Former major league infielder Rich Hacker, a New Athens, Il., product who coached for New Athens native Whitey Herzog’s Cardinals teams from 1986-90 and then for two World Series champion Toronto teams when he was there from 1991-93, died late Wednesday night in Fairview Heights, Il. Hacker, 72, suffering from complications from cancer, had been in hospice care.
“The big thing about Rich Hacker was that he was baseball through and through,” said Herzog Thursday. “He was one of the hardest workers I had ever seen.
“No matter what he did—you can’t do more than 100 percent—he was always at 100 percent.