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Ken Macha

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Template:Infobox MLB retired Kenneth Edward Macha (born September 29, 1950 in Monroeville, Pennsylvania) is the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers and a former major league baseball player. He managed the Oakland Athletics from 2003 to 2006. He guided them to the American League's Western Division championship in his first season and followed that with second-place finishes in both 2004 and 2005. Macha's A's once again captured the AL Western Division championship in 2006. Macha was fired after the 2006 season. Macha was an infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays for six seasons (1974, 1977-81). Macha is a first cousin to Hal Newhouser.[1] In the offseason, he lives in Murrysville, Pennsylvania with his family.

Playing career

Macha is a graduate of Gateway High School in Monroeville, a suburb of Pittsburgh, and played college ball at the University of Pittsburgh. He was selected by Pittsburgh in the sixth round of the 1972 June draft. He was the Eastern League batting champion in 1974 with the Thetford Mines Pirates. He hit a combined .258 in 180 Major League Baseball games. He spent four years in Japan (Chunichi Dragons), from 1982 until 1985, as well.

Coaching career

He retired as a player in 1985 and joined the Montreal Expos as a major league coach in 1986. He spent six seasons with the Expos before moving to the California Angels as bullpen, then third base, coach. He joined the Boston Red Sox organization in fall 1994.

The 1997 season marked Macha's first as manager of the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox. In the previous two seasons he managed the Double-A Trenton Thunder to first-place finishes, including a league-best 86–56 record and another division crown in 1996. He was chosen as 1996 Eastern League Manager of the Year. He was also picked to manage the American League affiliates in the Double-A All-Star Game.

Macha then joined the Oakland Athletics as bench coach, serving under former Pirates teammate Art Howe from 1999 through 2002. In March 2002, the A's denied permission for the Red Sox to contact Macha about their managerial vacancy. Boston then hired Grady Little, while Macha spent a final season as a coach until he was tapped to succeed Howe, who became pilot of the New York Mets after the season ended.

In one of the most unusual contract moves ever, Macha's pact expired on October 8, 2005 and negotiations broke down between the two sides trying to reach a deal; eventually it broke apart and Macha was out of a job. Six days later—apparently after talking with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but either not being offered the managerial position there or deciding not to take it—Macha reached a deal with the Athletics and became manager once again. He was later fired on October 16, 2006 by general manager Billy Beane.

After he was dismissed from his managerial position in Oakland, the Seattle Mariners offered Macha a position as bench coach to manager Mike Hargrove, but Macha refused, citing his desire to take a year off. He was then offered a position as a senior adviser to Mariners GM Bill Bavasi.[2] However, in April 2007, Macha accepted a part-time position as a pre- and post-game analyst for New England Sports Network, which telecasts Boston Red Sox games.

On October 30, 2008, the Milwaukee Brewers announced Macha will be the Brewers' new manager. He signed a 2-year contract and will manage the team through at least the 2010 season.[3]

Managerial statistics

Team Year Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
OAK 2003 96 66 .593 1st in AL West 2 3 .400 Lost to Boston Red Sox
OAK 2004 91 71 .562 2nd in AL West — — — —
OAK 2005 88 74 .543 2nd in AL West — — — —
OAK 2006 93 69 .574 1st in AL West 3 4 .429 Lost to Detroit Tigers
MIL 2009 0 0 — - in NL Central — — — —
Total 368 280 .568 5 7 .412 —

See also

References

  1. ^ Nine to be inducted into CWRU athletic hall of fame
  2. ^ cMercury News Wire Services (2006-11-30). "A's hire ex-Royals bench coach". The Mercury News. Retrieved 26 May 2008.
  3. ^ Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (2008-10-30). "Brewers name Macha as new manager". The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
Preceded by Pawtucket Red Sox Manager
1997–1998 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Oakland Athletics Bench Coach
1998-2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Oakland Athletics Manager
2003-2006 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Milwaukee Brewers Manager
2009-present 		Succeeded by
incumbent

Template:MLBManager

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