The back: Fourteen years in the majors left no room for a factoid.
The player: Hal McRae was one of the key players of the great Royals teams of the mid-1970s through mid-1980s. McRae was a solid hitter with excellent power, playing in a home park that was more conducive to doubles than home runs. In 2084 games he hit .290 with 484 doubles (leading the AL twice), 191 HR and 1,097 RBI. (He is 80th all-time in doubles.) McRae was very aggressive on the basepaths, known for frequently trying to get an extra base on a hit, and especially for very hard slides (some would say flying tackles) to break up double plays. In 48 postseason games he hit .294, including .400 in four World Series.
The man: McRae managed the Royals from 1991 to 1994 and the Devil Rays from 2001 to 2002. With a 286-277 record with some mediocre teams, you would have thought he would have gotten more opportunities to manage. He is now retired.
My collection: I have 44 of his cards, from 1971 to 1987. I would be interested in trading for 1968 Topps #384 and 1970 Topps #683.
Had one of the most memorable rants/ freak outs of all time while managing the Royals. Worth a youtube search if you haven't seen it.
ReplyDeleteOh man. I had to look it up, but instantly remembered it. Hope he didn't hit anyone with that phone he chucked across the room.
Delete