Hatton batted left-handed and threw right-handed, standing 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) and weighing 170 lb (77 kg). He came to the Majors in 1946 without any minor league seasoning after serving in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.[1] Hatton made his MLB debut against the Chicago Cubs on April 16, going three for five with two runs batted in in a 4–3 loss.[2] Hatton would bat .254 with 91 home runs and 1,068 hits over his 12-year big league career in 1,312 games played.
Hatton appeared in 116 games in 1946, the first of his six consecutive seasons as Cincinnati's regular third baseman. In 1952, Hatton moved to second base and was selected to the National LeagueAll-Star team, although he did not play in the July 8 game at Shibe Park (and hit only .212 for the season).
From 1958–60, Hatton was the player-manager of the Double-ASan Antonio Missions (and briefly served as a playing coach for the 1960 Cubs). He started the 1961 campaign as manager of the Triple-AHouston Buffs,[3] but he resigned early in the season to become the director of player personnel for the expansionHouston Colt .45s of the National League, set to begin play in 1962. He moved back into uniform as manager of Houston's Triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers farm in the Pacific Coast League from 1963–65 and was named minor league manager of the year for 1965 by The Sporting News.
Hatton succeeded Luman Harris as the (renamed) Astros' manager for 1966, while also carrying the additional title of club vice president and sharing general manager duties with Spec Richardson and Tal Smith. It was expected that Hatton would be able to harness the young talent he had developed at Triple-A. But the three-headed general manager experiment ended after 1966, with Richardson assuming sole GM duties, and Hatton's Astros compiled a record of only 164–221 (.426) in 2+1⁄2 years. He was replaced as skipper by Harry Walker midway through the 1968 campaign, on June 17. At the time, Houston was 23–38 and tenth and last in the National League.
Post-managerial and coaching career
Hatton remained with the Astros as a scout from 1968–72, and as a Major League coach in 1973–74. He was still active in baseball in the late 1980s as a scout for the San Francisco Giants.
Hatton died from natural causes on April 11, 2013. He was 90.[4]
