Published: November 18, 2008 11:58 pm            

MARK MAYNARD: Hello again to Hall 111908

On Thursday night at the El Hasa Shrine Temple, the Ashland American Little League will be recognizing four from the area who made their way onto major league fields.

Everybody knows Brandon Webb, the ace right-hander and perennial All-Star with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner is baseball’s winningest pitcher over the last four years.

Everybody knows umpires Charlie Reliford and Greg Gibson, who have made the area proud with their expertise and appearances in the playoffs and World Series.

But everybody may not remember the fourth honoree.

Say hello again to Drew Hall.

The lanky lefty from Ashland pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and Montreal Expos from 1986-90. He was the No. 1 draft choice of the Chicago Cubs – No. 3 overall behind Bill Swift and Shawn Abner – during the summer of 1984.

Hall was a Sporting News All-American in 1984 after leading Morehead State to the NCAA Tournament where the Eagles lost 4-3 to a Michigan team that included Barry Larkin and Chris Sabo.

Hall made it to the 25-man traveling squad of the U.S. Olympic baseball team in 1984. On the final cut to 20 players, he was cut – along with Norm Charlton and Greg Swindell - the only other lefties on the team. The team played without a left-handed pitcher on the roster.

Go figure.

Hall was mostly a journeyman in the major leagues, carving out a 9-12 record in his career.

But he made it. Played with Nolan Ryan, Rick Sutcliffe and current major leaguers Jamie Moyer and Greg Maddux.

“Jamie’s still pitching the way he always pitched,” Hall said. “He hasn’t changed much at all.”

Hall was at The Show, too. How many can say that?

Today, the 45-year-old Hall is the pitching coach – and a student - at Morehead State University. He left Morehead in the spring of ’84 to pursue his major league dream. Twenty-five years later he’s back on campus – older and wiser.

“It’s a lot different perspective now,” he said. “These students have heard of (President) Reagan. I voted for him.”

Hall looks back on his brief major league career with great fondness. He understands the odds of someone from Ashland – or Anywhere, U.S.A. – are long to make it to the major leagues. That’s why he appreciates the experience.

His first victory was in Wrigley Field in 1986, defeating the New York Mets 8-2 in a complete game on Sept. 24. He allowed six hits and struck out eight – Hall also was 1-for-4 at the plate - in front of only 6,428. Hall’s debut came against the Pirates 10 days earlier and he was the losing pitcher in a 9-2 decision.

Hall was pitching for Pittsfield, Mass., in Double-A, when he got the call. Pittsfield had just lost to Burlington,Va., in the playoffs when Dick Pole – the current Reds pitching coach – called Hall and Rafael Palmiero into the office.

“He and the manager sat us down and said ‘You’re not finished playing, you’re going to Chicago,’’’ Hall said. “It was almost unbelievable. To go from just losing in the playoffs to that … it hadn’t crossed my mind.”

Hall’s first peek inside Wrigley Field was his first day as a Cubbie. It was a surreal experience.

“I’d been on the outside (of Wrigley Field) but had never been in,” he said. “The first we did as soon as we got to the gate was look out on the field. There’s so much history there.”

Hall came up as a starter but his arm had good recovery to it so they moved him to the bullpen. His best season was with the Rangers in 1989 when he went 3-1 with a 3.70 ERA in 38 appearances. The Cubs traded him to the Rangers along with Moyer and Palmiero for Mitch Williams, Paul Kilgus, Curtis Wilkerson, Steve Wilson, Luis Benitez (minors) and Pablo Delgado (minors).

Palmiero, who went on to collect 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, was a sure-fire Hall of Famer until the steroid investigations.

Hall was traded to the Expos the following season and he went 4-7 with a 5.09 while appearing in 40 games before a bout with tendonitis cut short that season. He never made it back, eventually giving it up after not making the Pirates in the spring of 1995.

Hall has never looked back.

“The travel starts to wear you down (in the minor leagues),” he said. “I had two children who were very young and was moving them from once place to another. It’s one thing competing in the big leagues, it’s another competing in Triple-A.”

Hall had some other big moments in the majors. He once struck out five of six Blue Jays in a relief appearance. “It wasn’t until the next day that I actually thought about it,” he said. “Striking out five of six major league hitters was pretty special.”

He also pitched in the Crosstown Classic between the Cubs and White Sox in 1986. “I got to start that game,” he said. “That was pretty exciting. I pitched seven innings in it. They’d try and save the starters.”

Hall grew up on the Little League fields of Ashland. He played for the Red Sox in Ashland American. Webb did the same, playing for the Angels. Gibson played for the Twins and Reliford was a member of the Ashland National Phillies.

The point is, they made it. That’s why the Ashland American Little League is renaming its complex in their collective honor with the name “Dreams Come True.”

After all, these guys are living proof that sometimes dreams really do come true.

        

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