{{Short description|American baseball player (1937–2004)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Tom Haller |position=Catcher |image=Tom Haller 1965.jpg |bats=Left |throws=Right |birth_date={{Birth date|1937|6|23}} |birth_place=Lockport, Illinois, U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|2004|11|26|1937|6|23}} |death_place=Los Angeles, California, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=April 11 |debutyear=1961 |debutteam=San Francisco Giants |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=October 4 |finalyear=1972 |finalteam=Detroit Tigers |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Batting average |stat1value=.257 |stat2label=Home runs |stat2value=134 |stat3label=Runs batted in |stat3value=504 |teams= * San Francisco Giants ({{mlby|1961}}–{{mlby|1967}}) * Los Angeles Dodgers ({{mlby|1968}}–{{mlby|1971}}) * Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1972}}) |highlights= * 3× All-Star (1966–1968) * San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame }} '''Thomas Frank Haller''' (June 23, 1937 – November 26, 2004) was an American professional baseball player, coach, and executive. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1961 to 1972, most notably as a member of the San Francisco Giants where he made two of his three All-Star teams. Haller ended his playing career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers.<ref name="bbrefhallermaj">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/halleto01.shtml|date=2019|title=Tom Haller Stats|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=May 13, 2019}}</ref>
Haller was considered one of the top catchers in the National League (NL) during the late 1960s.<ref name="The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract">{{cite book|author=James, Bill|title=The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract|publisher=Free Press|location=New York|year=2001|page=[https://archive.org/details/newbilljameshist00jame/page/392 392]|isbn=0-684-80697-5}}</ref> In 2008, he was part of the inaugural class of inductees into the San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/giants/ballpark/wall-of-fame |title=San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame at MLB.com |work=mlb.com |accessdate=19 May 2020 |archive-date=29 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129170444/https://www.mlb.com/giants/ballpark/wall-of-fame |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Major League career== Haller was born in Lockport, Illinois, and attended the University of Illinois, where he played as a quarterback for the Illinois Fighting Illini football team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historicbaseball.com/players/h/haller_tom.html |title=Tom Haller |publisher=historicbaseball.com |accessdate=30 October 2011}}</ref> During his time at the university, Haller was also a member of Theta Chi fraternity. Haller was signed by the San Francisco Giants, as an amateur free agent, in 1958.<ref name="bbrefhallermaj"/> After playing in the minor leagues for three seasons, he made his major league debut with the Giants on April 11, 1961, at the age of 24.<ref name="bbrefhallermaj"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=haller001tho|title=Tom Haller Minor League Statistics & History|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 30, 2011}}</ref>
Haller hit .261, with 18 home runs, and 55 Run batted in (RBI), for the Giants in 1962, in a platoon system, alongside Ed Bailey, although both catchers were left-handed hitters. Haller and Bailey combined to give the Giants 35 home runs and 100 runs batted in from the catcher's position as they battled the Los Angeles Dodgers in a tight pennant race.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SFG/1962.shtml|title=1962 San Francisco Giants|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 30, 2011}}</ref> The two teams ended the season tied for first place and met in the 1962 National League tie-breaker series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1962.shtml |title=1962 National League Team Statistics and Standings|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 30, 2011}}</ref> The Giants won the three-game series to clinch the National League championship.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=3617483|title=Tiebreaker Playoff Results|work=ESPN.com|date=September 30, 2008|access-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref> The Giants then lost to the New York Yankees in the 1962 World Series in seven games. Haller collected four hits in 14 at-bats, with a home run, and three RBI, during the Series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/halleto01.shtml?redir#batting_postseason |title=Tom Haller post season batting statistics|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 30, 2011}}</ref>
