Morris M. "Buddy" Hancken was born in Birmingham, Alabama on August 30, 1914. Buddy played 21 years of professional baseball in the minor leagues from 1934 to 1953, 1963. His career included one game as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1940, but his really powerful value to baseball came later as a manager, teacher, and eventually, as an Astros coach and long-term administrative employee of the Houston franchise.

Buddy’s list of ball club playing career stops reads like a traveling trunk: 1934-35: Alexandria of the Class D Evangeline League; 1936: Charleston of the Class C Middle Atlantic League: 1936-37: Beaumont of the Class A1 Texas League; 1938: Toledo of the Class AA American Association and Fort Worth of the Class A1 Texas League; 1939: Seattle of the Class AA Pacific Coast League; 1940: Philadelphia of the American League and Williamsport of the Class A Eastern League; 1941: Buffalo of the Class AA International League; 1942-46: Served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II; 1947: Ballinger of the Class D Longhorn League; 1948: Greenville-Waco of the Class B Big State League; 1949-50: Waco of the Class B Big State League; 1951 Columbia of the Class A South Atlantic League; 1952: Baton Rouge of the Class C Evangeline League; 1953: Lake Charles of the Class B Gulf Coast League; and 1963: Batavia of the Class A New York-Pennsylvania League.

Buddy Hancken gave up trying to be a 2nd baseman in 1938 when he saw that his Beaumont club had far fewer competitors at catcher. He became a good defensive catcher and a great handler of pitchers, but he didn’t hit well enough to move very far up the ladder. Manager Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics bought his contract from Seattle after the 1939 season and used him as a bullpen catcher on the 1940 A’s club. It was at Philadelphia that Buddy Hancken lived out his own Moonlight Graham experience with the big leagues. (Moonlight Graham was the New York Giants right fielder who became the legendary icon of big league cup-o-coffee careers. His entire big league career consisted of one half inning that he played right field for the New York Giants on June 29, 1905. In that half inning, Graham had no chances with the ball. He never batted, of course, and he never played again.)

By mid-May 1940, Buddy still had not made a game appearance, even though he had been on the A’s roster since Opening Day. Then, on May 14, 1940, with the A’s nursing a small lead going into the bottom of the 9th with the Indians in a game at Cleveland, Buddy was surprised when Mr. Mack called him in to catch the last three outs of the game. He did his job and the A’s won, 9-7. Hancken was emboldened enough by the experience of actually playing to speak up to the rather intimidating manager of the A’s after the game. “If you’re not going to play me any more often than that, Mr. Mack,” Buddy told his boss, “I sure wish you’d trade me.”

Did Buddy get his wish? Not exactly. The very next day, Connie Mack assigned Buddy Hancken’s contract to Williamsport of the Class A Eastern League. Buddy never did get another chance at the big time as a player. His half inning of defense in 1940 would have to stand as his total career in the major leagues.

Buddy would make his mark in baseball by his broad teaching opportunities over time. Hancken’s professional baseball career spanned six decades. When his playing days were finished, Buddy moved on to just about every other baseball job that is open to former players who qualify, and not all players are qualified to do all the things that Buddy did so well. In addition to managing various minor league teams, Buddy also worked as a professional baseball scout. He coached five years with the Houston Astros, serving principally under Astros manager Harry Walker. After his coaching career was finished, Buddy Hancken moved into a desk job as the Director of the Season Ticket Office for the Astros. He also headed the Astros Speakers Bureau for 20 years before his retirement to Orange.

Buddy’s secret to success is best contained in his own statement about his long happy career. He enjoyed telling people that he never had a job he didn’t love. Of course, he did. All of his jobs were in baseball, the game he knew and loved so well. Over the years, the old former catcher was a major teaching and character influence upon more famous ballplayers than we could ever hope to mention here. He was a master storyteller, a naturally upbeat and funny guy, and a friend and close associate of numerous good people in the entertainment world, including the late Joe E. Brown, Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby – and the very much alive Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, and James Garner. In fact, Hancken was best known as “Uncle Buddy” in the Russell-Hawn household during his lifetime. – In spite of all that celebrity contact, Buddy Hancken remained down to earth and a friend to all who shared his love for the game of baseball – and everything else that is positive, good, and wholesome about life.

For all of his teaching and service contributions to the game of baseball, Buddy Hancken of Orange, Texas was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994. Sadly, our friend Buddy Hancken passed away from us in Orange at the age of 92 on February 15, 2007.

* Charter Member, Unofficial Moonlight Graham MLB Players Association

* 30 Years as a Minor League Manager, Scout, & Coach

* Coach, Houston Astros, 1968-72

* Life Service, Baseball's Unofficial Ambassador to Hollywood.

* At Death, was 21st oldest living former major leaguer.