Dick Hall (with Orioles from 1961-1966, 1969-1971)
65-40, 60 SV, 2.89 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 770 IP, 124 ERA+ (with Orioles)
Hall was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1951 as an outfielder. He spent a few seasons in their minor leagues as a hitter, but switched to pitching in 1955. He didn’t have much success with the Pirates. He missed the entire 1958 season with hepatitis, then returned in 1959 to pitch mostly at the Triple-A level. He was traded to Kansas City after the 1959 season. After one year with Kansas City, Hall was traded to Baltimore along with Dick Williams for Chuck Essegian and Jerry Walker.
The Orioles used Hall as a starter and reliever in 1961. He was 7-5 with a 3.09 ERA while starting 13 of the 29 games in which he appeared. Over the next five years with the Orioles, Hall would become exclusively a reliever. He never had high save totals, topping out with 12 in 1963 and 1965, but the save rule had yet to be invented so teams didn’t use their relievers then like they do now.
One of the characteristics of Hall’s pitching during this time with the Orioles was his terrific control. From 1962 to 1966, Hall walked 1.3 batters per nine innings and had a K/BB of 4.6. Both were the best marks in baseball for relief pitchers with more than 150 innings during this five-year stretch.
Hall didn’t pitch during the 1966 World Series, which the Orioles won in four games over the Dodgers. He just wasn’t needed. The Orioles used four pitchers in the entire World Series and only one was a reliever (Moe Drabowsky). Hall was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies after the 1966 season. When the Phillies released him two years later, the Orioles signed him as a free agent.
In his second stint with the Orioles, Hall continued to limit walks. From 1969 to 1971, he appeared in 98 games and had a 3.12 ERA. The Orioles made the World Series all three years, winning once. In the post-season, Hall pitched 8 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run.