Haller continued to platoon with Bailey through the 1963 season, finishing the year second to Johnny Edwards among National League catchers in fielding percentage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1963-fielding-leaders.shtml |title=1963 National League Fielding Leaders|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 31, 2011}}</ref> In December 1963, the Giants traded Bailey to the Milwaukee Braves for veteran catcher Del Crandall, and Haller became their undisputed starting catcher. He was a solid defensive catcher for the Giants from 1964 to 1967. In his book, ''The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract'', baseball historian Bill James said the decision to give Joe Torre a {{by|1965}} National League Gold Glove Award was absurd, stating that Torre was given the award because of his offensive statistics and that either Haller or John Roseboro was more deserving of the award.<ref name="The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract"/> Haller also helped offensively in 1965, hitting two home runs and driving in five runs during a game on September 27 to put the Giants in first place with one week left in the season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tom Haller Blasts San Francisco Into National League Top Position|agency=Associated Press|work=The Spokesman-Review|page=29|date=September 28, 1965|accessdate=October 31, 2011|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wDpWAAAAIBAJ&pg=7059,4348021&dq=tom+haller&hl=en}}</ref> However, the Giants faltered and ended the season two games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1965.shtml|title=1965 National League Team Statistics and Standings|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 31, 2011}}</ref>
The following season, Haller earned his first All-Star berth when he was named as a reserve player for the National League team in the 1966 All-Star Game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NLS/NLS196607120.shtml|title=1966 All-Star Game|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 31, 2011}}</ref> He was the catcher for two twenty-game winners in 1966, as Juan Marichal won 25 games and Gaylord Perry won 21 games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SFG/1966.shtml|title=1966 San Francisco Giants|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 31, 2011}}</ref> Haller finished the season with career-highs of 27 home runs and 67 runs batted in, as the Giants once again finished second to the Dodgers, by a game and a half.<ref name="bbrefhallermaj"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1966.shtml|title=1966 National League Team Statistics and Standings|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 31, 2011}}</ref> He earned his second consecutive All-Star berth in 1967 when he was named as a reserve for the National League team in the 1967 All-Star Game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ALS/ALS196707110.shtml|title=1967 All-Star Game|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 31, 2011}}</ref> Haller ended the 1967 season second to Tim McCarver among NL catchers in assists and in fielding percentage, and guided the Giants' pitching staff to the lowest team earned run average (ERA) in the National League, as Giants pitcher, Mike McCormick, won the National League Cy Young Award, with a 22-10 record.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1967-fielding-leaders.shtml|title=1967 National League Fielding Leaders|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 31, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1967.shtml#teams_standard_pitching::7|title=1967 National League Team Statistics and Standings|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 31, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1967.shtml#NLcya|title=1967 National League Cy Young Award balloting results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 31, 2011}}</ref> The Giants finished in second place for a third consecutive season, this time to the St. Louis Cardinals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1967.shtml|title=1967 National League Team Statistics and Standings|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 31, 2011}}</ref>
In February 1968, the Giants were in need of good infielders, and with four young catching prospects, including Dick Dietz and Dave Rader, club president Chub Feeney decided to trade Haller along with a player to be named later, to the Dodgers, for infielders Ron Hunt and Nate Oliver.<ref name="Tom Haller Trades and Transactions">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/trades.php?p=halleto01|title=Tom Haller Trades and Transactions|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 30, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Hunt, Oliver Dealt To San Francisco By LA For Haller">{{cite news|title=Hunt, Oliver Dealt To San Francisco By LA For Haller|agency=Associated Press|work=Tri City Herald|page=13|date=February 12, 1968 |accessdate=October 31, 2011|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PWEhAAAAIBAJ&pg=4684,2324095&dq=tom+haller&hl=en}}</ref> The trade was the first between the two teams since their move to the West Coast in {{by|1958}}, and also the first since the one that would have sent Jackie Robinson from the Dodgers to the Giants after the {{by|1956}} season.<ref name="Hunt, Oliver Dealt To San Francisco By LA For Haller"/> Haller played well in 1968, posting a .285 batting average, in 144 games, and earned his third consecutive All-Star berth.<ref name="bbrefhallermaj"/> He also played well defensively with career-highs in assists (83) and in double plays (23).<ref name="bbrefhallermaj"/> He guided the Dodgers' pitching staff to the second best team earned run average in the league, although the team finished the season in seventh place.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1968.shtml#teams_standard_pitching::7|title=1968 National League Team Statistics and Standings|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 31, 2011}}</ref>
