Wednesday, January 31, 2018
R.I.P. Oscar Gamble
Let's remember the awesome hitting Oscar gave us in 1979 during the saddest of times.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
1990 Profile: Eric Plunk
"Eric Plunk presents the Yankees with a problem. But it's one of those problems most people like to have. Plunk, at 6-5 and 210 pounds, is a big, strong right-hander. The problem is figuring where he fits in.
When he came from the A's, Plunk was considered a reliever. And with the Yankees, his first 20 appearances were also out of the bullpen. Then he was moved to the starting rotation, where he finished the year strong. It was an experiment that may pay big dividends in 1990.
'I didn't know what to expect at first,' says Plunk. 'But having done it, I feel comfortable as a starter and am excited about winning a spot in the rotation.'
Yankee pitching coach Billy Connors would also like to see Plunk as a starter. 'He's shown flashes of brilliance,' Connors says. 'He must sustain that consistency over a full season to be an effective starter for us.'
At 26, and with a powerful right arm, Plunk could develop into an impact player on the Yankees for years to come."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Eric was acquired by the Yankees last year on June 21 along with Luis Polonia and Greg Cadaret from the A's in exchange for Rickey Henderson. At the time of the trade, he was 1-1 with a save and a 2.20 ERA in 23 relief appearances. Over 28.2 innings with Oakland he had allowed 17 hits, seven runs (all earned), walked 12, struck out 24, allowed one home run and had a .174 batting average against.
His first 20 Yankee appearances were in relief. Eric was blistering through his first seven appearances (before the All-Star break), going 3-0 with a 0.71 ERA from June 23-July 8. He made his Yankee debut on June 23 at Kansas City (1.0 IP, 0 ER) and his first win came at Detroit on June 29 (2.0 IP, 1 R, 0 ER). Eric notched his second win on July 6 against Detroit despite allowing an 11th inning homer to Lou Whitaker as the Yanks won in the bottom of the 11th. He won again in his next outing on July 8 at Boston with four shutout innings.
Eric's next five outings (July 14-24) were not as overpowering (7.1 IP, 6 ER, 7.36 ERA) as his ERA climbed to 3.15. On July 24 at Cleveland, Joey Belle hit a grand slam after Eric entered the game with the bases loaded.
His final eight relief outings were strong (13.2 IP, 5 ER, 3.29 ERA) despite a 0-2 record. On July 31 against Toronto, he pitched a season high 4.2 relief innings, allowing four hits and no runs in a 6-5 Yankee loss. He lost on August 2 (second game) against Minnesota as he allowed a 10th inning run in a 4-3 Yankee loss.
Plunk made his Yankee starting debut on August 24 against Baltimore and he allowed four runs (three earned) over five innings and took the loss in a 9-2 Oriole win. He got his first win as a starter on August 30 against Oakland, allowing four runs (all earned) over seven innings in an 8-5 win; it was the Yankees' first win on the way to a team season-best nine straight. His finest outing as a starter came in his last outing on September 27 at Detroit- Eric pitched a season-high eight innings, allowing one earned run on three singles and tied his career high with 10 strikeouts.
As a Yankee, Eric was 7-5 with a 3.69 ERA in 27 appearances. His eight wins overall were his major league high as was his overall total of 50 appearances. He had a .237 batting average against, second best on the club as was his day-game batting average against (.224). Eric was equally tough on left-handed hitters (.236) and right-handed hitters (.238). He was 4-2 with a 2.72 ERA (36.1 IP) at Yankee Stadium and 3-3 with a 4.58 ERA (39.1 IP) on the road.
As a reliever, Plunk was 3-2 (no save opportunities) with a 3.21 ERA (33.2 IP) in 20 appearances. He gave up six home runs and stranded nine of 18 inherited baserunners, and his ERA ranked third among Yankee relievers with 30 or more innings. As a starter, Plunk was 4-3 with a 4.07 ERA (42 IP) in seven starts and went at least five innings in six of his seven starts. Overall the Yankees were 11-16 in games he pitched.
Eric signed a contract for the 1990 season.
