Ken Macha
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Edward Macha is a former Major League Baseball
third baseman
and manager
. During an 8-year managing career, he managed the Oakland Athletics
(2003–2006), whom he guided to the American League
's Western Division championship in both his first and final seasons with the team, and the Milwaukee Brewers
(2009–2010).
During a 6-year playing career, Macha played in 1974 and from 1977–1981 for the Pittsburgh Pirates
, Montreal Expos
, and the Toronto Blue Jays
. He is a first cousin to Hal Newhouser
. In the offseason, he lives in Murrysville, Pennsylvania with his family.
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.
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 the A's were swept out of the American League Championship Series
by the Detroit Tigers
.
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. 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 as the Brewers' new manager. Macha's Brewers finished below .500 in both 2009 and 2010. On October 3, 2010, it was confirmed that Macha would not return for the 2011 season.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
and manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
. During an 8-year managing career, he managed the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
(2003–2006), whom he guided to the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
's Western Division championship in both his first and final seasons with the team, and the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(2009–2010).
During a 6-year playing career, Macha played in 1974 and from 1977–1981 for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
, and the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. He is a first cousin to Hal Newhouser
Hal Newhouser
Harold "Prince Hal" Newhouser was an American pitcher for Major League Baseball who played 17 seasons from 1939 to 1955, mostly with the Detroit Tigers of the American League...
. In the offseason, he lives in Murrysville, Pennsylvania with his family.
Playing career
Macha is a graduate of Gateway High SchoolGateway High School (Pennsylvania)
Gateway High School , located at 3000 Gateway Campus Boulevard, serves the residents of Monroeville and Pitcairn, Pennsylvania. Gateway High School provides grades 9 through 12. The school is part of the Gateway School District. The principal is William Short.-Graduation rate:In 2010, the...
in Monroeville
Monroeville, Pennsylvania
Monroeville is a home rule municipality in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located about east of the city of Pittsburgh, Monroeville is a bustling suburb with mixed residential and commercial developments...
, a suburb of Pittsburgh, and played college ball at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. 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
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
games. He spent four years in Japan (Chunichi Dragons
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chubu region of Japan. The team is in the Central League. They won the 2007 Japan Series and 2007 Asia Series.-History:...
), from 1982 until 1985, as well.
Coaching career
He retired as a player in 1985 and joined the Montreal ExposMontreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
as a major league coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
in 1986. He spent six seasons with the Expos before moving to the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
as bullpen, then third base, coach. He joined the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
organization in fall 1994.
The 1997 season marked Macha's first as manager of the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
. In the previous two seasons he managed the Double-A Trenton Thunder
Trenton Thunder
The Trenton Thunder are an American Minor League Baseball team and are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Thunder play in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League, and are the two-time defending league champions...
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
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
affiliates in the Double-A All-Star Game.
Macha then joined the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
as bench coach, serving under former Pirates teammate Art Howe
Art Howe
Arthur Henry Howe Jr. is a former Major League Baseball infielder, coach, scout and manager. He is an alumnus of the University of Wyoming...
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
Grady Little
William Grady Little is a former manager in Major League Baseball. He managed the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2003 and the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 to 2007...
, while Macha spent a final season as a coach until he was tapped to succeed Howe, who became pilot of the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
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
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, 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
Billy Beane
William Lamar "Billy" Beane III is a former Major League Baseball player and the current general manager and minority owner of the Oakland Athletics...
, after the A's were swept out of the American League Championship Series
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
by the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
After he was dismissed from his managerial position in Oakland, the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
offered Macha a position as bench coach to manager Mike Hargrove
Mike Hargrove
Dudley Michael Hargrove is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. He is currently employed as an advisor with the Cleveland Indians....
, 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. However, in April 2007, Macha accepted a part-time position as a pre- and post-game analyst for New England Sports Network
New England Sports Network
The New England Sports Network, or NESN [NESS-en], is a regional cable television network that covers the six New England states except Fairfield County, Connecticut and Southbury, Connecticut, a town in New Haven County, Connecticut which is covered by New York City sports networks...
, which telecasts Boston Red Sox games.
On October 30, 2008, the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
announced Macha as the Brewers' new manager. Macha's Brewers finished below .500 in both 2009 and 2010. On October 3, 2010, it was confirmed that Macha would not return for the 2011 season.
Managerial statistics
| Team | |Regular Season | OAK 2003 Oakland Athletics season The Oakland Athletics' 2003 season involved the A's finishing 1st in the American League West with a record of 96 wins and 66 losses.-Offseason:... |
2003 | 96 | 66 | .593 | 1st in AL West | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost to Boston Red Sox 2003 Boston Red Sox season The Boston Red Sox' 2003 season included the Red Sox attempting to win the American League East division, the ALDS, and the American League.-Offseason:... in the 2003 ALDS 2003 American League Division Series -Oakland Athletics vs. Boston Red Sox:-Game 1, September 30:Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York-Game 2, October 2:Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York-Game 3, October 4:Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota-Game 4, October 5:... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OAK 2004 Oakland Athletics season The Oakland Athletics' 2004 season involved the A's finishing 2nd in the American League West with a record of 91 wins and 71 losses.-Offseason:*October 9, 2003: Marco Scutaro was selected off waivers by the Oakland Athletics from the New York Mets.... |
2004 | 91 | 71 | .562 | 2nd in AL West | – | – | – | — | ||
| OAK 2005 Oakland Athletics season The Oakland Athletics' 2005 season involved the A's finishing 2nd in the American League West with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses.The A's started 17-32, but went on a hot streak to find themselves battling for first place by mid-August... |
2005 | 88 | 74 | .543 | 2nd in AL West | – | – | – | — | ||
| OAK 2006 Oakland Athletics season The Oakland Athletics' 2006 season was the 106th season of the Athletics franchise and its 43rd in Oakland. The A's finished 1st in the American League West with a record of 93 wins and 69 losses... |
2006 | 93 | 69 | .574 | 1st in AL West | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost to Detroit Tigers 2006 Detroit Tigers season The 2006 Detroit Tigers won the American League Pennant. They represented the AL in the World Series before falling to the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 1. The season was their 106th since they entered the AL in 1901.- Regular season :... in the 2006 ALCS 2006 American League Championship Series -Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland was 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position, while Detroit turned four double plays... |
||
| MIL 2009 Milwaukee Brewers season The Milwaukee Brewers' 2009 season was the 40th season for the franchise in Milwaukee and 41st overall. It was Ken Macha's first season as manager of the team... |
2009 | 80 | 82 | .494 | 3rd in NL Central | – | – | – | — | ||
| MIL 2010 Milwaukee Brewers season The Milwaukee Brewers' 2010 season was the 41st season for the franchise in Milwaukee, the 13th in the National League, and 42nd overall.-April:... |
2010 | 77 | 85 | .475 | 3rd in NL Central | – | – | – | — | ||
| Total | 525 | 447 | .541 | 5 | 7 | .412 | — | ||||