The 6′ 150-lb frame that earned him the sobriquet The Blade didn’t stop Hall from being one of the hardest throwers in the majors (he averaged nearly a strikeout per inning). Used for starting and relief by Twins teams that won divisional championships in 1969 and 1970 (Hall lost his Game Two start in the 1970 LCS), he came into his own after being acquired by the Reds for the 1972 season. Getting plenty of work in the deep bullpen employed by manager Sparky “Captain Hook” Anderson, Hall was 10-1 with eight saves (3-0 in seven spot starts) for the NL champs. He won Game Two of the LCS after entering in the fifth inning with two out and two runners on and a two-ball, no-strike count on the Pirates Willie Stargell. Hall fanned Stargell on a called third strike and finished the game, allowing only one run. He also contributed three innings of scoreless, one-hit relief in Game Five to keep the Reds in the game for their ninth-inning, come-from-behind, pennant-clinching victory. He continued his fine work in the World Series, saving Game Six and throwing 8-1/3 scoreless innings overall in the Reds’ losing effort against the A’s. After two more solid seasons with Cincinnati, Hall was dealt to the Mets early in 1975 and then was picked up by the Royals in May 1976 as Kansas City went on to win its first division title.
