Hal Breeden
Encyclopedia
Harold Noel "Hal" Breeden (born June 28, 1944 in Albany, Georgia
) is a former Major League Baseball
first baseman
. Hal was a rarity in that he was a right-handed hitter who threw left-handed. He is also the brother of catcher Danny Breeden
.
Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as a free-agent in , Breeden was a very solid minor league hitter. For example, he hit .330 in 116 games with the Waycross Braves
in 1963. In 75 games with the Yakima Bears
in , Breeden hit .406. He played with two teams in - the West Palm Beach Braves
and Kinston Eagles - and between the two of them he hit .310 in 139 games. Breeden also attained a power stroke in the minors, hitting 37 home runs in 136 games for the Richmond Braves
in .
He was developing himself into quite the prospect - or at least the Chicago Cubs
thought so - because on November 30, 1970, he was traded straight up for future Hall of Fame pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm
.
Not long after being traded to the Cubs, Breeden found himself in a big league uniform. He made his Major League debut on April 7, against Steve Carlton
and the St. Louis Cardinals
. Pinch hitting for Earl Stephenson
in the bottom of the seventh inning, Hal grounded out in his only at-bat of the game. Overall, his first season in the Majors was fairly unsuccessful - in 23 games, he collected five hits in 36 at-bats for a .139 batting average. Interestingly, Hal played alongside his brother for a few games in 1971, as they were teammates for a while.
On April 7, , Breeden was traded with Héctor Torres
to the Montreal Expos
for Dan McGinn
.
With the Expos, Breeden was never a starter. His best season was , when in 105 games he collected 71 hits in 258 at-bats for a .275 batting average. He also belted 15 home runs, 10 doubles and six triples for a .535 slugging percentage. Of all the players who appeared in 100 or more games for the Expos that year, Breeden had the highest slugging percentage. Breeden was also the last player to fly out to Willie Mays
, when on July 29, 1973 Breeden flew out to center, which was being patrolled by Mays. Also in 1973, Breeden tied Joe Cronin
for the record for most pinch-hit home runs in a double header, at two.
Breeden played his final big league game on September 11, . Afterwards, he played three seasons in Japan with the Hanshin Tigers
. Overall in his career, he played in 273 games, collecting 148 hits in 608 at-bats for a .243 batting average. He scored 61 runs, drove 76 runs in, hit 28 doubles, six triples and 21 home runs. He did not steal a single base in his career, although he tried twice. He walked 69 times and he had 107 strikeouts.
Albany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
. Hal was a rarity in that he was a right-handed hitter who threw left-handed. He is also the brother of catcher Danny Breeden
Danny Breeden
Danny Richard Breeden is a former right-handed Major League Baseball catcher who played in 1969 and 1971 for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs....
.
Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as a free-agent in , Breeden was a very solid minor league hitter. For example, he hit .330 in 116 games with the Waycross Braves
Waycross Braves
The Waycross Braves were a minor league baseball team located in Waycross, Georgia, United States. An affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves, they played in the Georgia-Florida League from 1956 to 1958 and in 1963.-Year-by-year record:...
in 1963. In 75 games with the Yakima Bears
Yakima Bears
The Yakima Bears are a minor league baseball team in Yakima, Washington. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Arizona Diamondbacks since 2001, formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers from the team's creation in 1990 when the Salem...
in , Breeden hit .406. He played with two teams in - the West Palm Beach Braves
West Palm Beach Braves
The West Palm Beach Braves, located in West Palm Beach, Florida, United States, was a baseball team that was affiliated with the Milwaukee Braves in 1965 and the Atlanta Braves from 1966 to 1968. The Braves played in the Florida State League and their ballpark was Mack Field.-Year-by-year record:...
and Kinston Eagles - and between the two of them he hit .310 in 139 games. Breeden also attained a power stroke in the minors, hitting 37 home runs in 136 games for the Richmond Braves
Richmond Braves
The Richmond Braves were the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and played in the International League. Colloquially referred to as the R-Braves, they were based in Richmond, Virginia, where they played from 1966, when the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta where their AAA team, the Crackers,...
in .
He was developing himself into quite the prospect - or at least the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
thought so - because on November 30, 1970, he was traded straight up for future Hall of Fame pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm
Hoyt Wilhelm
James Hoyt Wilhelm was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985....
.
Not long after being traded to the Cubs, Breeden found himself in a big league uniform. He made his Major League debut on April 7, against Steve Carlton
Steve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
and the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. Pinch hitting for Earl Stephenson
Earl Stephenson
Chester Earl Stephenson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. The left-hander was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 3rd round of the 1967 amateur draft and played for the Cubs , Milwaukee Brewers , and Baltimore Orioles .Stephenson made his major league debut in relief on April 7, 1971...
in the bottom of the seventh inning, Hal grounded out in his only at-bat of the game. Overall, his first season in the Majors was fairly unsuccessful - in 23 games, he collected five hits in 36 at-bats for a .139 batting average. Interestingly, Hal played alongside his brother for a few games in 1971, as they were teammates for a while.
On April 7, , Breeden was traded with Héctor Torres
Héctor Torres
Héctor Epitacio Torres Marroquin is a former Major League Baseball shortstop. He played all or part of nine seasons in the majors, between and , for the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays...
to the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
for Dan McGinn
Dan McGinn
Daniel Michael McGinn is a retired American professional baseball player, a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1st round of the 1966 amateur draft , and later drafted by the Montreal Expos from the Reds as the 27th pick in the 1968...
.
With the Expos, Breeden was never a starter. His best season was , when in 105 games he collected 71 hits in 258 at-bats for a .275 batting average. He also belted 15 home runs, 10 doubles and six triples for a .535 slugging percentage. Of all the players who appeared in 100 or more games for the Expos that year, Breeden had the highest slugging percentage. Breeden was also the last player to fly out to Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
, when on July 29, 1973 Breeden flew out to center, which was being patrolled by Mays. Also in 1973, Breeden tied Joe Cronin
Joe Cronin
Joseph Edward Cronin was a Major League Baseball shortstop and manager.During a 20-year playing career, he played from 1926–45 for three different teams, primarily for the Boston Red Sox. Cronin was a major league manager from 1933–47...
for the record for most pinch-hit home runs in a double header, at two.
Breeden played his final big league game on September 11, . Afterwards, he played three seasons in Japan with the Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
. Overall in his career, he played in 273 games, collecting 148 hits in 608 at-bats for a .243 batting average. He scored 61 runs, drove 76 runs in, hit 28 doubles, six triples and 21 home runs. He did not steal a single base in his career, although he tried twice. He walked 69 times and he had 107 strikeouts.