Once upon a time, the leadoff spot was not a revolving door for the Cubs and was actually one of the most stable positions in the lineup.

That was thanks to Stan Hack, who spent 16 years with the Cubs and notched more than 1,300 games in the leadoff spot. He hit .301 over his career with a .394 on-base percentage and .791 OPS.

“‘Smiling Stan Hack is simply one of the greatest leadoff hitters in Cubs history,” team historian Ed Hartig said.

The left-handed hitter spent almost all of his time at third base in his career, but did notch 47 appearances at first base.

Hack recorded 7 different seasons in which he scored at least 100 runs and 9 years with double digit stolen bases. Astonishingly, he walked (1092) more than twice as much as he struck out (466) over his career.

He led the league in hits twice (1940-41) and stolen bases twice (1938-39) and plate appearances in 3 separate instances (1938-1939, 1941). His best season came in 1941 when he hit .317 with a .417 OBP, 111 runs scored and 99 walks compared to only 40 strikeouts.

After he retired, Hack became a manager in the Cubs system — first with Class-A Des Moines from 1948-49. He managed the big-league team from 1954-56, going 196-265 in those 3 seasons.

In Cubs history, Hack ranks 6th all time in hits (2,193) and is the career leader in walks.

Learn more about the other members of the Icons of the Ivy.