New Dodgers addition Darren Hall started off hot in spring 1996, going six outings without giving up an earned run, according to The Los Angeles Times.
And he was doing it after coming back from arthroscopic surgery on his elbow the previous August, The Times wrote.
"I thought I'd be pitching OK if I was healthy," Hall told The Times. "But I never thought I'd be pitching like this. I feel like I'm pitching even better than I was in '94 with Toronto."
With the Blue Jays in 1994, Hall saved 17 games, all in his rookie season. His season with the Dodgers in 1996 wouldn't go as he'd hoped. He got into just nine regular season games.
Returning to his 1994 form would have to wait until his 1997 campaign, and after a trade request was denied.
Hall's career began in 1986, taken by the Blue Jays in the 26th round of the draft, out of Dallas Baptist University.
Hall started at rookie Medicine Hat, moving to single-A Myrtle Beach in 1987. He hit AA Knoxville in 1988, getting a call to Toronto. Hall, though, couldn't go, he got injured, he told The Times later. He also didn't take the next step to AAA Syracuse until 1992.
Then, in 1994, as a 29-year-old, Hall made Toronto. He also had early success, picking up his first major league save in his third big league outing. By late-July, Hall was the team's closer, picking up his 12th save and getting veteran Dave Stewart his seventh win.
In all, Hall picked up 17 saves in 30 outings for the Blue Jays in the abbreviated 1994 season. The next season, his time got scaled back, to 17 total outings, Hall's health being a factor.
Then came Hall's move to the Dodgers for 1996. After that hot spring start, Hall only got into those nine regular season games, elbow problems again putting him on the shelf again.
"My whole career has been [injury prone]," Hall told The Times after being put on the DL. "In '88 they were calling me up to Toronto and I got hurt and couldn't go and rehab took me a good 2 1/2 years to come off arm surgery. I finally made it in '94 and now this."
Coming back for 1997, Hall saw an assignment to AAA at the end of spring, after the Dodgers didn't have room for him, as demotion. He even asked for a trade, according to The Times.
Hall, though, ended up starting the year with the team, and ending it. He ended up getting into 63 outings for the Dodgers that year, posting a 2.30 ERA. He then returned to the Dodgers for 1998, getting into 11, ending his big league career.
Originally published March 29, 2013
- Los Angeles Times, March 20, 1996: Hall Makes Early Impression
- Los Angeles Times, April 26, 1996: Things All Right With Their World
- Los Angeles Times, March 26, 1997: Hall Asks for Trade, but Claire Balks
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