Originally a Braves farmhand, Acker slipped badly after his 7-2, 10-save season with Toronto in 1985, and was traded back to Atlanta in mid-1986. In 1987 Acker led the Braves with 14 saves, but he relinquished the closer’s job to Bruce Sutter the following year and was sent back to Toronto in 1989 as part of a deal that brought future playoff hero Francisco Cabrera to Atlanta as a player to be named later. His brother Bill was an NFL lineman.