Remembering Halsey Hall

Obviously events in baseball have jogged a few old memories, which sends one directly to the great repository of memories, You Tube.

When I was a youngster the radio voice of the Minnesota Twins was the inimitable Halsey Hall.  His was a deep, mirthful voice.  He became the Twins announcer fairly late in life, after a long career of newspaper journalism and of being the play by play announcer for the minor league Minneapolis Millers as well as for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.*

Rain delays were a delight when Halsey was at the microphone.  He had a lifetime of fascinating and usually humorous anecdotes on all matters sporting.  Most of these stories probably were at the time enhanced by alcohol.  When one of Halsey's younger co-workers was detailed to carry the baggage on road trips he asked Halsey what the heavy bag was.

"My Library", was the response.

It was considered odd that the library made a distinct clinking noise when it was set down.

Here is a vintage clip that seems to be an out take for a commercial Halsey made for Hamm's Beer.  Ray Scott was another local sports broadcaster......

The start of the tape is glitchy....it no doubt came out of a musty archive somewhere. 

Two thoughts:

1. Halsey knew his way around both sides of a bar.  He intentionally poured that glass to overflow just to bedevil Mr. Scott!

2. I considered Mr. Hall to be a most worthy fellow.  One of my kids got the middle name Halsey!
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*If you wonder how ferocious a team name "Gophers" is, well, I wonder that also.