CHICAGO – OCTOBER 27: Chicago Cubs logo signage on Addison Street outside Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team in Chicago, Illinois on October 27, 2016. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
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The Chicago Cubs have produced many players whose impacts on baseball extended well beyond their time on the field. While some became stars in the major leagues, others built lasting careers in coaching, scouting and player development, helping shape organizations for decades after their playing careers ended.
Those baseball lifers often leave behind some of the sport’s most enduring legacies. Their names may not always be among the most recognizable in franchise history, but their influence can be felt throughout the game for generations.
And one such figure from the Cubs’ past died this week.
Former Chicago Cubs Outfielder, MLB Manager Eddie Haas Dies
According to WPSD Local 6, former Cubs outfielder and longtime baseball executive Eddie Haas died Thursday at the age of 91.
“Eddie Haas, a Paducah native whose baseball career spanned more than five decades as a player, manager, coach and scout, died Thursday at the age of 91,” WPSD reported. “Born on May 26, 1935, in Paducah, Kentucky, Haas dedicated nearly his entire life to America’s pastime. A graduate of St. John High School, he signed his first professional baseball contract with the Chicago Cubs.”
Haas slashed .208/.231/.250 with five hits in 24 at-bats during his major-league debut with Cubs in the 1957 season. Shortly afterward, he was traded to the Milwaukee Braves and he stuck with that organization for much longer.
“When his playing days ended, Haas transitioned into coaching and player development,” The Paducah Sun’s Jared Jensen wrote after his death. “From 1965 to 1973 and again from 1978 to 1984, he managed and coached throughout the Braves’ minor league system, helping mold the careers of countless young players.”
Former Chicago Cubs Outfielder Replaced Joe Torre As Atlanta Braves Manager
Haas’ long service to the organization eventually led to one of the highest-profile opportunities in the sport.
“In 1985, Haas achieved one of the highest honors in professional baseball when he was named manager of the Atlanta Braves, succeeding Joe Torre,” Jensen added.
That managerial appointment created a unique connection to Torre, who would later become one of the most celebrated managers in baseball history during his tenure with the New York Yankees. Long before Torre’s championship run in New York, Haas was the man selected to replace him in Atlanta.
Though Haas never achieved the national profile of some of the stars and managers he worked alongside, his five-decade baseball career touched nearly every corner of the sport. From signing with the Cubs to eventually succeeding Torre in Atlanta, Haas devoted much of his life to baseball and left a lasting impact on countless players and organizations along the way.
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