Mel Hall | |||
---|---|---|---|
Outfielder | |||
Born: Lyons, New York |
September 16, 1960 |||
|
|||
MLB debut | |||
September 3, 1981, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
May 21, 1996, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Batting average | .276 | ||
Home runs | 134 | ||
Runs batted in | 620 | ||
Teams | |||
Melvin Hall Jr. (born September 16, 1960 in Lyons, New York) is a former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1996 with the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, and San Francisco Giants. He also played in Japan from 1993 to 1995. He primarily played as an outfielder. On June 17, 2009, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison after being found guilty of two counts of sexual assault against minors.
Hall made his Major League Baseball debut in 1981 with the Chicago Cubs. In his first full Major League season in 1983, Hall hit 17 home runs in 112 games. In 1987, he had the best range factor of all MLB left-fielders. In 1991, when Bernie Williams was a rookie, Hall made fun of him by giving him the nickname "Zero". It was alleged that when Williams would talk, Hall would scream "Shut up, Zero!" at him, nearly making him cry. In 1992, Hall hit 15 home runs, drove in a career-high 81 RBIs and had a career high of 163 hits in 152 games with the New York Yankees. Following the season, the 32-year-old opted to leave the major leagues, agreeing to a 2-year $4 million contract to play in Japan. When he returned to play for the San Francisco Giants in 1996, Hall registered just three singles in 25 games with the big league club, and retired shortly thereafter.
Hall was arrested in Lewisville, Texas on June 21, 2007 and charged with two counts of sexual assault after North Richland Hills, Texas police received a report from a woman who reported she was sexually assaulted in March 1999, when she was under the age of 17. During the investigation, a second victim under the age of 14 was identified. One of these girls was 12 at the time of the rape. On June 16, 2009, Hall was convicted on three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child. On June 17, 2009, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison. He must serve 22 years and 4 months before he is eligible for parole.