Hal McRae

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

McRae was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 6th round of the 1965 draft with the 117th overall pick. 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, '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. 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.' McRae later mentioned to Caray that it was 'one of the best motivational speeches he'd ever heard. He learned that he had to want to recover before he'd really be able to.' McRae was traded along with Wayne Simpson to the Royals for Roger Nelson and Richie Scheinblum on December 1, 1972. McRae developed as a consistent designated hitter in the American League. His playing career spanned 23 years, including 14 seasons with Kansas City. He was selected to the All-Star Game three times, had a batting average over .300 for six seasons with the Royals, and received the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award three times. McRae led the AL batting title race entering the final game of the 1976 regular season which was a 5–3 loss to the Minnesota Twins at Royals Stadium on October 3. He lost out to teammate George Brett .3333 to .3326, with the race decided in the ninth inning when he grounded out to the shortstop immediately after Brett hit an inside-the-park home run to left field. He confronted Twins manager Gene Mauch on the field, with both being restrained by players and umpires. McRae accused Mauch of racism for allegedly ordering left fielder Steve Brye to let Brett's fly ball drop in front of him. H

In Their Own Story

The 1976 season ended in controversy at Royals Stadium on October 3 during the final game against the Minnesota Twins. Entering the ninth inning, McRae led the batting title race but grounded out to the shortstop immediately after teammate George Brett hit an inside-the-park home run to left field. The result was a loss that cost McRae the crown by a razor-thin margin: .3326 to Brett's .3333. Enraged, McRae confronted Twins manager Gene Mauch on the field, accusing him of racism for allegedly ordering left fielder Steve Brye to let Brett's fly ball drop. Both were restrained by players and umpires, though a post-season league investigation declared his claim unsubstantiated. Interestingly, two other top-four finishers that season, Rod Carew and Lyman Bostock, played in that same game. Later, McRae redeemed his reputation with clutch performances. In Game Four of the 1980 World Series, he twice turned seemingly routine singles to center field into two-base hits. He finished fourth in AL MVP voting in 1982 after leading the majors with 46 doubles and 133 RBIs.

Reader's Guide

Following his playing retirement, McRae managed the Royals (1991–94) and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2001–02). He also served as hitting coach for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals. McRae, who won a World Series ring playing for Kansas City against the Cardinals in 1985, won a ring as a coach for the Cardinals when they defeated the Detroit Tigers in the 2006 World Series, four games to one. McRae is perhaps well known for a profanity-laced tirade he went on as Royals' manager early in the 1993 season while being interviewed by reporters after a Royals loss. The tantrum included throwing numerous objects around his office, including a cup of Coke and his office phone, and one reporter left McRae's office with a bloodied face. The tirade was captured on video and widely disseminated at the time. A video of the meltdown was later uploaded to YouTube and has 1.5 million views as of July 2024. McRae managed the Royals for one more season before he was fired after the 1994 season.

Did You Know?

• McRae led the AL in on-base percentage once, in 1976, with a .407 mark.
• The rule requiring a runner to slide into second base when breaking up a double play is informally called the Hal McRae Rule, though it is not an official MLB rule.
• McRae's claim that Twins manager Gene Mauch ordered left fielder Steve Brye to let George Brett's fly ball drop was declared unsubstantiated by a league investigation.