Another Hall of men’s softball fame

Press, 13 February 1982, Page 16

Another Hall of men’s softball fame

By

TIM DUNBAR

Only a handful of Canterbury representatives have made New Zealand men’s softball sides since they were first selected 26 years ago — and two of them have been Halls.

Back’in 1956 Arnold Hall was picked to play for New Zealand against the Rest and now his son, Michael, another short-stop, is set to make his international debut.

The younger Hall — of similarly short stature at 1.65 m — has forced his way •into the New Zealand squad tc meet the American side, Lancaster Chameleons, at Fraser Park on February 21 with some fine batting performances. Arnold Hall still remembers well the thrill of playing with some great softball players in the inaugural New Zealand side though his memories are tinged with regret. “That New Zealand team was to go overseas (to the United States and Canada), but negotiations apparently

broke • down because of finance. It. was a damn shame.” said Mr Hall. His 19-year-old son is looking forward to the prospect of putting on his own New , Zealand shirt tomorrow week. “I’m really into it,” said Hall, who had not altogether expected selection, though named in the original squad of 26.

Hall junior’s lack of height belies a rocket-like throw and batting power of the sort which allowed him to twice belt the speed pitcher, David Bradbury, over the outfield fence in one club game this year.

“I’ve put a lot of weight on.” said Hall, in some explanation of his long-hitting prowess.

Two players, the other being Wellington’s gifted John Joyce, have been specifically named as shortstops in the New Zealand side of 15 for the doubleheader against the Americans.

Hall is not keen to com-

pare himself with the other man in the specialist fielding position — “He’s a brilliant short-stop" — but his batting stands up well. At the nationals. Hall was second (with .345) only to. Auckland’s Robert Todd in the top section batting averages. Joyce was way down the list with .167.

The chunky little Burnside short-stop will have something, up his sleeve next week as he represents Canterbury in the New Zealand coits tournament at Whangarei with the international fixture not too far from his mind.

He spent four months last year playing in the United States with the Southern California Dons, from Los Angeles, and has already come across one of the Chameleons pitchers. “Their pick-up pitcher is a Negro guy from Canada called Mark Smith. They reckon he pitches at 105 m.p.h. — but he didn’t seem all that fast to me.” Hall got a walk and hit to short-stop on that occasion and will be looking for better things this time.,

Mark Smith, a left-hander, plays for the Camarillos, and was named “most valuable player” at the last International Softball Congress national championships. His namesake, Jimmy Smith, who has played for Cardinals and Hutt Valley, will also be on the visitors' pitching staff. Hall might have been christened Michael, but he

prefers the name Jimmy, by which he is exclusively known to the softball fraternity. “I’ve been called Jimmy since I was small. My father just gave me the nickname when he was bouncing me on his knee, and it has stuck since then."

With his family background it is not surprising that “Jimmy" Hall became a top softballer. His father played for New Zealand, his uncle, Bob, for the South Island and his mother (then Shirley Knowles) in a national title-winning Canterbury women’s side. And older brother, Alan, now 23, pitched for Canterbury. Hall was only four years of age when he started softball. “My father was coaching a senior team then and. we had a kind of little kiddies team which my brother was also in." His senior debut for the United-City (now Burnside) side came about in special circumstances at the tender age of 14. "It was my fourteenth birthday and Dad let me play in a night game.” That game was not a particularly auspicious one for Hall, but he has since gone from strength to strength, whether pitching or fielding at short-stop. While he was in the situation of observing rather than participating in senior games, Hall kept a very close eye on another former New Zealand short-stop, Paul McFarlane. “I always shaped

myself round him.” Ironically, McFarlane, who would have been pushing for a place as an infielder in this New Zealand team, cut his foot on a piece of glass during a training run before the nationals began. He could only make a brief appearance at the tournament, batting three times and hitting safely twice.

Mr Arnold Hall could hardly have failed to have a big influence on his son’s softball development.

"There have been two things that he has emphasised. never taking a team too lightly and always playing to your ability.” Hall added: “He’s always been very strict on not drinking the night before a competition game.” Although Hall feels he actually batted oetter at last year’s national tournament, missing out on the New Zealand side then was not a big disappointment. “I was a wee bit young and it was probably a stronger team last year.”

He did, nevertheless, make the New Zealand training squad which was coached by the noted American, Jerry Hammack. “He taught us a lot of new tricks.”

Obviously a softball enthusiast, Hall is untroubled about the surfeit of play ahead of him over the next month. The colts tournament will be immediately followed by the international fixture and then both big national club tournaments for which Burnside has qualified.

“I haven't had a break for two years now. It's good to have four or five summers in a row." Softball is not his only sporting love. Hall was formerly full-back for the Shirley Boys' High School

first XV, but missed Shirley’s club season last winter because of his American trip. This winter he should be home, though, because plans to go back to the United States in April have fallen through.