Irv Hall
Encyclopedia
Irv Hall was a Major League Baseball
player. He played four seasons in the Majors, 1943–1946, for the Philadelphia Athletics. In his four seasons as a second baseman
and shortstop
, Hall had 496 hits in 1,904 at bat
s for a .261 batting average over 787 games. While Hall hit 58 double
s and 19 triple
s during his career, none of his major league hits were home runs, and his 1,904 career homerless at bats placed him second (behind Tom Oliver
) among major league batters since 1900 who never hit a home run during their major league career.
Hall played 151 games for the A's in 1943, with a .256 batting average for the season on 139 hits in 544 at bats. In 1944, Hall had 150 hits in 559 at bats, ending the season with a .268 average, his best in the majors. Hall batted .261 in the 1945 season, with 161 hits in 616 at bats, his 148 singles and his 484 outs both leading the American League
that season. In 1946, his last season in the majors, Hall had 46 at bats in 185 at bats, hitting for a .259 average.
There were bursts of slugging power while playing 12 seasons of minor league baseball
, in which Hall hit 34 home runs overall during his time in the junior circuit, both before and after his major league stint. In his first two full seasons in professional baseball, Hall hit nine home runs in both 1938 and 1939 for the Class D Pocomoke City Red Sox of the Eastern Shore League. After leaving the majors, Hall hit a career-best 11 home runs in 1949 for the Aberdeen Pheasants
, the minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Browns
in the Class C Northern League
.
He died on December 12, 2006, in Baltimore
, Maryland
.
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...
player. He played four seasons in the Majors, 1943–1946, for the Philadelphia Athletics. In his four seasons as a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
and shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, Hall had 496 hits in 1,904 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s for a .261 batting average over 787 games. While Hall hit 58 double
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....
s and 19 triple
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....
s during his career, none of his major league hits were home runs, and his 1,904 career homerless at bats placed him second (behind Tom Oliver
Tom Oliver (baseball)
Thomas Noble Oliver was a center fielder in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Boston Red Sox. Listed at 6'0", 168 lb., Oliver batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Montgomery, Alabama....
) among major league batters since 1900 who never hit a home run during their major league career.
Hall played 151 games for the A's in 1943, with a .256 batting average for the season on 139 hits in 544 at bats. In 1944, Hall had 150 hits in 559 at bats, ending the season with a .268 average, his best in the majors. Hall batted .261 in the 1945 season, with 161 hits in 616 at bats, his 148 singles and his 484 outs both leading the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
that season. In 1946, his last season in the majors, Hall had 46 at bats in 185 at bats, hitting for a .259 average.
There were bursts of slugging power while playing 12 seasons of minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
, in which Hall hit 34 home runs overall during his time in the junior circuit, both before and after his major league stint. In his first two full seasons in professional baseball, Hall hit nine home runs in both 1938 and 1939 for the Class D Pocomoke City Red Sox of the Eastern Shore League. After leaving the majors, Hall hit a career-best 11 home runs in 1949 for the Aberdeen Pheasants
Aberdeen Pheasants
The Aberdeen Pheasants were a class C minor league baseball team located in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The Pheasants were the Class C minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Browns until 1953. When the Browns moved to Baltimore in 1954 and changed their name to the Orioles, the Pheasants remained in...
, the minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Browns
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...
in the Class C Northern League
Northern League (baseball, 1902-71)
This article refers to the original incarnations of the Northern League, which operated between 1902 and 1971. For the more recent league, see Northern League ...
.
He died on December 12, 2006, in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.