Originally signed by Yankee scouts Don Lindeberg and Bob Nieman, Eric was selected by the Yankees in the fourth round of the June 1981 free agent draft. He spent the year at Bradenton in the short-season Gulf Coast League. 1982 was his second year in a short-season league, this one with Paintsville of the Appalachian League; he struck out 59 in 64 innings and completed four of his eight starts.
Plunk had an excellent year at Fort Lauderdale (A) of the Florida State League in 1983 despite his 8-10 record. He fanned 109 in 125 innings and tied for the league with teammate Jose Rijo with four shutouts. Eric spent a second consecutive season at Fort Lauderdale in 1984- he had a 12-12 record in 28 starts and compiled a 2.86 ERA with seven complete games. He fanned 152 in 176.1 innings but had control problems, walking 123, or 6.28 per nine innings.
In 1985, he went 8-2 with a 3.40 ERA at Double-A Huntsville before being promoted to Triple-A Tacoma. He ended up 0-5 with a 5.77 ERA with control (50 BB, 53 IP) being his biggest problem. Eric was once gunned at 91 MPH in the ninth inning of a game.
Eric started 1986 at Tacoma and appeared in six games, going 2-3 with a 4.68 ERA. He was called up to Oakland on May 12. His first decision was a loss in relief at New York on May 21, and his first start was on May 31 in Oakland against the Yankees. Eric started six games in June and picked up his first major league win with 7.2 innings of 3-hit ball against Texas on the 14th.
He pitched his best game of the year against Milwaukee on July 5, going 8.1 innings and allowing just two earned runs and four hits. Unfortunately, he was tagged with the loss. Plunk started seven more games after that before returning to the bullpen on September 5. He pitched 14.1 innings the rest of the way, getting no decisions.
Plunk split 1987 between Oakland and Tacoma. He opened the season in the A's starting rotation and made nine consecutive starts. At that point he was 1-2 with a 4.34 ERA. He was moved to the bullpen on May 22 and had six consecutive relief outings before making two starts in mid-June. Eric lost both starts and was sent to Tacoma on June 23 with a record of 1-4 with a 5.84 ERA.
He moved in as Tacoma's closer and was overpowering in that role. In 24 games he was 1-1 with nine saves and his ERA was 1.56 with 56 strikeouts in 34.2 innings. Eric was returned to the A's on August 25 when Jay Howell was lost for the season.
Placed in a relief role for the balance of the season, Eric recorded three wins and a save in his first eight appearances after his return with 21 strikeouts in 17.2 innings. Overall, he made 15 appearances after his return and was 3-2 with two saves and a 2.70 ERA.
The hard-throwing right-hander spent his first full year in the majors in 1988 and appeared in 49 games, all in relief. He was used in the 'middle man' role for much of the season and averaged just a little more than a strikeout per inning (79 K, 78.0 IP).
In 16 appearances from April 27-June 14, Eric allowed just three earned runs over 19.1 innings (1.40 ERA) and picked up three wins and a save in that span. He missed nearly a month of the season from June 24 until after the All-Star break with tendinitis in his right shoulder.
In his third appearance after his return, Eric struck out a season high seven Angels in 3.2 innings at Anaheim on July 27. In four July outings he allowed just one earned run and two hits in 7.1 innings (1.23 ERA). He worked four innings in back-to-back outings on August 17 at Baltimore and August 20 at Boston; he allowed just one earned run and struck out seven in those eight innings. He went 4.2 innings against New York on September 3, his longest outing of the season, and was rewarded with a victory.
Control has been one of the biggest problems of Eric's career, but in his final nine appearances of the year he walked just three over 17.0 innings and struck out 17 in that span. He allowed just 62 hits in his 78 innings and held opposing batters to a .217 batting average.
He made one appearance in the American League Championship Series, pitching a third of an inning in Game 3. He allowed a hit and had a strikeout. Eric appeared in Games 2 and 5 of the World Series. He struck out the side in his one inning of work in Game 2 and totaled 1.2 shutout innings for the Series.
Eric graduated from Bellflower (CA) High School in 1981. He played baseball and was named All-State. Eric enjoys hunting and fishing."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Tied for Florida State League in shutouts (4), 1983.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
When he came from the A's, Plunk was considered a reliever. And with the Yankees, his first 20 appearances were also out of the bullpen. Then he was moved to the starting rotation, where he finished the year strong. It was an experiment that may pay big dividends in 1990.
