What a card: This is the last card of Dick Hall issued during his career. He pitched in 27 games during the 1971 season when he was the oldest player in the majors (41).
Can ya dig it: Hall is 6-foot-6 and you get an excellent idea of his height with the shot from below.
Right on: Hall looks like a tough guy in this photo, a real hard thrower. But he actually was a control artist. Batters thought they could hit him, then they didn't.
You see that cat Hall is a bad mother: Hall is one of my favorite types of players. He appeared on a card both as a hitter and a pitcher. The Pirates converted him to a pitcher after the 1954 season.
Shut your mouth: Hall came on in relief in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the 1970 World Series and quelled a Reds rally. During the game, Johnny Bench yelled at Hall, "How can you be out there with that garbage?"
No one understands him but his woman: Hall married a woman from Mexico who he met when he was playing in the country. She didn't speak English, so Hall had to speak Spanish to her. Later he would interpret teammates' quotes for the Latin press during World Series games.
(A word about the back): First game in majors: 1952. I know that's not the earliest start for players in this set because Willie Mays is in the set.
Control artist indeed!
ReplyDeleteFrom 1965-71, if you disregard the intentional walks, Hall walked only 23 batters while pitching in 431 innings!
By comparison, Jonathan Papelbon has unintentionally walked 102 in his last 418 innings.