He guided them to the American League's Western Division championship in his first season, and followed that with second-place finishes in both 2004 and 2005. Macha was an infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays for six seasons (1974, 1977-81).

Ken Macha is a graduate of Gateway High School in Monroeville. He was selected by Pittsburgh in the sixth round of the 1972 June draft. He was the Eastern League batting champion in 1974 with Thetford. He hit a combined .258 in 180 Major league baseball games and spent four years in Japan as well. He retired as a player in 1985 and joined the Expos as a major league coach in 1986. He spent six seasons with the Expos before moving to the California Angels as a bullpen coach. He joined the Boston Red Sox organization in the fall of 1994.

The 1997 season marked Macha's first as manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox. In the previous two seasons he managed the Double-A Trenton Thunder to first place finishes, including a league-best 86-56 record and another division crown in 1996. He was chosen as 1996 Eastern League Manager of the Year. He was also picked to manage the American League affiliates in the Double A All-star game.

In one of the most unusual contract moves ever, Macha's pact expired October 8, 2005 and negotiations broke down between the two sides trying to reach a deal; eventually it broke apart and Macha was out of a job. Six days later – apparently after talking with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays but either not being offered the managerial position there or deciding not to take it – Macha reached a deal with the Athletics and became manager once again.

In the offseason, Macha lives in Murrysville, Pennsylvania.