link==

Line 12 ⟶ 18:

{{start box}}

{{succession box | title=[[Chicago Cubs/Managers and ownership|Chicago Cubs Manager]] | before=[[Phil Cavarretta]] | years=1954-1956 | after= [[Bob Scheffing]]

}}

{{succession box | title=[[St. Louis Cardinals/Managers and ownership|St. Louis Cardinals Manager]] | before=[[Fred Hutchinson]] | years=1958 | after= [[Solly Hemus]]

}}

{{end box}}

[[Category:Major league third basemen|Hack, Stan]]▼

[[Category:MajorChicago leagueCubs players from California|Hack, Stan]]▼

[[Category:1938 National League All-Stars|Hack, Stan]]

[[Category:1939 National League All-Stars|Hack, Stan]]

Line 23 ⟶ 31:

[[Category:1943 National League All-Stars|Hack, Stan]]

[[Category:1945 All-Star Game (unofficial)|Hack, Stan]]

[[Category:ChicagoMajor Cubsleague players from California|Hack, Stan]]

[[Category:Chicago Cubs managers|Hack, Stan]]

[[Category:St. Louis Cardinals managers|Hack, Stan]]

▲[[Category:Major league third basemen|Hack, Stan]]

[[Category:Sacramentans|Hack, Stan]]

▲[[Category:Major league players from California|Hack, Stan]]

[[Category:1909 births|Hack, Stan]]

[[Category:1979 deaths|Hack, Stan]]

{{baseballbio-stub}}