A former Atlanta Braves player has passed away at the age of 67.
It was announced on Sunday that former Atlanta Braves outfielder Albert Hall had passed away at the age of 67.
Hall played nine MLB seasons, spending eight with Atlanta before finishing his career in Pittsburgh. Across 375 games, he tallied 202 hits, 53 runs batted in, 67 stolen bases, five home runs, 89 walks and 115 strikeouts, appearing primarily as an outfielder and pinch hitter. Hall’s best individual season came in 1987 when he set career-highs in hits (83), doubles (20), triples (4), homers (3), RBIs (24), steals (33) and OPS (.780). His career line included a .251 batting average, .328 on-base percentage and .335 slugging percentage, with a .663 OPS and 81 OPS+.
During his time in Atlanta, Hall finished with 121 runs scored, 35 doubles, seven triples and 64 total stolen bases for before adding just six hits and three steals in his lone year with Pittsburgh.
Hall was a switch-hitter drafted by the Braves in the sixth round of the 1977 MLB Draft. From Birmingham, Alabama, Hall reached the majors in 1981 after coming out of Jones Valley High School. He debuted with Atlanta on Sept. 12, 1981 and played his final MLB game on Oct. 1, 1989.
He was more of a bench player throughout his career, but did etch his name in Braves history when he hit for the cycle on Sept. 23, 1987. He hit .284 that year which was a career-best.
Hall also logged an extensive 11-season minor league career, appearing in 946 games and recording 4,070 plate appearances with 982 hits, 654 runs, 135 doubles, 59 triples, 20 home runs, 287 RBI and 455 stolen bases. He added 483 walks and 403 strikeouts, finishing with a .282/.376/.372 slash line in MiLB action.
At the AAA level (five seasons), Hall played 512 games and produced 365 runs, 538 hits, 163 RBI and 217 stolen bases while posting a .278 average and a .739 OPS. In AA (one season), he hit .308 with 60 stolen bases. Across two A-ball seasons, he stole 166 bases while batting .285.
Hall will be missed, but his name will also forever be etched in Braves history. After his cycle in 1987, it was not until 2008 when Atlanta had another player achieve the feat. Mark Kotsay did it that year, and it has since been achieved by Freddie Freeman (twice) and Eddie Rosario who did it in 2021.