Mel Hall sentenced to 45 years
I have a pair of memories of Mel Hall from my youth. When I started following the Indians in the mid-to-late 1980s, Hall was one of the Tribe's regulars.

He was a solid hitter, but not too much else. When I was young, I read that Hall was a target of the Yankees in a trade. Problem was, the Yanks weren't sure who they'd give up to get him.

I wrote a letter which I intended to send to Hall (I don't think I ever sent it).

"Dear Mel Hall-

Please tell the Indians not to trade you unless they will get something back-

Zach"

You could tell with insight like that I'd be a sports writer.

Anyway, the other memory of Hall came when my family was in south Florida. It was the spring of 1989, and the Yankees were playing the Orioles at the (then new) Joe Robbie Stadium in an exhibition game. My family went, and I was pulling (naturally) for the Orioles.

But Hall (just traded to the Yankees the previous winter) hit a 3-run homer, almost to spite the wishes of his former fans.

Usually when I write like this, there's a tag at the end. These were the main memories I had of Hall, honestly, they were positive ones.

But any mention of Hall now will be incomplete without mention of his 45-year prison sentence for raping a 12-year old girl.

It's a sad end for what may be a very sick man.