'I didn't know what to expect at first,' says Plunk. 'But having done it, I feel comfortable as a starter and am excited about winning a spot in the rotation.'
Yankee pitching coach Billy Connors would also like to see Plunk as a starter. 'He's shown flashes of brilliance,' Connors says. 'He must sustain that consistency over a full season to be an effective starter for us.'
At 26, and with a powerful right arm, Plunk could develop into an impact player on the Yankees for years to come."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Eric was acquired by the Yankees last year on June 21 along with Luis Polonia and Greg Cadaret from the A's in exchange for Rickey Henderson. At the time of the trade, he was 1-1 with a save and a 2.20 ERA in 23 relief appearances. Over 28.2 innings with Oakland he had allowed 17 hits, seven runs (all earned), walked 12, struck out 24, allowed one home run and had a .174 batting average against.
His first 20 Yankee appearances were in relief. Eric was blistering through his first seven appearances (before the All-Star break), going 3-0 with a 0.71 ERA from June 23-July 8. He made his Yankee debut on June 23 at Kansas City (1.0 IP, 0 ER) and his first win came at Detroit on June 29 (2.0 IP, 1 R, 0 ER). Eric notched his second win on July 6 against Detroit despite allowing an 11th inning homer to Lou Whitaker as the Yanks won in the bottom of the 11th. He won again in his next outing on July 8 at Boston with four shutout innings.
Eric's next five outings (July 14-24) were not as overpowering (7.1 IP, 6 ER, 7.36 ERA) as his ERA climbed to 3.15. On July 24 at Cleveland, Joey Belle hit a grand slam after Eric entered the game with the bases loaded.
His final eight relief outings were strong (13.2 IP, 5 ER, 3.29 ERA) despite a 0-2 record. On July 31 against Toronto, he pitched a season high 4.2 relief innings, allowing four hits and no runs in a 6-5 Yankee loss. He lost on August 2 (second game) against Minnesota as he allowed a 10th inning run in a 4-3 Yankee loss.
Plunk made his Yankee starting debut on August 24 against Baltimore and he allowed four runs (three earned) over five innings and took the loss in a 9-2 Oriole win. He got his first win as a starter on August 30 against Oakland, allowing four runs (all earned) over seven innings in an 8-5 win; it was the Yankees' first win on the way to a team season-best nine straight. His finest outing as a starter came in his last outing on September 27 at Detroit- Eric pitched a season-high eight innings, allowing one earned run on three singles and tied his career high with 10 strikeouts.
As a Yankee, Eric was 7-5 with a 3.69 ERA in 27 appearances. His eight wins overall were his major league high as was his overall total of 50 appearances. He had a .237 batting average against, second best on the club as was his day-game batting average against (.224). Eric was equally tough on left-handed hitters (.236) and right-handed hitters (.238). He was 4-2 with a 2.72 ERA (36.1 IP) at Yankee Stadium and 3-3 with a 4.58 ERA (39.1 IP) on the road.
As a reliever, Plunk was 3-2 (no save opportunities) with a 3.21 ERA (33.2 IP) in 20 appearances. He gave up six home runs and stranded nine of 18 inherited baserunners, and his ERA ranked third among Yankee relievers with 30 or more innings. As a starter, Plunk was 4-3 with a 4.07 ERA (42 IP) in seven starts and went at least five innings in six of his seven starts. Overall the Yankees were 11-16 in games he pitched.
Eric signed a contract for the 1990 season.
Originally signed by Yankee scouts Don Lindeberg and Bob Nieman, Eric was selected by the Yankees in the fourth round of the June 1981 free agent draft. He spent the year at Bradenton in the short-season Gulf Coast League. 1982 was his second year in a short-season league, this one with Paintsville of the Appalachian League; he struck out 59 in 64 innings and completed four of his eight starts.
Plunk had an excellent year at Fort Lauderdale (A) of the Florida State League in 1983 despite his 8-10 record. He fanned 109 in 125 innings and tied for the league with teammate Jose Rijo with four shutouts. Eric spent a second consecutive season at Fort Lauderdale in 1984- he had a 12-12 record in 28 starts and compiled a 2.86 ERA with seven complete games. He fanned 152 in 176.1 innings but had control problems, walking 123, or 6.28 per nine innings.
