Jimmie Hall
Encyclopedia
Jimmie Randolph Hall is a former Major League Baseball
outfielder
and left-handed batter who played for the Minnesota Twins
(1963–66), California Angels
(1967–68), Cleveland Indians
(1968–69), New York Yankees
(1969), Chicago Cubs
(1969–70) and Atlanta Braves
(1970).
where he made an immediate impression-hitting .385 with 15 home run
s, 6 triples
, and 11 doubles
in only 58 games. However he would fail to build on, or even equal, this level of production at the plate and would languish for the next six full seasons in the minors before seeing the major leagues. Promoted to the Kinston Eagles in the B-level Carolina League
in 1957 on the strength of his debut season, Hall would regress in his sophomore season and only hit .233 with 6 homeruns in 133 games. Forced to repeat the same level in 1958, Hall regained some of his power stroke, belting 17 homeruns and 14 doubles to go along with a .267 batting average in 75 games for the Fox Cities Foxes in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
before being promoted to Single-A Charlotte Hornets
in the South Atlantic League
for the final 9 games of their season.
In 1959, Hall was promoted to the AA Southern Association
and spent the entire seasons with the Chattanooga Lookouts
. However, he continued to be unimpressive at the plate, hitting .245 with 11 homeruns and 57 RBI in 133 games. Hall also was given an extended tryout at shortstop (with the Senators typically only having all-field, no-hit options on the major league roster), but he would struggle in the field at this new position and commit 24 errors
in only 78 games. Although Hall would be promoted to the AAA Charleston Senators
in 1960, he'd hit only .227 with 9 homeruns and 30 RBI in 110 games in which he see double digit starts at second, third, shortstop, and the outfield. 1961 and 1962 would be lost seasons for Hall in which he would play in only 54 total games spread over three AAA teams, the Syracuse Chiefs, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vancouver Mounties
, hitting a combined .232. The only bright spot would be that the Senators gave up with trying to convert Hall in a utility infielder and he saw all his playing time in the outfield. Maybe coincidentally, Hall would hit .313 with 3 home runs and 18 RBI in 24 games with Vancouver in 1962.
Harmon Killebrew
in left field, all-star
and former Rookie of the Year Bobby Allison
in right, and veteran Lenny Green
in center. Hall would get off to an inauspicious start, hitting only .185 through the first 48 games, but a mid-June injury to Green would give Hall the chance to showcase himself for an extended period of time and he never looked back. Starting on June 8, Hall would be the starting centerfielder and he'd sparkle, hitting .276 with 31 of his 33 homeruns, 72 of his 80 RBI, and 72 of his 88 runs over the Twins final 116 games. Hall's home run total would set a career high, rank fourth in the AL in 1963, and still stands as the AL record for homeruns by a first-year player (with not even a game of prior major league experience), topping Ted Williams
' 31 homers in 1939. At the end of the season, he would finish third in the Rookie of the Year voting behind a pair of Chicago White Sox
, third baseman Pete Ward
and starting pitcher Gary Peters. Hall's breakout rookie season was more than enough for him to supplant Green as the Twins' center fielder going forward and Green would be traded early in the 1964 season to the Los Angeles Angels as part of a three-team trade with the Baltimore Orioles
with the Twins receiving utilityman Frank Kostro
and infielder (and future Twins manager) Jerry Kindall
in return.
Handed the center fielder job to start the 1964 season, Hall had a decent sophomore season but did not quite reproduce his 1963 production. Although he would raise his batting average to .282, but his power would fall off somewhat with a 24% drop in homeruns (from 33 to 25) and a 40% drop in triples (5 to 3). The Twins would also see a drop off, going from 91 win, third place finish in 1963 to 79 wins and sixth in the 10-team AL. However, Hall would be named to his first All-Star
in 1964, along with teammates Killebrew, Allison, Tony Oliva
, and Camilo Pascual
, and would be a 9th inning defensive replacement for the AL starter in centerfield, Mickey Mantle
. On May 2, 1964, Minnesota became the third club in the MLB history to hit four consecutive home runs in the same inning, as Oliva, Allison, Hall, and Killebrew all connected in the top of the 11th inning in a 3-3 tie game. With 3 homeruns off Kansas City Athletics reliever Dan Pfister
and Killebrew's off his replacement, Vern Handrahan
, the Twins would pull out a 7-3 victory. On May 27 versus the Los Angels Angels, he led off the fifth inning and was hit on the cheek by a pitch from fire-balling southpaw Bo Belinsky
. Hall immediately exited the game, but returned to the starting lineup about a week later and then played well for the remainder of the season while wearing a special protective flap on his batting helmet. However, this beaning and his already feeble showing against left-handed pitchers contributed to his being timid and ineffective versus southpaws, hitting .187 with only 4 of his 121 career homeruns, and could help explain why he was finished as a productive player by his sixth season.
