Tom Acker

Thomas James Acker (March 7, 1930 – January 4, 2021) was an American professional baseball player. He was a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds in four seasons of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1956 to 1959. He batted and threw right-handed and served primarily as a relief pitcher.

Acker was signed as an amateur free agent by the New York Giants in 1948 and played for two of their minor league affiliates until 1950, when the Buffalo Bisons drafted him in that year's minor league draft. After spending one season with the organization, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in October 1951, the same month he drafted into the US Army. As a result, he missed the 1952 and 1953 seasons. Upon his return from the army, he pitched in the minors until 1956, when the Redlegs promoted him to the major leagues. He played his last game on September 20, 1959, and subsequently worked at the Meadowlands Racetrack from its opening in 1976 until 1992.

Early life Acker was born in Paterson, New Jersey, on March 7, 1930. His father, Tom Sr., worked as a police officer in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Acker grew up in that city and attended Fair Lawn High School. There, he pitched for the school team that won its league and state championships from 1946 to 1948. In his senior year, he compiled a 9–0 win–loss record and 102 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched. During his first year with the team, he finished with a 3–6 win–loss record and a 5.06 earned run average (ERA) in 80 innings pitched. His performance improved in his second season, with a 14–7 record, a 3.18 ERA, and 213 strikeouts over 201 innings, Consequently, Acker did not play professional baseball from 1952 to 1953. Upon his return from military service, he was placed with the Class-AA Tulsa Oilers. There, he finished with a 7–8 record, a 5.08 ERA, and 102 strikeouts over 15 starts. He rebounded in 1955 with the Nashville Volunteers, where he improved his win–loss record (11–8) and ERA (3.26), and made 10 additional starts compared to the previous season. Overall, he finished his first season in the major leagues with a 4–3 record and a 2.37 ERA in innings pitched. He started 7 of the 29 games in which he pitched,

Acker's 1957 season was one of his best individual years. He compiled a 10–5 record, a 4.97 ERA, and 67 strikeouts in innings pitched, making six starts and saving four games that season.

In the 1958 season, Acker recorded career-high numbers in strikeouts (90), games started (10), complete games (3), home runs per nine innings (0.7), and innings pitched . He ended the season with a 4–3 record and a 4.55 ERA. Acker played his final major league game on September 20, 1959, at the age of 29. He finished his final season with a 4.12 ERA and 45 strikeouts in innings pitched. He was subsequently traded to the Kansas City Athletics for Frank House on November 21 that same year. He retired from the position in 1992, and relocated to Virginia before finally settling in Pennsylvania. He was inducted into the Fair Lawn Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.

Personal life Acker married his first wife, Trudy, during his stint in the military. Together, they had two daughters: Nancy and Janice. He also had three stepsons from his subsequent marriage to Barbara. They remained married until his death. Acker died at the age of 90 on January 4, 2021, at his home in Narvon, Pennsylvania.