In 1985, he went 8-2 with a 3.40 ERA at Double-A Huntsville before being promoted to Triple-A Tacoma. He ended up 0-5 with a 5.77 ERA with control (50 BB, 53 IP) being his biggest problem. Eric was once gunned at 91 MPH in the ninth inning of a game.
Eric started 1986 at Tacoma and appeared in six games, going 2-3 with a 4.68 ERA. He was called up to Oakland on May 12. His first decision was a loss in relief at New York on May 21, and his first start was on May 31 in Oakland against the Yankees. Eric started six games in June and picked up his first major league win with 7.2 innings of 3-hit ball against Texas on the 14th.
He pitched his best game of the year against Milwaukee on July 5, going 8.1 innings and allowing just two earned runs and four hits. Unfortunately, he was tagged with the loss. Plunk started seven more games after that before returning to the bullpen on September 5. He pitched 14.1 innings the rest of the way, getting no decisions.
Plunk split 1987 between Oakland and Tacoma. He opened the season in the A's starting rotation and made nine consecutive starts. At that point he was 1-2 with a 4.34 ERA. He was moved to the bullpen on May 22 and had six consecutive relief outings before making two starts in mid-June. Eric lost both starts and was sent to Tacoma on June 23 with a record of 1-4 with a 5.84 ERA.
He moved in as Tacoma's closer and was overpowering in that role. In 24 games he was 1-1 with nine saves and his ERA was 1.56 with 56 strikeouts in 34.2 innings. Eric was returned to the A's on August 25 when Jay Howell was lost for the season.
Placed in a relief role for the balance of the season, Eric recorded three wins and a save in his first eight appearances after his return with 21 strikeouts in 17.2 innings. Overall, he made 15 appearances after his return and was 3-2 with two saves and a 2.70 ERA.
The hard-throwing right-hander spent his first full year in the majors in 1988 and appeared in 49 games, all in relief. He was used in the 'middle man' role for much of the season and averaged just a little more than a strikeout per inning (79 K, 78.0 IP).
In 16 appearances from April 27-June 14, Eric allowed just three earned runs over 19.1 innings (1.40 ERA) and picked up three wins and a save in that span. He missed nearly a month of the season from June 24 until after the All-Star break with tendinitis in his right shoulder.
In his third appearance after his return, Eric struck out a season high seven Angels in 3.2 innings at Anaheim on July 27. In four July outings he allowed just one earned run and two hits in 7.1 innings (1.23 ERA). He worked four innings in back-to-back outings on August 17 at Baltimore and August 20 at Boston; he allowed just one earned run and struck out seven in those eight innings. He went 4.2 innings against New York on September 3, his longest outing of the season, and was rewarded with a victory.
Control has been one of the biggest problems of Eric's career, but in his final nine appearances of the year he walked just three over 17.0 innings and struck out 17 in that span. He allowed just 62 hits in his 78 innings and held opposing batters to a .217 batting average.
He made one appearance in the American League Championship Series, pitching a third of an inning in Game 3. He allowed a hit and had a strikeout. Eric appeared in Games 2 and 5 of the World Series. He struck out the side in his one inning of work in Game 2 and totaled 1.2 shutout innings for the Series.
Eric graduated from Bellflower (CA) High School in 1981. He played baseball and was named All-State. Eric enjoys hunting and fishing."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Tied for Florida State League in shutouts (4), 1983.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Saturday, January 6, 2018
1990 Profile: Mel Hall
"The former Cleveland Indian, acquired in March 1989, produced both offensively and defensively for the Pinstripers last season. Known more for his hitting ability, the 29-year-old outfielder/DH made enormous strides defensively in left field with his consistent and sometimes brilliant play. From the plate, Hall made his home runs count as the Yankees went 15-1 in games he went deep.
Look for Hall to fill in as the fourth outfielder and, depending on Dave Winfield's status, he could see more time in left. Between his slow saunter to the plate and his colorful style, Mel Hall made a lasting impression Yankee fans are anxious to see more of."
