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Eric Lynn Hacker (born March 26, 1983) is an American professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
who is a free agent. Hacker stands and weighs . He throws right-handed but is a
switch hitter In baseball, a switch hitter is a player who bats both right-handed and left-handed, usually right-handed against left-handed pitchers and left-handed against right-handed pitchers. Characteristics Right-handed batters generally hit better aga ...
. He has also played in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
,
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
, and
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
. He throws a
fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...
, a
slider Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * ''The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * Sliders (TV series), ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy t ...
, a
curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
, and a
changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...
. Hacker was drafted out of
Duncanville High School Duncanville High School is a secondary school located in Duncanville, Texas, United States, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The school is a part of Duncanville Independent School District. The school includes grades 9 through 12. The high school ...
by the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
in 2002. He pitched in their minor league system from 2002 to 2009 (missing 2004 and 2006 with injuries) before getting traded to the Pirates. He made his major league debut with Pittsburgh on September 22, 2009, and pitched in three games for them that season. He signed with the Giants in the offseason and spent the entire 2010 season in the minor leagues. In 2011, he signed with the Twins and appeared in two games with them. He signed with San Francisco in 2012 and made his first career start in the majors, recording a loss. He also pitched three games in relief for the Giants that year.


High school and personal life

Hacker was born in
Duncanville, Texas Duncanville is a city in southwest Dallas County, Texas, in the United States. Duncanville's population was 40,706 at the 2020 census. The city is part of the Best Southwest area, which includes Duncanville, Cedar Hill, DeSoto, and Lancaster ...
; growing up, he attended
Duncanville High School Duncanville High School is a secondary school located in Duncanville, Texas, United States, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The school is a part of Duncanville Independent School District. The school includes grades 9 through 12. The high school ...
. He was named the starting
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
on the school's football team his senior year, but he broke his foot in the second game of the season. Although some colleges were interested in him as a football player, he decided to concentrate on baseball as a result of the injury. As a senior, he was a third-team Class 5A All-State pitcher. Currently, Hacker lives in
Southlake, Texas Southlake is a city located predominantly in Tarrant County with minor areas extending into Denton County in the U.S. state of Texas. Southlake is a suburb of Dallas/Fort Worth. As of th2019 census estimateit had a population of 32,376. Histo ...
, with his wife, Christine, whom he married in November 2008. He is a
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
fan. Two of his hobbies are
fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
and
pool Pool may refer to: Water pool * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a rocky pool ...
.


Professional career


New York Yankees organization

Drafted by the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
in the 23rd round of the
2002 Major League Baseball draft The 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 4 and 5. It is featured in Michael Lewis' 2003 book '' Moneyball''. First round selections Supplemental first round compensation selections * ...
, Hacker began his career with the
GCL Yankees The Florida Complex League Yankees are a Rookie-level affiliate of the New York Yankees, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball ...
of the rookie-level
Gulf Coast League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the lo ...
. He appeared in three games with them in 2002. In 2003, he appeared in seven games (five starts) with them, posting a 3–2 record, a 2.86
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA), 26
strikeouts In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
, and seven walks in
innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...
. He also pitched with the
Staten Island Yankees The Staten Island Yankees were a minor league baseball team located in the New York City borough of Staten Island from 1999 to 2020. Nicknamed the "Baby Bombers", the Yankees were the Class A Short Season affiliate of the New York Yankees and pla ...
of the Class A short-season
New York–Penn League The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...
, where he had no record and an ERA of 1.00 in two starts. He underwent
Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
in 2004 and missed the entire season. During his time with the GCL Yankees, he was roommates with
Brandon Weeden Brandon Kyle Weeden (born October 14, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. After pursuing a baseball career from 2002 to 2006, Weeden enrolled at Oklahoma State to pla ...
. The two still correspond. In 2005, Hacker pitched for the
Charleston RiverDogs The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League. They are located in Charleston, South Carolina, and are the Single-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The RiverDogs' home stadium is Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park. Hi ...
of the Class A
South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
and was named to the league's All-Star game. On July 2, he threw eight shutout innings in a 1–0 victory over the
Rome Braves The Rome Braves are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They are located in Rome, Georgia, and play their home games at AdventHealth Stadium. From 2003 to 2020, the team served ...
. However, he was placed on the
disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...
the next day and missed the rest of the season with right shoulder inflammation. In 10 starts, Hacker had a 5–2 record, a 1.60 ERA, 40 strikeouts, 14 walks, and one
complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
in 62 innings pitched. Hacker missed the entire 2006 season after undergoing right shoulder surgery. Hacker began 2007 with Charleston, where he had a 9–2 record, a 2.56 ERA, 54 strikeouts, 18 walks, and 95 innings pitched in 17 starts. He also appeared in nine games (seven starts) for the
Tampa Yankees Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
of the Class A advanced
Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
(FSL), posting a 3–3 record, a 6.10 ERA, 22 strikeouts, and 14 walks in innings. He finished the season by appearing in one game (which he won) with the
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pennsylvania, in the ...
of the
Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL ...
International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...
(IL). Hacker began 2008 with Tampa. He was named the FSL Pitcher of the Week from April 8 to 14 after throwing 14 scoreless innings. After recording a 2–2 record, a 1.87 ERA, 31 strikeouts, nine walks, and 53 innings pitched in nine starts, he was promoted to the
Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the Doub ...
of the
Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...
Eastern League on May 28. In 17 starts with the Thunder, he had a 7–4 record, a 2.76 ERA, 84 strikeouts, and 28 walks in innings pitched. His minor league totals were a 9–6 record, a 2.43 ERA, 79 strikeouts, 33 walks, and innings pitched in 26 starts. In the playoffs, he had a 2–0 record and a 1.54 ERA in two starts as the Thunder won the Eastern League championship. In 2009, Hacker attended
spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
with New York for the first time but was sent to the minors on March 8 after two games. He began the season with Trenton, where he recorded a 1–1 record, a 4.11 ERA, eight strikeouts, seven walks, and innings pitched in three starts. After three starts, he was promoted to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he had an 0–1 record, a 7.88 ERA, 12 strikeouts, four walks, and 16 innings pitched in three starts. On May 9, he was
designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...
to make room on the
40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...
for
Brett Tomko Brett Daniel Tomko (born April 7, 1973) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Los Ange ...
.


