Warren Hacker
Marine Corps Service
Warren Louis Hacker earned the title of United States Marine during World War II. His obituary records three years of service in the Corps, and the available baseball biographical record places him in the South Pacific.
Public documentation of Hacker’s military service is sparse. The sources located for this profile do not provide a service number, rank, unit, enlistment and discharge dates, or a detailed account of his assignments. Contemporary coverage of his baseball career likewise mentions his Marine service only briefly. Until additional records or firsthand documentation become available, his three years in the Corps and his South Pacific duty constitute the defensible outline of his service.
Baseball Career
Born in Marissa, Illinois, on November 21, 1924, Hacker began his professional career with the Pampa Oilers in 1946. The right-hander won 20 games during his first season. That summer he married Olinda Schenke in a ceremony at home plate in Pampa’s ballpark, where players from the Pampa and Borger clubs formed an arch of raised bats.
The Chicago Cubs acquired Hacker in 1948, and he made his Major League debut on September 24. His finest season came in 1952, when he finished 15–9 with a 2.58 earned-run average, 12 complete games, and five shutouts. His 0.946 WHIP and 7.0 hits allowed per nine innings led the National League, and he received votes in the league’s Most Valuable Player balloting.
On May 21, 1955, Hacker carried a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Braves into the ninth inning. Pinch hitter George Crowe ended the bid with a one-out home run, but Hacker completed the one-hitter and won 2–1.
Hacker pitched for the Cubs, Cincinnati Redlegs, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago White Sox. His final Major League appearance came on September 29, 1961. Across 12 seasons, he appeared in 306 games and compiled 62 victories, 17 saves, a 4.21 ERA, and 557 strikeouts.
Gallery
Later Life and Legacy
After his playing career, Hacker remained in professional baseball as a minor-league pitching coach. He worked in the Oakland Athletics organization from 1967 through 1971 and later coached in the San Diego Padres system.
Hacker died at his home in Lenzburg, Illinois, on May 22, 2002. He was 77 and was buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery in New Athens, Illinois.