-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook
"Hall was acquired from the Cleveland Indians on March 19, 1989 in exchange for catcher Joel Skinner and outfielder Turner Ward. He started out slowly, appearing in 15 games and hitting .258 (8-for-31) with two RBIs for the month of April. He made six starts, all in right field. Mel went on the disabled list on April 26 with a pulled right hamstring; the injury occurred on April 25 in Kansas City while he was trying to score from first base on a double and was hurt rounding third base.
He was reinstated on May 26 and hit in seven straight games from May 30-June 10 (11-for-26, .423) with three home runs and eight RBIs, raising his batting average 82 points from .235 to .317. From June 4-8, Hall hit home runs in three consecutive games for the third time in his career and the first time by a Yankee since Don Mattingly hit in eight straight in 1987. From June 4-13 he had an RBI in seven straight games and from June 22-28 hit in six straight (7-for-25, .280) with a homer and seven RBIs. On June 24 Mel hit a grand slam at Kansas City off Kevin Appier, his first since August 29, 1983 when, as a Cub, he hit one off Atlanta's Phil Niekro; it was also the second and final grand slam by a Yankee in 1989. For the month of June, Mel hit .288 with five home runs and 18 RBIs, raising his overall average from .250 to .274.
He maintained his average and power in July, hitting .278 with four home runs and 12 RBIs. At the break, he was hitting .279 with seven home runs and 25 RBIs over 46 games, averaging one RBI every 5.4 at-bats. August was his busiest month as he appeared in 28 games (24 starts- 13 LF, 9 DH, 2 RF), hitting .270 with a home run and 11 RBIs. Mel hit in a season best nine straight games from August 26-September 6 (12-for-33, .364) and in 12 of 13 games from August 26-September 10 (15-for-47, .319). He also scored a run in seven straight games (10 total) from August 26-September 6. On September 1 and 2, he homered in consecutive games against California- the second one, off Mike Witt in the bottom of the ninth, was the game-winner in a 2-1 Yankee win.
Hall went into a 10-game slump from September 12-25, hitting .083 (3-for-36) and dropping his average from .272 to .252. On September 21 in New York in the first game of a twin-bill with the Brewers, he was ejected for being involved in an incident when Luis Polonia was hit by a Mark Knudsen pitch. On September 29 against Detroit, Mel hit a pair of home runs off Jack Morris, the eighth two-homer game of his career and his first since September 29, 1987. He hit in five straight (8-for-20) to end the season and raise his average 10 points to .260.
He had 21 multi-hit games in 1989 and hit .267 with runners in scoring position. He hit .284 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs against right-handed pitchers and .159 with a home run and 11 RBIs against left-handers. He hit .282 with 11 home runs and 29 RBIs in Yankee Stadium and .233 with six homers and 29 RBIs on the road. The Yankees were 15-1 when Mel homered. His season average was 21 points lower than his career average entering 1989, yet his strikeout to at-bat ratio (1.9:8) was a career low.
Mel signed a three-year contract in November 1989. The contract extends through 1992 season.
He was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 2nd round of the June 1978 free agent draft. Hall was a Gulf Coast League All-Star at Bradenton that year, leading outfielders in putouts (97) and total chances (102) while finishing sixth in the loop with a .290 batting average. For Geneva in 1979, he was named to the New York-Penn League All-Star team and was tied for second in the league in doubles (18), fifth in RBIs (53) and 10th in batting (.315).
At Class A Quad City in 1980 Hall was the Midwest League's fourth-best hitter (.294) and was second in the league in fielding (.973) among outfielders. In 1981, he led the AA Texas League in hits (170) and total bases (286) while tying for the league lead in runs scored (98). He hit .319 with 24 homers and 95 RBIs at Midland and earned a September promotion to the Cubs, his first appearance in the big leagues.
Mel's final season of minor league action, in 1982, was also his best. He led AAA Iowa in homers (32), RBIs (125), hits (165), runs (116), doubles (34) and game-winning RBIs (17). He led the American Association in the three latter departments and was named to the All-Star squad. He hit .329 and was tabbed as the league's Rookie of the Year.
Mel had a fine rookie season with the Cubs in 1983, batting .283 with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs in 112 games, and finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting. He was the NL's Player of the Month for August when he hit .333 with nine homers and 17 RBIs- the first NL rookie to win that award since Fernando Valenzuela in April 1981- and hit his first major league grand slam off Phil Niekro.