After spending four seasons with the Dodgers, Haller was traded to the Detroit Tigers, in December 1971.<ref name="Tom Haller Trades and Transactions"/> He batted .207 with two home runs and 12 runs batted in during the 1972 season as a backup catcher for Bill Freehan, when the Tigers won the American League Eastern Division championship.<ref name="bbrefhallermaj"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1972.shtml|title=1972 American League Team Statistics and Standings|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=November 1, 2011}}</ref> Haller was the younger brother of American League (AL) umpire Bill Haller and in July 1972, the two men appeared in the same game with Tom catching for the Tigers while Bill stood behind him as the home plate umpire.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tom Haller's Brother Looks Over Shoulder|last=Lowitt|first=Bruce|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Reading Eagle Company|work=Reading Eagle|place=Reading, Pennsylvania|page=6|date=July 15, 1972|accessdate=October 31, 2011|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=75MjAAAAIBAJ&pg=4502,2527646&dq=tom+haller&hl=en}}</ref> His playing time was reduced when the Tigers acquired catcher Duke Sims in August.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=halleto01&t=b&year=1972 |title=1972 Tom Haller batting log|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=November 1, 2011}}</ref> In the 1972 American League Championship Series against the Oakland Athletics, Haller made only one appearance as a pinch hitter in Game 2, as the Tigers lost the series in five games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK197210080.shtml|title=1972 American League Championship Series Game 2 box score|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=November 1, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1972_ALCS.shtml |title=1972 American League Championship Series|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=November 1, 2011}}</ref> In October 1972, the Tigers sold Haller to the Philadelphia Phillies along with pitcher Don Leshnock.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tigers Announce Leshnock Deal; Phils Get Haller|agency=United Press International|publisher=The Vindicator Printing Co|work=Youngstown Vindicator|place=Youngstown, Ohio|page=36|date=October 26, 1972|accessdate=October 31, 2011|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9xZJAAAAIBAJ&pg=497,4370097&dq=don+leshnock&hl=en}}</ref> Haller then made the decision to retire at the age of 35.<ref>{{cite news|title=People in Sports: Haller, Phillies Catcher, Retires|last=Rogers|first=Thomas|work=The New York Times|page=24|date=January 20, 1973|accessdate=October 31, 2011|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/20/archives/people-in-sports-haller-phillies-catcher-retires.html}}</ref>
==Career statistics== In a twelve-year major league career, Haller played in 1,294 games, accumulating 1,011 hits, in 3,935 at bats, for a .257 career batting average, along with 134 home runs, 504 runs batted in, and an on-base percentage of .340.<ref name="bbrefhallermaj"/> A three-time All-Star, he was a more-than-capable defensive catcher, ending his career with a respectable .992 fielding percentage which, at the time of his retirement, was second only to the .993 career record of Elston Howard.<ref name="bbrefhallermaj"/> Haller led National League catchers in putouts in {{by|1965}}, and in baserunners caught stealing in {{by|1968}}.<ref name="bbrefhallermaj"/> He set the NL single-season record for double plays by a catcher with 23 in 1968.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/fielding_misc.htm |title=Miscellaneous fielding records|publisher=The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers |accessdate=October 30, 2011}}</ref> Haller led the NL in sacrifice flies, in 1968, with 9.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1968-batting-leaders.shtml|title=1968 National League Batting Leaders|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 30, 2011}}</ref> Haller caught for six pitchers who would eventually be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://batteries.sabr.org/caught-most.htm|title=Catchers Who Caught The Most Hall Of Fame Pitchers|publisher=Society for American Baseball Research|work=sabr.org|accessdate=June 28, 2012}}</ref> He caught 107 shutouts during his career, ranking him 23rd all-time among major league catchers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bb_catchers.tripod.com/catchers/tmonth1.htm|title=The Encyclopedia of Catchers - Trivia December 2010 - Career Shutouts Caught|publisher=The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers|accessdate=December 29, 2015}}</ref> Baseball historian Bill James ranked Haller 26th all-time among major league catchers.<ref name="The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract"/>
==Coaching and executive career== After his playing career ended, Haller worked for the Giants as a coach ({{by|1977}}–{{by|1979}}), and was their vice president of baseball operations ({{by|1981}}–{{by|1985}}).<ref name="chisoxhallergm">{{cite news|title=Haller joins White Sox|agency=United Press International|publisher=Woodward Communications Inc|work=Telegraph Herald|place=Dubuque, Iowa|page=15|date=June 10, 1986|accessdate=October 31, 2011|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yGNfAAAAIBAJ&pg=3395,1898421&dq=tom+haller&hl=en}}</ref> He was named to the Giants' 25th anniversary team, in 1982.<ref name="nythallerobit">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/29/sports/baseball/29haller.html|title=Tom Haller, 67, 3-Time All-Star Catcher, Dies|date=November 29, 2004|work=The New York Times|accessdate=May 13, 2019}}</ref> Early in the {{by|1986}} baseball season, