A Little All-American football end at Swarthmore College, the 6’6″ Hall went straight to the Pirate outfield after signing for a substantial bonus. When he failed to hit well, he switched to pitching. Hall struggled with his new craft in the minors and missed the 1958 season with hepatitis, before emerging to lead the Pacific Coast League in wins, winning percentage, and ERA in 1959. After marginal success as a ML starter, he became one of the top relievers of the 1960s, exhibiting exceptional control despite an awkward-looking herky-jerky motion. In his last 462 ML innings, he unintentionally walked only 23 batters. He led the AL in relief wins in 1970.