On June 13, 1984, Hall was traded with outfielder Joe Carter and pitchers Don Schulze and Darryl Banks to the Cleveland Indians for catcher Ron Hassey and pitchers Rick Sutcliffe and George Frazier. He hit his first American League home run against Minnesota on June 27, a game-winner in the 10th inning off Ron Davis. He had five RBIs that night.
He was leading the Indians with a .318 average in 1985 when he was felled in a freak car accident on May 9 in Texas. Mel was sidelined for the remainder of the season with a fractured left clavicle, a fractured right side of the pelvic bone, a slight concussion and a neck strain. He returned to Cleveland in mid-September and took batting practice and also spent a week at the Tribe's Florida League Instructional League complex.
In 1986 Mel set career highs in batting average (.296), homers (18) and RBIs (77). In a 50-game span he batted .346 with 12 homers, 47 RBIs and 34 runs.
He tied his career best in 1987 with 18 homers and was tied for eighth among AL outfielders with a .989 fielding percentage. In a 63-game stretch from July 7-September 25, Mel hit .340 with nine homers and 44 RBIs. In a three-game set against Minnesota from September 11-13, he batted .600 (9-for-15) with four homers and six RBIs; Mel was named American Player of the Week for September 7-13. He hit his first career home run off a left-handed pitcher on September 25 off Gary Lucas of the Angels (after 170 previous career at-bats against lefties).
Mel had the most playing time of his career in 1988 and set season highs in most offensive departments, but his home run output (6) was a career low. Mel set career highs in games (150), at-bats (515), runs (69), hits (144), doubles (32), triples (4), stolen bases (7) and game-winning RBIs (5) and ranked third on the club with 71 RBIs. He struck out just 50 times and led the club with 12 intentional walks.
Named a co-captain on April 4, Hall batted .333 (21-for-63) with nine RBIs through April 24, endured a 27-for-119 (.227) slide in his next 38 games, through June 9, with no homers and nine RBIs, then hit .381 (24-for-63) from June 10-29. Included in that span was his first home run of the season, on June 23 off Rick Rhoden at Yankee Stadium, his first homer since the previous October 4 (in 223 at-bats).
Mel hit .352 in 43 games from June 10-July 31 with four homers and 28 RBIs, raising his batting average from .264 to .305. This included a career-high 16 straight games from July 3-20 (23-for-66, .348) with two homers and 13 RBIs. He hit an inside-the-park home run on July 6 against Oakland, the first by an Indian since Joe Carter's on September 10, 1985 and the first in Cleveland since Andre Thornton's on August 29, 1977. Mel hit the homer off Rick Honeycutt, just his second career homer off a southpaw.
He had another hot streak in August, batting .339 in 17 games from the 12th to the 30th with eight doubles, a homer and 15 RBIs. He cooled off in September/October, batting .184 in 25 games with a homer and nine RBIs. He hit his last homer on September 4 against Chicago, his only one after August 16.
For the 1988 season, Mel tied for second best on the Indians with a .290 average (40-for-138) and 63 RBIs with runners in scoring position and was 3-for-7 with eight RBIs with the bases loaded; in bases-loaded situations since 1986, Mel is 11-for-26 (.423) with 26 RBIs. He was tops on the club in driving home runners from third with less than two out, being successful 24 of 32 times. He was third on the club with 41 multi-hit games but against left-handers was 5-for-46 with a home run, five RBIs, three walks and seven strikeouts.
Mel graduated in 1978 from Port Byron (NY) High School where he was a baseball All-American. He was All-State twice in football and once in basketball. He played Little League, Babe Ruth, and American Legion ball as a youngster. Hall's father, Mel Sr., played minor league baseball, and a cousin, Oscar Bennett, was an infielder in the Oakland organization."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Led Texas League in total bases (286) in 1981.
Led Texas League outfielders in total chances (324) and double plays (5), 1981.
Led American Association in game-winning RBIs (17), 1982.
Led American Association outfielders in total chances (339), 1982.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Look for Hall to fill in as the fourth outfielder and, depending on Dave Winfield's status, he could see more time in left. Between his slow saunter to the plate and his colorful style, Mel Hall made a lasting impression Yankee fans are anxious to see more of."