Hall's 1965 would basically be a carbon copy of the previous season and would see him hit career highs in average (.285), RBI (86), doubles (25), and stolen bases (14), but would also see another drop in homeruns to 20. Showcasing both his power and speed, Hall not only hit 20 homeruns in 1965 but also beat out 20 infield singles. He would be named to his last all-star team in the July 13 game that was played at Minnesota's Metropolitan Stadium
, along with five fellow Twins (first basemanHarmon Killebrew
, catcher Earl Battey
, pitcher Mudcat Grant
, and shortstop Zoilo Versalles
and Tony Oliva
), and went hitless with a walk and a run in two plate appearances after pinch hitting for pitcher Pete Riechert in the bottom of the fifth inning and moving over to centerfield in place of starter Vic Davalillo
to start the sixth. Due to his struggles against lefties in 1965 (a .240 batting average), in a World Series against the NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers
with five of the seven games started by 1965 Cy Young Award
winner Sandy Koufax
or fellow lefty Claude Osteen
, Hall would only play in two games (both started by right hander Don Drysdale
) and would strike out five times with one hit and one walk in 7 plate appearances. Instead, little used fourth outfielder Joe Nossek
, who'd been to bat only 170 times and only hit .228 against lefties himself in 1965, but who unlike Hall was righthanded, received the bulk of the playing time in the outfield and the Twins would go down in defeat to the Dodgers four games to three.
1966 would see a big drop in Hall's playing time (from 148 games to 120) as the Twins would more often sit him against tough lefties. Rookie right hander Ted Uhlaender
would be given significant playing time in center as Hall would play all three outfield positions, with most of his time being in left in place of ailing slugger Allison. With reduced playing time, Hall saw an across-the-board drop in all statistical categories, hitting only .239 with 20 homeruns, 47 RBI, and 7 doubles (falling off a cliff from 1965's 25 doubles), but would still slug at least 20 homeruns for the fourth season in a row. Deciding to employ the light-hitting Uhlaender full-time in center, the Twins traded Hall on December 2 to the Angels along with reliever Pete Cimino
and first baseman Don Mincher
for starter Dean Chance
and a player to be named (which would become infielder Jackie Hernandez on April 10, 1967).
Employed similarly in 1967, Hall would share time in a lefty/righty platoon with Bubba Morton
, getting only 41 at-bats against left handers in 129 games (hitting a pathetic .098 with one extra base hit), and would put up similar numbers to 1966 (.249, 16 HRs and 55 RBI) and reaching double figures in homeruns for the fifth consecutive season. However, he would be finished as a full-time player. Starting the season hitting only .214 in the first 46 games, the Angels would trade the struggling Hall on June 15, 1968 to the Cleveland Indians
for fellow center fielder Davalillo. The change of scenary would not help Hall as he would hit only .198 in 53 games.
In eight seasons, Hall batted .254 with 121 home runs, 391 RBI, 387 runs, 100 doubles, 24 triples, and 38 stolen bases in 963 games.
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...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
and left-handed batter who played for the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
(1963–66), California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
(1967–68), Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(1968–69), New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
(1969), 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...
(1969–70) and Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(1970).
