Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Hal King
Harold King (February 1, 1944 – March 23, 2019) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball and the Mexican League as a catcher from 1967 to 1979 for the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and the Saraperos de Saltillo.
King is notable for hitting a season-changing home run on July 1, 1973, for the then-slumping Reds, pinch-hitting a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth with the score at 3–1 Dodgers, two on base, and the count at 2 balls and 2 strikes. The play was credited with turning the season around, and the Reds ended the season by winning the division. The Cincinnati Enquirer called the home run one of the most dramatic in Reds history.
King was born in Oviedo, Florida, and attended Oviedo High School.
King began his professional baseball career in 1962 with the barnstorming Negro league Indianapolis Clowns, and played for the team through 1964.
King was signed as an amateur free agent in 1965 by the California Angels. He was drafted by the Houston Astros from the California Angels in the 1966 minor league draft. in 1967, King led the Carolina League with 30 home runs along with 87 runs batted in and a .288 batting average while playing for the Asheville Tourists. His hitting performance earned him a late-season promotion to the major leagues.
He made his major league debut at age 23 with the Houston Astros on September 6, 1967 with an eighth-inning, pinch-hit ground out against future Baseball Hall of Fame member Gaylord Perry. His first major league hit came four days later on September 10, 1967, with a single off the Dodgers' Bill Singer. Later in the game he notched both his first triple and first run batted in, also against Singer, driving in Rusty Staub.
King spent the majority of the 1968 season in the minor leagues but, did appear in 27 games with the Astros. On March 11, 1969, he was traded by the Houston Astros to the Boston Red Sox for Mark Schaeffer. King played the 1969 season with the Louisville Colonels of the International League, hitting for a .322 batting average with 9 home runs and 44 runs batted in. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves on December 1, 1969, in the 1969 Rule 5 draft. His best season in the major leagues was with the 1970 Atlanta Braves. Appearing in 89 games, King had a .260 batting average with 11 home runs and 30 runs batted in.
After two seasons with the Braves, he was sent to the Texas Rangers for Paul Casanova at the Winter Meetings on December 2, 1971. King started the 1972 season in a platoon role alongside right-hand hitting catcher, Dick Billings. He was sent back to the minor leagues in July, after posting only a .180 batting average. On December 1, 1972, the Rangers traded King with Jim Driscoll to the Cincinnati Reds for Jim Merritt. The Reds were looking to add to their catching lineup due to questions about Johnny Bench's playing future, as he'd had a recent diagnosis that would require lung surgery.
Hub AI
Hal King AI simulator
(@Hal King_simulator)
Hal King
Harold King (February 1, 1944 – March 23, 2019) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball and the Mexican League as a catcher from 1967 to 1979 for the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and the Saraperos de Saltillo.
King is notable for hitting a season-changing home run on July 1, 1973, for the then-slumping Reds, pinch-hitting a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth with the score at 3–1 Dodgers, two on base, and the count at 2 balls and 2 strikes. The play was credited with turning the season around, and the Reds ended the season by winning the division. The Cincinnati Enquirer called the home run one of the most dramatic in Reds history.
King was born in Oviedo, Florida, and attended Oviedo High School.
King began his professional baseball career in 1962 with the barnstorming Negro league Indianapolis Clowns, and played for the team through 1964.
King was signed as an amateur free agent in 1965 by the California Angels. He was drafted by the Houston Astros from the California Angels in the 1966 minor league draft. in 1967, King led the Carolina League with 30 home runs along with 87 runs batted in and a .288 batting average while playing for the Asheville Tourists. His hitting performance earned him a late-season promotion to the major leagues.
He made his major league debut at age 23 with the Houston Astros on September 6, 1967 with an eighth-inning, pinch-hit ground out against future Baseball Hall of Fame member Gaylord Perry. His first major league hit came four days later on September 10, 1967, with a single off the Dodgers' Bill Singer. Later in the game he notched both his first triple and first run batted in, also against Singer, driving in Rusty Staub.
King spent the majority of the 1968 season in the minor leagues but, did appear in 27 games with the Astros. On March 11, 1969, he was traded by the Houston Astros to the Boston Red Sox for Mark Schaeffer. King played the 1969 season with the Louisville Colonels of the International League, hitting for a .322 batting average with 9 home runs and 44 runs batted in. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves on December 1, 1969, in the 1969 Rule 5 draft. His best season in the major leagues was with the 1970 Atlanta Braves. Appearing in 89 games, King had a .260 batting average with 11 home runs and 30 runs batted in.
After two seasons with the Braves, he was sent to the Texas Rangers for Paul Casanova at the Winter Meetings on December 2, 1971. King started the 1972 season in a platoon role alongside right-hand hitting catcher, Dick Billings. He was sent back to the minor leagues in July, after posting only a .180 batting average. On December 1, 1972, the Rangers traded King with Jim Driscoll to the Cincinnati Reds for Jim Merritt. The Reds were looking to add to their catching lineup due to questions about Johnny Bench's playing future, as he'd had a recent diagnosis that would require lung surgery.