Greg Halman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Greg Halman
Halman with the Seattle Mariners in 2010
Outfielder
Born: (1987-08-26)August 26, 1987 Haarlem, Netherlands
Died: November 21, 2011(2011-11-21) (aged 24) Rotterdam, Netherlands
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
September 23, 2010, for the Seattle Mariners
Last appearance
August 3, 2011, for the Seattle Mariners
MLB statistics
Batting average	.207
Home runs	2
Runs batted in	9
Teams
Seattle Mariners (2010–2011)
Medals Men’s Baseball Representing  Netherlands European Baseball Championship Gold 2007 Spain National team

Gregory Anthony Halman (born August 26, 1987 – died November 21, 2011) was a professional baseball player from the Netherlands. He played as an outfielder for the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball (MLB) during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Greg also played for the Dutch national baseball team. Sadly, he passed away in 2011. His brother was later found not guilty of the incident due to temporary insanity.

Baseball Career

Playing in the Netherlands

Greg Halman started his baseball career early. He made his debut at just 16 years old. This was with the Dutch major league team, Corendon Kinheim, in Haarlem in 2003.

Baseball was a family sport for the Halmans. Greg's father, Eddy, and his younger brother, Jason, also played for the Dutch national baseball team. His sister, Naomi, became a professional basketball player in Europe. Greg proudly represented the Netherlands in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Joining the Seattle Mariners

Halman playing for the Mariners

The Seattle Mariners baseball team signed Greg as a free agent on June 26, 2004. He started his professional journey in 2005. He played 26 games with the rookie-level Arizona League Mariners. He played in all three outfield positions.

In 2006, Greg hit .259 with 5 home runs. He also had 15 RBI in 28 games for the Low-A Everett AquaSox. He was good at stealing bases, finishing third on his team with 10 stolen bases. He had a great streak of hitting safely in 21 of 28 games.

By 2007, Greg showed his power by hitting 20 home runs. This was combined between Everett and Single-A Wisconsin. He was recognized as the Short-Season A Player of the Year. In 2008, he moved up to High-A High Desert. He hit 19 home runs and had 53 RBI in 67 games.

In 2009, he was promoted to Double-A West Tenn. He hit 10 more home runs there. He ended the season with 29 total home runs and 31 stolen bases. Because of his great performance, he was named the Mariners' Minor League Player of the Year.

On September 22, 2010, Greg Halman was called up to play for the Seattle Mariners. This was his chance to play in Major League Baseball. On June 3, 2011, he was called up again. He hit his first big league home run on June 15. This helped the Mariners win 3–1 against the Los Angeles Angels.

About Greg's Life

Greg Halman was very good at languages. He spoke four different ones: Dutch, English, Spanish, and Papiamento. He grew up speaking Dutch and English. He learned Spanish in 2005, which was his first year in the United States. He finished high school at Mendel College in North Holland in June 2004.

Greg's Passing

On November 21, 2011, Greg Halman passed away in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He was 24 years old. His brother, Jason Halman, was involved in the incident.

A Dutch court later looked into the situation. Jason agreed to get mental health treatment. On August 30, 2012, the court formally found Jason not guilty. This was because he was found to be in a state of temporary insanity at the time. The court allowed Jason to go free. They stated that experts believed there was only a small chance of this happening again. They also thought the mental health issue was likely a one-time event.

Greg was buried in a quiet grove near the sea. His family chose this spot because it reminded them of a baseball field. Greg was the first former Major League Baseball player known to have passed away in the Netherlands.

See also

• List of baseball players who died during their careers