Minor league career
After attending Belmont High School and playing baseball, Hall was signed as an amateur free agent by the Washington Senators on June 21, 1956 following his high school graduation. After signing, Hall was assigned to the Superior, NE Senators in the D-level Nebraska State LeagueNebraska State League
The Nebraska State League was an American professional baseball league with five incarnations. At least, the name was adopted five times: in 1892, from 1910 to 1915, from 1922 to 1923, from 1928 to 1938 and from 1956 to 1959....
where he made an immediate impression-hitting .385 with 15 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 6 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and 11 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
in only 58 games. However he would fail to build on, or even equal, this level of production at the plate and would languish for the next six full seasons in the minors before seeing the major leagues. Promoted to the Kinston Eagles in the B-level Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
in 1957 on the strength of his debut season, Hall would regress in his sophomore season and only hit .233 with 6 homeruns in 133 games. Forced to repeat the same level in 1958, Hall regained some of his power stroke, belting 17 homeruns and 14 doubles to go along with a .267 batting average in 75 games for the Fox Cities Foxes in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
The Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League was a minor league baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 years, mostly in those three states. It was popularly known as the Three-I League and also sometimes jokingly as the Three-Eye League....
before being promoted to Single-A Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets (baseball)
The Charlotte Hornets was the name of an American minor league baseball franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club was originally founded in 1901, and lasted in some form until 1973, capturing 11 league titles during its history...
in the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
for the final 9 games of their season.
In 1959, Hall was promoted to the AA Southern Association
Southern Association
The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...
and spent the entire seasons with the Chattanooga Lookouts
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
. However, he continued to be unimpressive at the plate, hitting .245 with 11 homeruns and 57 RBI in 133 games. Hall also was given an extended tryout at shortstop (with the Senators typically only having all-field, no-hit options on the major league roster), but he would struggle in the field at this new position and commit 24 errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
in only 78 games. Although Hall would be promoted to the AAA Charleston Senators
Charleston Senators
The Charleston Senators were an American minor league baseball team based in Charleston, West Virginia. They were the first professional baseball team to play in Charleston, beginning play in 1910. The team was inactive during a few periods, playing their last game in 1960....
in 1960, he'd hit only .227 with 9 homeruns and 30 RBI in 110 games in which he see double digit starts at second, third, shortstop, and the outfield. 1961 and 1962 would be lost seasons for Hall in which he would play in only 54 total games spread over three AAA teams, the Syracuse Chiefs, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vancouver Mounties
Vancouver Mounties
The Vancouver Mounties were a high-level minor league baseball club based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Mounties played in the Pacific Coast League from 1956 through 1962 as the relocated Oakland Oaks franchise, and from 1965 through 1969 when the Dallas Rangers moved back to Canada.The...
, hitting a combined .232. The only bright spot would be that the Senators gave up with trying to convert Hall in a utility infielder and he saw all his playing time in the outfield. Maybe coincidentally, Hall would hit .313 with 3 home runs and 18 RBI in 24 games with Vancouver in 1962.
Major leagues
After not spending a day in the major leagues, Hall went north with the Twins as a reserve outfielder behind future Hall of FamerNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Clayton Killebrew , nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball , he played for the Washington Senators, a team which later became the Minnesota Twins, and...
in left field, all-star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
and former Rookie of the Year Bobby Allison
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
in right, and veteran Lenny Green
Lenny Green
Leonard Charles Green is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Baltimore Orioles , Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins , Los Angeles Angels , Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers . He batted and threw left-handed...
in center. Hall would get off to an inauspicious start, hitting only .185 through the first 48 games, but a mid-June injury to Green would give Hall the chance to showcase himself for an extended period of time and he never looked back. Starting on June 8, Hall would be the starting centerfielder and he'd sparkle, hitting .276 with 31 of his 33 homeruns, 72 of his 80 RBI, and 72 of his 88 runs over the Twins final 116 games. Hall's home run total would set a career high, rank fourth in the AL in 1963, and still stands as the AL record for homeruns by a first-year player (with not even a game of prior major league experience), topping Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
' 31 homers in 1939. At the end of the season, he would finish third in the Rookie of the Year voting behind a pair of Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, third baseman Pete Ward
Pete Ward
Peter Thomas Ward is a retired professional baseball player who played 9 seasons for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, and New York Yankees of Major League Baseball...
