Hal Keller facts for kids

Harold "Hal" Keller (born July 7, 1927 – died June 5, 2012) was an American baseball player and important leader in baseball teams. He was known for being the fourth general manager of the Seattle Mariners, a team in Major League Baseball. Hal grew up on a farm in Middletown, Maryland. He studied economics at the University of Maryland and served in the United States Army during World War II. His older brother, Charlie Keller, was also a famous baseball player, an All-Star for the New York Yankees.

Hal Keller's Baseball Journey

Playing Days as a Catcher

Hal Keller played professional baseball for eight seasons, starting in 1948. He was a catcher, which is a player who squats behind home plate to receive pitches. He played in 25 MLB games for the Washington Senators between 1949 and 1952.

Hal was a left-handed batter. He was tall, standing 6 feet 1 inch, and weighed 200 pounds. During his time in the big leagues, he got 11 hits. These included five doubles (when a batter hits the ball and reaches second base safely) and one home run (when a batter hits the ball out of the park, scoring a run). His home run was a two-run shot hit at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox in 1950.

Moving to Management and Scouting

After his playing career, Hal Keller stayed in baseball. In the late 1950s, he became a manager for the Senators' minor league teams. He then worked as a scout for the Senators. A scout is someone who travels to watch new players and decide if they are good enough for the team.

When the Senators team moved to Minnesota in 1960 and became the Minnesota Twins, Hal stayed in Washington. He became the director of the farm system for the new Washington Senators team that started in 1961. The farm system is where young players develop their skills before playing in the major leagues.

In 1964, Hal rejoined the Senators as their director of player development and scouting. He held this important job for 15 years, even when the team moved to Texas and became the Texas Rangers.

Leading the Seattle Mariners

After 1978, Hal Keller joined the Seattle Mariners as their farm system and scouting director. He worked there from 1979 to 1983. During his many years as a director, he helped find and train many talented players. Some of these players became well-known, like Phil Bradley, Jeff Burroughs, Joe Coleman, Mike Hargrove, Mark Langston, Bill Madlock, Jim Sundberg, and Bill Swift.

In October 1983, Hal became the general manager of the Seattle Mariners. This is a top leadership role where he made big decisions about the team's players and strategies. He served in this role until July 1985. During his time as general manager, the Mariners added new talented players like Mark Langston, Bill Swift, Alvin Davis, and Jim Presley to their team.

After leaving the Mariners, Hal continued to work in baseball as a scout for other teams, including the Detroit Tigers and the Anaheim Angels.

Later Life

Hal Keller passed away peacefully at his home in Sequim, Washington, when he was 84 years old.