Baseball great Hank Bauer dies at 84

NEW YORK, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Former Baltimore Orioles Manager Hank Bauer died Friday at age 84 after a long bout with cancer.

As a player, Bauer was a member of the New York Yankees in 12 of his 14 big league seasons, and reached the World Series nine times. The outfielder played on seven Series winners, including five straight world champion teams from 1949-1953.

Bauer played for the Yankees from 1948-1959. The Yankees traded him to the Kansas City Athletics in the deal that brought Roger Maris to the New York in 1960.

Bauer was a career .277 hitter, and had a 17-game World Series hitting streak.

After his playing days, he managed the Kansas City Athletics and the Orioles, guiding Baltimore to its first World Series title in 1966.

In eight seasons as a big-league manager, Bauer compiled a record of 594-534, including 407-318 in five seasons at Baltimore.

"Hank Bauer is an emblem of a generation that helped shape the landscape of our country," Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement on MLB.com.