-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook
"Hall was acquired from the Cleveland Indians on March 19, 1989 in exchange for catcher Joel Skinner and outfielder Turner Ward. He started out slowly, appearing in 15 games and hitting .258 (8-for-31) with two RBIs for the month of April. He made six starts, all in right field. Mel went on the disabled list on April 26 with a pulled right hamstring; the injury occurred on April 25 in Kansas City while he was trying to score from first base on a double and was hurt rounding third base.
He was reinstated on May 26 and hit in seven straight games from May 30-June 10 (11-for-26, .423) with three home runs and eight RBIs, raising his batting average 82 points from .235 to .317. From June 4-8, Hall hit home runs in three consecutive games for the third time in his career and the first time by a Yankee since Don Mattingly hit in eight straight in 1987. From June 4-13 he had an RBI in seven straight games and from June 22-28 hit in six straight (7-for-25, .280) with a homer and seven RBIs. On June 24 Mel hit a grand slam at Kansas City off Kevin Appier, his first since August 29, 1983 when, as a Cub, he hit one off Atlanta's Phil Niekro; it was also the second and final grand slam by a Yankee in 1989. For the month of June, Mel hit .288 with five home runs and 18 RBIs, raising his overall average from .250 to .274.
He maintained his average and power in July, hitting .278 with four home runs and 12 RBIs. At the break, he was hitting .279 with seven home runs and 25 RBIs over 46 games, averaging one RBI every 5.4 at-bats. August was his busiest month as he appeared in 28 games (24 starts- 13 LF, 9 DH, 2 RF), hitting .270 with a home run and 11 RBIs. Mel hit in a season best nine straight games from August 26-September 6 (12-for-33, .364) and in 12 of 13 games from August 26-September 10 (15-for-47, .319). He also scored a run in seven straight games (10 total) from August 26-September 6. On September 1 and 2, he homered in consecutive games against California- the second one, off Mike Witt in the bottom of the ninth, was the game-winner in a 2-1 Yankee win.
Hall went into a 10-game slump from September 12-25, hitting .083 (3-for-36) and dropping his average from .272 to .252. On September 21 in New York in the first game of a twin-bill with the Brewers, he was ejected for being involved in an incident when Luis Polonia was hit by a Mark Knudsen pitch. On September 29 against Detroit, Mel hit a pair of home runs off Jack Morris, the eighth two-homer game of his career and his first since September 29, 1987. He hit in five straight (8-for-20) to end the season and raise his average 10 points to .260.
He had 21 multi-hit games in 1989 and hit .267 with runners in scoring position. He hit .284 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs against right-handed pitchers and .159 with a home run and 11 RBIs against left-handers. He hit .282 with 11 home runs and 29 RBIs in Yankee Stadium and .233 with six homers and 29 RBIs on the road. The Yankees were 15-1 when Mel homered. His season average was 21 points lower than his career average entering 1989, yet his strikeout to at-bat ratio (1.9:8) was a career low.
Mel signed a three-year contract in November 1989. The contract extends through 1992 season.
He was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 2nd round of the June 1978 free agent draft. Hall was a Gulf Coast League All-Star at Bradenton that year, leading outfielders in putouts (97) and total chances (102) while finishing sixth in the loop with a .290 batting average. For Geneva in 1979, he was named to the New York-Penn League All-Star team and was tied for second in the league in doubles (18), fifth in RBIs (53) and 10th in batting (.315).
At Class A Quad City in 1980 Hall was the Midwest League's fourth-best hitter (.294) and was second in the league in fielding (.973) among outfielders. In 1981, he led the AA Texas League in hits (170) and total bases (286) while tying for the league lead in runs scored (98). He hit .319 with 24 homers and 95 RBIs at Midland and earned a September promotion to the Cubs, his first appearance in the big leagues.
Mel's final season of minor league action, in 1982, was also his best. He led AAA Iowa in homers (32), RBIs (125), hits (165), runs (116), doubles (34) and game-winning RBIs (17). He led the American Association in the three latter departments and was named to the All-Star squad. He hit .329 and was tabbed as the league's Rookie of the Year.
