Billy Hatcher

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=black
bgcolor2=#95322c
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Billy Hatcher

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width=250
position=Outfielder
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1960|10|4
debutdate=September 10
debutyear=by|1984
debutteam=Chicago Cubs
finaldate=May 9
finalyear=by|1995
finalteam=Texas Rangers
stat1label=Batting Average
stat1value=.264
stat2label=Hits
stat2value=1146
stat3label=SB
stat3value=218
teams=
*Chicago Cubs (by|1984-by|1985)
*Houston Astros (by|1986-by|1989)
*Pittsburgh Pirates (by|1989)
*Cincinnati Reds (by|1990-by|1992)
*Boston Red Sox (by|1992-by|1994)
*Philadelphia Phillies (by|1994)
*Texas Rangers (by|1995)
highlights=
*1990 Babe Ruth Award

William Augustus Hatcher (born October 4 1960 in Williams, Arizona) is a former left and center fielder in Major League Baseball player for the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers, and former first base coach for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Hatcher is now the first base coach for the Reds.

Hatcher is best remembered for his dramatic home run in the bottom of the 14th inning of Game 6 of the 1986 National League Championship Series, temporarily saving the Astros from elimination. The Astros, however, went on to lose the game and the series to the New York Mets in the 16th inning.

Hatcher is also remembered for his fantastic hitting performance for the Reds in the 1990 World Series against the Oakland Athletics, setting a World Series record with seven consecutive hits. In addition, Hatcher's .750 batting average (9 for 12) broke a mark for a four-game World Series that was previously set by Babe Ruth (.625 in 1928). Hatcher, though, was not named the Series Most Valuable Player, as that honor went to Reds pitcher José Rijo.

Hatcher's most dubious achievement was his ten-game suspension during the by|1987 season for bat corking. [Baseball Digest, May, 2008 by Marky Billson http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_3_67/ai_n25147858] Hatcher later claimed that he had borrowed the bat from relief pitcher Dave Smith, a claim that was not widely believed.Fact|date=March 2008 However, those who watched Hatcher closely before the event confirm that Hatcher had broke several bats in the days before using the illegal bat and the illegal bat looked very different than the bats he had previously used. Consequently, it is quite conceivable that Hatcher ran out of bats and had to borrow Smith's bat because he had ran out.

External links

*baseball-reference|id=h/hatchbi01