Mel Hall was a professional baseball player who played for several teams during his career. He was born on September 16, 1960, in Lyons, New York, and grew up in Los Angeles, California. Hall was a talented athlete from a young age and excelled in both baseball and basketball.
Hall was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the second round of the 1978 Major League Baseball draft. He made his major league debut with the Cubs in 1981 and played for them until 1984. During his time with the Cubs, Hall was known for his speed and his ability to hit for power.
In 1985, Hall was traded to the Cleveland Indians, where he played for two seasons. He had a breakout year in 1986, hitting .296 with 21 home runs and 91 RBIs. He was named to the American League All-Star team that year and finished 14th in the MVP voting.
After his stint with the Indians, Hall played for the New York Yankees from 1989 to 1992. He was a key player on the Yankees' 1990 team that won the American League East division title. Hall hit .276 with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs that season.
In 1993, Hall signed with the Kansas City Royals, where he played for two seasons. He hit .300 with 15 home runs and 72 RBIs in 1994, but the season was cut short by a players' strike.
Hall's final season in the major leagues was in 1996, when he played for the Anaheim Angels. He hit .267 with 8 home runs and 35 RBIs in 89 games that season.
Overall, Hall played in 1,298 games over 13 seasons in the major leagues. He had a career batting average of .276 with 134 home runs and 591 RBIs. He was known for his speed on the basepaths, stealing 121 bases in his career.
After his playing career, Hall became a coach and worked with several minor league teams. However, his post-baseball life was marred by legal troubles. In 2009, he was convicted of sexually assaulting two girls who were under the age of 13. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
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