Longtime Texas Rangers employee Joe Macko passes away at the age of 86

Arlington, Texas - Joe Macko, who touched thousands of lives during his more than 40 years as a Texas Rangers employee, passed away early this morning at the age of 86 at the Stayton Assisted Living Center in Fort Worth.

The Texas Rangers issued the following statement on Mr. Macko's passing:

"The Rangers organization is deeply saddened by today's passing of Joe Macko. Joe was a loyal and dedicated member of this franchise for more than four decades as the team's business manager, home and visiting clubhouse manager, and goodwill ambassador. Joe made hundreds of players feel at home in the home and visiting clubhouses at old Arlington Stadium and the current Globe Life Park in Arlington.

"In his later years, Joe made numerous public appearances on behalf of the team, and he was the ultimate goodwill ambassador. He spent more than 40 years promoting the Texas Rangers, and we will always be indebted for his exemplary service to the organization.

"The Rangers extend their deepest sympathies to Joe's son Mike, his daughters Karen and Linda and all of his family and friends at this sad time."      

A native of Port Clinton, Ohio, Mr. Macko slugged 306 home runs in nearly 2,000 minor league games in the Indians and Cubs organizations between 1948 and 1964 and again briefly in 1970. He homered at least 20 times in seven different seasons with a high of 37 in 1956, when he spent most of the season with Dallas in the Texas League.

He served as a player-manager in the Cubs organization during his final four pro seasons, coached with Chicago's major league club in 1964, and later served as the General Manager of the Texas League's Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs in 1970-71. When the Washington Senators moved the Arlington, Texas after the 1971 season, Mr. Macko joined the Texas Rangers as the team's business manager. He became the team's home clubhouse manager the following year and moved to the visiting clubhouse from 1995-2000. Following his retirement from that role, Mr. Macko assumed the role of the team's Goodwill Ambassador, making hundreds of personal appearances over the next 12 years.

In August 2014, the Rangers dedicated a plaque honoring Mr. Macko in a ceremony attended by numerous friends and former players on the team's Alumni Weekend. The plaque is located on the service level of Globe Life Park in Arlington between the home and visiting clubhouses, which he supervised for nearly 30 years. The plaque reads:

 JOE MACKO

IN HONOR OF A LIFETIME OF

DEDICATED AND EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE TO THE TEXAS RANGERS ORGANIZATION

THANK YOU

Dedicated August 22, 2014

Mr. Macko is survived by his son Mike and daughter-in-law Brooke Macko; daughter Karen and son-in-law Josh Wells; daughter Linda and son-in-law Chris Eadler, and two grandchildren. Mr. Macko's wife Dorothy passed away in 2007. His son, Steve, an All-American at Baylor University and a Chicago Cubs infielder in 1979-80, passed away from cancer at age 27 in 1981. In his memory, Mr. Macko founded the Steve Macko Scholarship Fund which has established endowment baseball scholarships at Bishop Dunne High School, Baylor University, The University of Texas at Arlington, and Texas Wesleyan University as well as assisting a number of other charitable endeavors in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Information on the services for Mr. Macko will be announced.