and starting pitcher Gary Peters. Hall's breakout rookie season was more than enough for him to supplant Green as the Twins' center fielder going forward and Green would be traded early in the 1964 season to the Los Angeles Angels as part of a three-team trade with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
with the Twins receiving utilityman Frank Kostro
Frank Kostro
Frank Jerry Kostro is a former professional baseball player who played seven seasons for the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, and Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball. Following his major league career, he played in Japan in for the Hankyu Braves.-References:...
and infielder (and future Twins manager) Jerry Kindall
Jerry Kindall
Gerald Donald Kindall , is a retired professional baseball player who played second base in the major leagues from 1956-1965 for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins. Kindall was originally signed up by the Chicago Cubs as a bonus baby...
in return.
Handed the center fielder job to start the 1964 season, Hall had a decent sophomore season but did not quite reproduce his 1963 production. Although he would raise his batting average to .282, but his power would fall off somewhat with a 24% drop in homeruns (from 33 to 25) and a 40% drop in triples (5 to 3). The Twins would also see a drop off, going from 91 win, third place finish in 1963 to 79 wins and sixth in the 10-team AL. However, Hall would be named to his first All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
in 1964, along with teammates Killebrew, Allison, Tony Oliva
Tony Oliva
Tony Pedro Oliva is a former Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played his entire 15-year baseball career for the Minnesota Twins . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
, and Camilo Pascual
Camilo Pascual
Camilo Alberto Pascual is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During an 18-year baseball career , he played for the Washington Senators , the second Washington Senators franchise, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Cleveland Indians...
, and would be a 9th inning defensive replacement for the AL starter in centerfield, Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
. On May 2, 1964, Minnesota became the third club in the MLB history to hit four consecutive home runs in the same inning, as Oliva, Allison, Hall, and Killebrew all connected in the top of the 11th inning in a 3-3 tie game. With 3 homeruns off Kansas City Athletics reliever Dan Pfister
Dan Pfister
Daniel Albin Pfister , was an American professional baseball player, a right-handed pitcher in the Major Leagues from to . He played for the Kansas City Athletics and spent his entire eight-season professional career in the Athletics' organization...
and Killebrew's off his replacement, Vern Handrahan
Vern Handrahan
James Vernon Handrahan is a Canadian former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Kansas City Athletics...
, the Twins would pull out a 7-3 victory. On May 27 versus the Los Angels Angels, he led off the fifth inning and was hit on the cheek by a pitch from fire-balling southpaw Bo Belinsky
Bo Belinsky
Robert "Bo" Belinsky was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, who became an instant southern California celebrity as a rookie with the original Los Angeles Angels, especially when the fourth of his season-opening four straight wins was a no-hit, no-run game against his former...
. Hall immediately exited the game, but returned to the starting lineup about a week later and then played well for the remainder of the season while wearing a special protective flap on his batting helmet. However, this beaning and his already feeble showing against left-handed pitchers contributed to his being timid and ineffective versus southpaws, hitting .187 with only 4 of his 121 career homeruns, and could help explain why he was finished as a productive player by his sixth season.
Hall's 1965 would basically be a carbon copy of the previous season and would see him hit career highs in average (.285), RBI (86), doubles (25), and stolen bases (14), but would also see another drop in homeruns to 20. Showcasing both his power and speed, Hall not only hit 20 homeruns in 1965 but also beat out 20 infield singles. He would be named to his last all-star team in the July 13 game that was played at Minnesota's Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The area where the stadium once stood is now the site of the Mall of America...
, along with five fellow Twins (first basemanHarmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Clayton Killebrew , nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball , he played for the Washington Senators, a team which later became the Minnesota Twins, and...
, catcher Earl Battey
Earl Battey
Earl Jesse Battey, Jr. was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Chicago White Sox , the Washington Senators and the Minnesota Twins...
, pitcher Mudcat Grant
Mudcat Grant
James Timothy "Mudcat" Grant is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , Los Angeles Dodgers , Montreal Expos , St. Louis Cardinals , Oakland Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates...
