Cacek collected one hit over 20 at-bats, with a run batted in, during his brief taste on a Major League field, but don’t let that fool you.
Looking at his Minor League career really leaves me wondering why he never got a legitimate shot since he had some solid years between 1972 and 1982.
Playing the bulk of his pro career with the New York Mets, Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates, Cacek showed some “pop” in his bat while consistently driving in runs and having a batting average around .300.
You’d think someone along the way would have at the very LEAST called him up to see what he could contribute.
Five times he topped a .300 average, with a high of 324 in 1976, with as many as 102 runs batted in, which he did during the 1980 season while in the Pittsburgh organization.
Instead, he was left with those seven games in the Summer of 1977, with that .050 average down in history.
He finally retired for good at only 27 years of age after a season in the California Angels’ system in 1982, again putting up decent numbers.
