ERIC HACKER

3/26/83; '02 23rd (New York Yankees; Duncanville, TX (HS)
B/R; 6-1, 210

Level
W-L-Sv
G
GS
IP
H
HR
BB
K
BB/9
K/9
WHIP
OAVG
ERA
2002 R (NYY)
0-0-0
3
0
3.2
2
0
1
2
2.5
4.9
0.82
.167
0.00
2003 A- (NYY)
0-0-0
2
2
9.0
10
0
1
5
1.0
5.0
1.22
.263
1.00
2003 R (NYY)
3-2-0
7
5
28.1
25
1
7
26
2.2
8.3
1.13
.234
2.86
2004 INJURED
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2005 A (NYY)
5-2-0
10
10
62.0
49
0
14
40
2.0
5.8
1.02
.219
1.60
2006 INJURED
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2007 AAA (NYY)
1-0-0
1
0
2.2
5
0
1
3
3.4
10.2
2.26
.417
6.77
2007 A+ (NYY)
3-3-0
9
7
38.1
52
3
14
22
3.3
5.2
1.72
.329
6.10
2007 A (NYY)
9-2-0
17
17
95.0
89
5
18
54
1.7
5.1
1.13
.254
2.56
2008 AA (NYY)
7-4-0
17
17
91.1
83
3
28
84
2.8
8.3
1.22
.249
2.76
2008 A+ (NYY)
2-2-0
9
9
53.0
38
1
9
31
1.5
5.3
0.89
.205
1.87
2009 NL
0-0-0
3
0
3.0
4
0
2
1
6.0
3.0
2.00
.333
6.00
2009 AAA
5-5-0
21
21
116.1
135
6
46
82
3.6
6.3
1.56
.299
4.02
2009 AAA (NYY)
0-1-0
3
3
16.0
19
3
4
12
2.3
6.8
1.44
.311
7.88
2009 AA (NYY)
1-1-0
3
3
15.1
16
0
7
8
4.1
4.7
1.50
.281
4.11

The Pirates acquired Hacker for Romulo Sanchez after the Yankees had designated him for assignment. He's missed two full seasons due to surgery: 2004 due to Tommy John and 2006 due to labrum. He came back well enough to get on the Yankees' 40-man roster. Hacker threw in the mid-90s at one point, but since the surgery is more of a finesse pitcher. According to the Pirates he throws four pitches, including a low-90s fastball. Except in AA in 2008, he's had low K rates, but he hasn't generally allowed a lot of hits. He's neither a groundball nor flyball pitcher.

Hacker spent most of the season in the Indianapolis rotation, where he did nothing noteworthy. He got hit relatively hard and didn't fan very many hitters. He was OK against RH hitters but LH hitters lit into him for a .374 BA. Since 2005 LH hitters have hit .301 against him. Hacker made his major league debut for the Pirates in September, but the team didn't seem terribly curious to see him pitch. It's hard to see him as more than AAA depth, which is a role that's best filled by players not on the 40-man roster. The Pirates evidently felt that way, as they removed Hacker from the roster after the season.  He became a minior league free agent in November.

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