Mel had a fine rookie season with the Cubs in 1983, batting .283 with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs in 112 games, and finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting. He was the NL's Player of the Month for August when he hit .333 with nine homers and 17 RBIs- the first NL rookie to win that award since Fernando Valenzuela in April 1981- and hit his first major league grand slam off Phil Niekro.
On June 13, 1984, Hall was traded with outfielder Joe Carter and pitchers Don Schulze and Darryl Banks to the Cleveland Indians for catcher Ron Hassey and pitchers Rick Sutcliffe and George Frazier. He hit his first American League home run against Minnesota on June 27, a game-winner in the 10th inning off Ron Davis. He had five RBIs that night.
He was leading the Indians with a .318 average in 1985 when he was felled in a freak car accident on May 9 in Texas. Mel was sidelined for the remainder of the season with a fractured left clavicle, a fractured right side of the pelvic bone, a slight concussion and a neck strain. He returned to Cleveland in mid-September and took batting practice and also spent a week at the Tribe's Florida League Instructional League complex.
In 1986 Mel set career highs in batting average (.296), homers (18) and RBIs (77). In a 50-game span he batted .346 with 12 homers, 47 RBIs and 34 runs.
He tied his career best in 1987 with 18 homers and was tied for eighth among AL outfielders with a .989 fielding percentage. In a 63-game stretch from July 7-September 25, Mel hit .340 with nine homers and 44 RBIs. In a three-game set against Minnesota from September 11-13, he batted .600 (9-for-15) with four homers and six RBIs; Mel was named American Player of the Week for September 7-13. He hit his first career home run off a left-handed pitcher on September 25 off Gary Lucas of the Angels (after 170 previous career at-bats against lefties).
Mel had the most playing time of his career in 1988 and set season highs in most offensive departments, but his home run output (6) was a career low. Mel set career highs in games (150), at-bats (515), runs (69), hits (144), doubles (32), triples (4), stolen bases (7) and game-winning RBIs (5) and ranked third on the club with 71 RBIs. He struck out just 50 times and led the club with 12 intentional walks.
Named a co-captain on April 4, Hall batted .333 (21-for-63) with nine RBIs through April 24, endured a 27-for-119 (.227) slide in his next 38 games, through June 9, with no homers and nine RBIs, then hit .381 (24-for-63) from June 10-29. Included in that span was his first home run of the season, on June 23 off Rick Rhoden at Yankee Stadium, his first homer since the previous October 4 (in 223 at-bats).
Mel hit .352 in 43 games from June 10-July 31 with four homers and 28 RBIs, raising his batting average from .264 to .305. This included a career-high 16 straight games from July 3-20 (23-for-66, .348) with two homers and 13 RBIs. He hit an inside-the-park home run on July 6 against Oakland, the first by an Indian since Joe Carter's on September 10, 1985 and the first in Cleveland since Andre Thornton's on August 29, 1977. Mel hit the homer off Rick Honeycutt, just his second career homer off a southpaw.
He had another hot streak in August, batting .339 in 17 games from the 12th to the 30th with eight doubles, a homer and 15 RBIs. He cooled off in September/October, batting .184 in 25 games with a homer and nine RBIs. He hit his last homer on September 4 against Chicago, his only one after August 16.
For the 1988 season, Mel tied for second best on the Indians with a .290 average (40-for-138) and 63 RBIs with runners in scoring position and was 3-for-7 with eight RBIs with the bases loaded; in bases-loaded situations since 1986, Mel is 11-for-26 (.423) with 26 RBIs. He was tops on the club in driving home runners from third with less than two out, being successful 24 of 32 times. He was third on the club with 41 multi-hit games but against left-handers was 5-for-46 with a home run, five RBIs, three walks and seven strikeouts.
Mel graduated in 1978 from Port Byron (NY) High School where he was a baseball All-American. He was All-State twice in football and once in basketball. He played Little League, Babe Ruth, and American Legion ball as a youngster. Hall's father, Mel Sr., played minor league baseball, and a cousin, Oscar Bennett, was an infielder in the Oakland organization."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Led Texas League in total bases (286) in 1981.
Led Texas League outfielders in total chances (324) and double plays (5), 1981.
Led American Association in game-winning RBIs (17), 1982.
Led American Association outfielders in total chances (339), 1982.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
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