The Orioles have announced that former major leaguer Dick Hall has passed away. He was 92 years old.
Hall underwent many transitions in his career, which began as an outfielder and third baseman for the Pirates in 1952. But in 1955, he moved to the mound, tossing 94 1/3 innings over 13 starts and two relief appearances, registering a 3.91 ERA that year. He continued serving as a pitcher for the Bucs and also for the Kansas City Athletics in 1960.
In April of 1961, he was acquired by the Orioles. He would go on to spend most of his career with Baltimore, including his best seasons, gradually shifting into the relief role that he thrived in. From 1961 to 1966, he made 244 appearances for the O’s with a 2.82 ERA over 599 2/3 innings.
That final season of that stretch was the beginning of a golden age of Orioles’ baseball, as the 1966 Orioles went 97-63, led by future Hall of Famers Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson. They won the American League pennant and then swept the Dodgers to win the first World Series in franchise history, though Hall didn’t appear in that series.
Hall was with the Phillies in 1967 and 1968 as the O’s missed the playoffs in those two seasons. But he returned in 1969 and so did the success of the club. They made it back to the World Series in three straight years beginning in 1969, winning a second title in 1970. He made one appearance in that second title-winning series, tossing 2 1/3 scoreless frames as the O’s topped the Reds. 1971 proved to be his final season in the big leagues.
Hall ultimately pitched 1259 2/3 regular season innings in his career with a 3.32 ERA. He went 93-75 while racking up 68 saves, striking out 741 opponents in the process. He helped the club win four pennants, earned two World Series rings and was elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame. He is survived by his wife, four children, nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. MLBTR joins those in the baseball world in sending condolences to all those mourning him today.
RIP Mr. Hall
NIce! Guy was the Ohtani of the 1960s.
Nobody is Ohtani. That guy was built in a lab somewhere in a remote area in Japan and sent here. No way is he human.
I remember Mr Hall during my youth and always regarded him as a good man and a better than average reliever
Winning 93 games as a relief pitcher with a career ERA of 3.32 is evidence
Noooooo!!!!!!
RIP Mr. Hall. As a child you were a big part of those great Orioles teams that I listened to with my grandfather. I pray that your family and friends might be comforted in this difficult time.
Nice summation of a fine career. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget just how hard it is to get to the majors, much less stick there, and actually achieve success at the highest level on the world. RIP Mr. Hall.
Dick Hall has quite an interesting story prior to MLB. According to SABR (Society for American Baseball Research), he graduated from Swarthmore College in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree in economics (minoring in history and political science).
He also earned 11 athletic letters in five sports. In basketball, he was twice named All Conference; in football, he won honorable mention Little All-America after catching 24 passes and scoring nine touchdowns in 1948; and in track, for many years he held the school broad jump record, at 23 feet one-half inch. He also scored a goal as a substitute on the soccer team.
sabr.org/bioproj/person/dick-hall/
RIP, my ex-wife
Fascinating career. Wonder which coach was responsible for moving him to pitcher? Somebody saw something….a story that is part if what makes baseball great.
Hall was one of the rare relievers who pitched a “perfect game” … he retired 28 in a row in 1963 — over a 25-day period and five appearances.
RIP, Dick Hall.
Some more trivia regarding consecutive batters retired:
Record: 46 — Yusmeiro Petit 2014 (first 38 in relief, last 8 as starter). Petit also became the first player to be a member of World Series championship teams in Little League and MLB.
45 — Mark Buehrle during three starts in 2009 including his perfect game
41 — Jim Barr during two starts in 1972
41 — Bobby Jenks during 14 relief appearances in 2007
Fine pitcher, although before my time as a fan. RIP.
Funky wind up. Could not have been fun to bat against. But I didn’t care. He was on my team! RIP.
Another of my baseball cards passes. What an athlete he was.
Remarkably stingy with the walks, btw
The Robinson brothers were great.
Brooks and Frank Robinson we’re not brothers.
That Golden Age in Baltimore actually starts earlier, in 1964 with a 95-57-1 season.
RIP
Pitched with Jack Baldschun on the Phils. Jack passed 2 weeks ago. Good man.