Pittsburgh Pirates

On May 16, Hacker was traded to the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
for
Rómulo Sánchez Rómulo Ignacio Sánchez Oviedo (born April 28, 1984) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees, in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the ...
. The Pirates assigned him to the
Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which open ...
of the International League. He was named the IL Pitcher of the Week for August 3–9 after winning both of his starts and striking out 14 hitters during the week. He recorded a 5–5 record, a 4.02 ERA, 82 strikeouts, 46 walks, and innings pitched in 21 starts and was called up to the majors for the first time on September 8 following the IL season. Hacker said upon being called up: Hacker made his major league debut on September 22, allowing two runs in an inning in a 10–4 loss to the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
. He pitched a scoreless inning in a 6–0 loss to the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
in his next game on September 29. In his final game of the year on October 4, he pitched a scoreless inning in a 6–0 loss to Cincinnati. Hacker had no record, a 6.00 ERA, one strikeout, two walks, and three innings pitched in his three games with the Pirates. He was outrighted (sent to the minors and removed from the 40-man roster) on November 6, and he became a minor league
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
on November 9.


San Francisco Giants (first stint)

On December 18, 2009, Hacker signed with the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
. He pitched in four games for the Giants in spring training but was sent to the minors after posting a 14.29 ERA. With the
Fresno Grizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in do ...
of the AAA
Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
(PCL), he won eight consecutive decisions from July 4 to August 20. In 29 starts, Hacker posted a 16–8 record, a 4.51 ERA, 129 strikeouts, and 62 walks in innings pitched. He tied for the PCL lead in starts with
Lance Lynn Michael Lance Lynn (born May 12, 1987) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers. ...
while finishing sixth in innings pitched, sixth in ERA, and fourth in strikeouts (behind Lynn (141),
Brandon Dickson Brandon Lee Dickson (born November 3, 1984) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Orix Buffal ...
(137), and
Michael Kirkman Michael Scott Kirkman (born September 18, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers. Early life Prio ...
(130)). His 16 wins led the PCL, the highest total since 1995 when
Donne Wall Donnell Lee Wall (born July 11, 1967) is a former professional baseball player who pitched in Major League Baseball for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, and Anaheim Angels, primarily in relief from 1995 to 2002. Wall was born ...
won 17. On November 6, he became a free agent.


Minnesota Twins

On November 9, 2010, Hacker signed with the
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
. He attended spring training but was sent to the minors after posting a 13.50 ERA in five games. He was called up to Minnesota on April 19 to replace
Alex Burnett Alex James Burnett (born July 26, 1987) is an American former professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He is tall and weighs . He was drafted in the 12th round of the 2005 Major League Baseball draft by the Minnesota Twins. Minor l ...
(who was optioned) in the
bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...
; Twins manager
Ron Gardenhire Ronald Clyde Gardenhire (born October 24, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played as a shortstop for the New York Mets from 1981 through 1985. After another year playing in the minor leagues, he se ...
said, "We need a long guy n the bullpen" He made his Twins' debut that day, throwing two scoreless innings in an 11–0 loss to the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
. In his next game on April 27, he gave up one
unearned run In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an err ...
in innings but allowed three
inherited runner This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, along with their definitions, including illustrative examples for many entries. ...
s to score in an 8–2 loss to the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...
. After the game, Hacker was optioned back to Triple-A Rochester to make room on the roster for
Anthony Swarzak Anthony Ray Swarzak (born September 10, 1985) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, Chica ...
. On July 17, he was outrighted off the 40-man roster to make room for
Scott Diamond Scott Michael Diamond (born July 30, 1986) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays. Amateur career Diamond played college baseball at Binghamton Un ...
. With the
Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Field ...
of the International League, Hacker had a 7–14 record, a 6.10 ERA, 98 strikeouts, 50 walks, and innings pitched in 26 games (25 starts). He tied with Diamond for the league lead in losses, ranked sixth in the league in walks, led the league in runs allowed (103), and ranked third in the league in earned runs allowed (92, behind
Thad Weber Thad George Weber (born September 28, 1984) is a former American professional baseball pitcher and current major league scout. He had appeared in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays as well ...
's 95 and
Corey Kluber Corey Scott Kluber (born April 10, 1986) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. He made his M ...
's 93). On October 4, he became a free agent.


San Francisco Giants (second stint)

In 2012, Hacker re-signed with the Giants. He was called up to make his first career start for the Giants on April 27 due to an earlier doubleheader. He allowed three runs and got the loss (his first career decision) but recorded seven strikeouts in six innings as the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
defeated the Giants 5–3. After the game, he was returned to Fresno to make room for
Steve Edlefsen Steven Bradley Edlefsen (born June 27, 1985) is a former professional baseball relief pitcher who played for the San Francisco Giants in Major League Baseball between 2011 and 2012. Prior to playing professionally, Edlefsen attended Jefferson Hi ...
on the roster. Hacker was selected to the PCL All-Star Game in 2012. On August 17, he was called up to be used as a long reliever soon after
Brad Penny Bradley Wayne Penny (born May 24, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Penny played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida / Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardi ...
was placed on the disabled list. The next day, he gave up a run in innings (a home run by
Carlos Quentin Carlos José Quentin (born August 28, 1982) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres. In 2008 and 2011, Quentin was selec ...
) in an 8–7 victory over San Diego. He gave up a run in one inning (a home run by
Will Venable William Dion Venable (born October 29, 1982) is an American professional baseball coach and former player. He is the associate manager of the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB as an outfielder for the San Diego Padr ...
) in a 7–1 loss to San Diego on August 19. He allowed a run in one inning in a 7–3 loss to the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
in his next outing on August 25. After the game, Hacker was optioned to Fresno to make room for
Eli Whiteside Dustin Eli Whiteside (born October 22, 1979) is an American former professional baseball catcher who is currently a roving catching instructor for the San Francisco Giants. He stands tall, weighs . He batted and threw right-handed. He played in ...
when the Giants decided to have three catchers on their roster. With the Giants, he had an 0–1 record, a 5.59 ERA, eight strikeouts, two walks, and innings pitched in four games (one start). In 26 games (25 starts) with Fresno, Hacker had a 12–6 record, a 4.01 ERA, 103 strikeouts, and 43 walks in innings pitched. He tied with
Tom Koehler Thomas R. Koehler (born June 29, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Koehler played college baseball at Stony Brook University for the Stony Brook Seawolves and was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 18th round of the 200 ...
,
Ryan Verdugo Ryan L. Verdugo (born April 10, 1987) is a Mexican-American professional baseball player for El Águila de Veracruz of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals and the Chinese Professional Baseba ...
, and
Brad Peacock Bradley Joseph Peacock (born February 2, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, and Boston Red Sox. Listed at and , he th ...
for fourth in the PCL in wins (behind John Ely's and Sean O'Sullivan's 14 and
Barry Enright Barry Ryan Enright (born March 30, 1986) is an American golfer and a former professional baseball pitcher and coach. Enright attended St. Mary's High School in Stockton, California and Pepperdine University. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB ...
's 13) and finished fourth in ERA (behind Ely's 3.20,
Yusmeiro Petit Yusmeiro Alberto Petit (; born November 22, 1984) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants, Washi ...
's 3.46, and
Brad Hand Bradley Richard Hand (born March 20, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, Washington Nationals, Toronto B ...
's 4.00). He was designated for assignment on September 4 to make room for
Emmanuel Burriss Emmanuel Allen Burriss (born January 17, 1985) is an American former professional baseball utility player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals, and Philadelphia Phillies. He is a switch-h ...
on the Giants' roster, and he became a free agent four days later.


NC Dinos

On January 15, 2013, Hacker signed with the
NC Dinos The NC Dinos ( ko, NC 다이노스) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Changwon. They are a member of the KBO League. Since 2019, their home stadium is Changwon NC Park. NC Dinos are owned by video game developer NCSoft Corpo ...
in their inaugural season in the
KBO League The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...
. Hacker was part of a starting rotation alongside fellow former MLB pitchers Charlie Shirek and
Adam Wilk Adam Robert Wilk (born December 9, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles of Anaheim, New York Mets, and Minnesota Twins as well as in th ...
. On April 4, Hacker started against the
Lotte Giants The Lotte Giants ( ko, 롯데 자이언츠) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Busan. They are a member of the KBO League. The Lotte Giants are owned by Lotte Corporation, which also owns the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Pro ...
. He pitched 7 innings while allowing 3 earned runs, but no run support and poor defense caused him to take the loss. During the rest of April, Hacker had a lot of trouble in dealing with runners on base, because his pitching motion was vulnerable to stolen bases. So, by the end of April, Hacker was forced to make changes his pitching delivery. On March 10, he faced the
Doosan Bears The Doosan Bears ( ko, 두산 베어스) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Seoul. Founded in 1982, they are a member of the KBO League. The Bears have won six Korean Series titles (1982, 1995, 2001, 2015, 2016, and 2019) and ...
, and his delivery was changed. Twelve days later, he got his first win in KBO. In late 2013, Hacker re-signed for the 2014 season with NC Dinos. He later re-signed twice with the Dinos. Hacker's best season in the KBO was 2015, when he led the league with 19 wins to go along with a 3.13 ERA and 164 strikeouts. For his efforts we was given the 2015 pitcher's Golden Glove Award. Hacker pitched for the Dinos in the
2016 Korean Series The 2016 Korean Series was the championship series of the 2016 KBO League season. The Doosan Bears, as the regular season champions, automatically advanced to the Korean Series. They played against the winner of the playoff series, the NC Dinos, ...
, starting and losing Game Two. On December 27, 2016, Hacker signed a one-year, $1 million contract to remain with the Dinos. He started and won the deciding fifth game of the 2017 Semi-playoffs against the
Lotte Giants The Lotte Giants ( ko, 롯데 자이언츠) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Busan. They are a member of the KBO League. The Lotte Giants are owned by Lotte Corporation, which also owns the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Pro ...
, as the Dinos won 9-0.


Nexen Heroes

On June 20, 2018, Hacker signed a $300,000 contract with the
Nexen Heroes The Kiwoom Heroes () are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Seoul. They are a member of the KBO League. The Heroes play their home games at Gocheok Sky Dome in Gocheok-dong, a neighborhood located in the southwestern part of Se ...
of the
KBO League The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...
. Hacker spent six seasons in the KBO League, going 61–37 (.622 winning percentage) with a 3.66 ERA and 675 strikeouts.


Pitching style

Hacker throws four pitches: a
fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...
, a
slider Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * ''The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * Sliders (TV series), ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy t ...
, a
curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
, and a
changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...
. Early in his minor league career, he only threw the fastball and the slider; former Indians' pitching coach
Ray Searage Raymond Mark Searage (born May 1, 1955) is an American professional baseball relief pitcher and coach. Searage played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets (1981), Milwaukee Brewers (1984–1986), Chicago White Sox (1986–1987), ...
believes the other two pitches have helped him keep hitters "off balance." After his first start (against the Padres in 2012), Padres' manager
Bud Black Harry Ralston "Bud" Black (born June 30, 1957) is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Colorado Rockies. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher from 1981 through 1995, most notably ...
said, "He has a deliberate motion out of the windup."


References


External links


Career statistics and player information
from the KBO League {{DEFAULTSORT:Hacker, Eric 1983 births Living people Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Texas People from Duncanville, Texas Gulf Coast Yankees players Staten Island Yankees players Charleston RiverDogs players Tampa Yankees players Trenton Thunder players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees players Indianapolis Indians players Fresno Grizzlies players Rochester Red Wings players Pittsburgh Pirates players Minnesota Twins players San Francisco Giants players NC Dinos players KBO League pitchers American expatriate baseball players in South Korea Duncanville High School alumni