Joseph John Macko is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 former long-time minor league baseball first baseman who hit over 300 home runs at that level. He also managed in the minors for three seasons.

Macko played from 1948 to 1964 and again in 1970, hitting .272 with 306 home runs in 1,987 games. He eclipsed the 20-home run mark seven times and the 25-home run mark five times, hitting a career high of 37 in 1956, while splitting the season between the San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres (PCL)

The San Diego Padres were a minor league baseball team which played in the Pacific Coast League from 1936 through 1968. The team that would eventually become the Padres was well traveled prior to moving to San Diego. It began its existence in 1903 as the Sacramento Solons, a charter member of the PCL...

 and Dallas Eagles. He also pitched for parts of four seasons, compiling a record of 11-7 with a 3.70 ERA in 37 games (15 starts). For the 1948 Batavia Clippers, he was one of the primary starters.

In 1961, he managed the St. Cloud Rox

St. Cloud Rox

The St. Cloud Rox were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1946 to 1971. Located in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the team played in the Northern League and was affiliated with the New York Giants from 1946 to 1957, the San Francisco Giants from 1958 to 1959, the Chicago Cubs from 1960 to 1964...

, leading the team to the league finals, which they lost. He managed the Wenatchee Chiefs

Wenatchee Chiefs

The Wenatchee Chiefs were a minor league baseball team based in Wenatchee, Washington. The team was founded in 1937, and was a part of the Western International League from its founding until 1954, although the team did not operate in 1941 and the entire league was suspended during World War II,...

 in 1962 and again in 1964, leading them to a league championship victory in his first year with the team. In 1963, he skippered the Amarillo Gold Sox

Amarillo Gold Sox

The Amarillo Gold Sox was the name of a minor league baseball franchise that represented the city of Amarillo, Texas, in the Class D West Texas-New Mexico League, the Class A Western League and the Class AA Texas League at various times between 1939 and 1982....

. He managed multiple notable players, including Hall of Famer Lou Brock

Lou Brock

Louis Clark "Lou" Brock is an American former professional baseball player. He began his Major League Baseball career with the Chicago Cubs but, spent the majority of his career as the left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock was best known for breaking Ty Cobb's all-time major league...

 and major league All-Star Roger Maris

Roger Maris

Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...

.

Following his playing and managerial career, Macko was the general manager

General manager

General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...

 of the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs

Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs

The Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs were an American minor league baseball team in the Texas League from 1965 to 1971. The team played in Turnpike Stadium in Arlington, Texas....

 in 1970 and 1971 before becoming the clubhouse manager for the Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers (baseball)

The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...

. He was also a member of the Chicago Cubs' College of Coaches

College of Coaches

The College of Coaches was an unorthodox strategy employed by the Chicago Cubs in 1961 and 1962. After the Cubs finished 60-94 in 1960, their 14th straight second-division finish, Cubs owner P.K. Wrigley announced in December 1960 that the Cubs would no longer have a manager, but would be led by...

 in 1964.

His son, the late Steve Macko

Steve Macko

Steven Joseph Macko was a professional baseball player. In the Major Leagues, he played infield positions in 25 games for the Chicago Cubs during the 1979 and 1980 seasons...

, played for the Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...

in 1979 and 1980.