, and shortstop Zoilo Versalles
Zoilo Versalles
Zoilo Casanova Versalles Rodriguez , nicknamed "Zorro", was a Cuban shortstop in Major League Baseball, who was considered a solid leadoff man, and a good baserunner whose speed helped him to cover a huge area at shortstop...
and Tony Oliva
Tony Oliva
Tony Pedro Oliva is a former Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played his entire 15-year baseball career for the Minnesota Twins . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
), and went hitless with a walk and a run in two plate appearances after pinch hitting for pitcher Pete Riechert in the bottom of the fifth inning and moving over to centerfield in place of starter Vic Davalillo
Vic Davalillo
Víctor José Davalillo Romero [da-va-LEE-yo] , is a former Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the Cleveland Indians , California Angels , St. Louis Cardinals , Pittsburgh Pirates , Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers...
to start the sixth. Due to his struggles against lefties in 1965 (a .240 batting average), in a World Series against the NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
with five of the seven games started by 1965 Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winner Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
or fellow lefty Claude Osteen
Claude Osteen
Claude Wilson Osteen , nicknamed "Gomer" because of his resemblance to Gomer Pyle, is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched for six different teams: the Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds , Washington Senators , Los Angeles Dodgers , Houston Astros , St...
, Hall would only play in two games (both started by right hander Don Drysdale
Don Drysdale
Donald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...
) and would strike out five times with one hit and one walk in 7 plate appearances. Instead, little used fourth outfielder Joe Nossek
Joe Nossek
Joseph Rudolph Nossek is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder, coach and scout. He threw and batted right-handed, and stood 6' tall and weighed 178 pounds as an active player....
, who'd been to bat only 170 times and only hit .228 against lefties himself in 1965, but who unlike Hall was righthanded, received the bulk of the playing time in the outfield and the Twins would go down in defeat to the Dodgers four games to three.
1966 would see a big drop in Hall's playing time (from 148 games to 120) as the Twins would more often sit him against tough lefties. Rookie right hander Ted Uhlaender
Ted Uhlaender
Theodore Otto Uhlaender was a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds from –. He was also the father of Olympic women's skeleton competitor Katie Uhlaender.Signed by the Twins out of Baylor University in 1961, he made his major league...
would be given significant playing time in center as Hall would play all three outfield positions, with most of his time being in left in place of ailing slugger Allison. With reduced playing time, Hall saw an across-the-board drop in all statistical categories, hitting only .239 with 20 homeruns, 47 RBI, and 7 doubles (falling off a cliff from 1965's 25 doubles), but would still slug at least 20 homeruns for the fourth season in a row. Deciding to employ the light-hitting Uhlaender full-time in center, the Twins traded Hall on December 2 to the Angels along with reliever Pete Cimino
Pete Cimino
Peter William Cimino is a retired professional baseball player who played four seasons for the Minnesota Twins and California Angels of Major League Baseball. He once scored 114 points in a high school basketball game and also had 20 strikeouts in one minor league baseball game...
and first baseman Don Mincher
Don Mincher
-External links:***...
for starter Dean Chance
Dean Chance
Wilmer Dean Chance is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Over the right hander's 11-year major league career, he would play for the Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, and Detroit Tigers...
and a player to be named (which would become infielder Jackie Hernandez on April 10, 1967).
Employed similarly in 1967, Hall would share time in a lefty/righty platoon with Bubba Morton
Bubba Morton
Wycliffe Nathaniel "Bubba" Morton was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers , Milwaukee Braves and California Angels...
, getting only 41 at-bats against left handers in 129 games (hitting a pathetic .098 with one extra base hit), and would put up similar numbers to 1966 (.249, 16 HRs and 55 RBI) and reaching double figures in homeruns for the fifth consecutive season. However, he would be finished as a full-time player. Starting the season hitting only .214 in the first 46 games, the Angels would trade the struggling Hall on June 15, 1968 to the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for fellow center fielder Davalillo. The change of scenary would not help Hall as he would hit only .198 in 53 games.
In eight seasons, Hall batted .254 with 121 home runs, 391 RBI, 387 runs, 100 doubles, 24 triples, and 38 stolen bases in 963 games.
External links
- Jimmie Hall at: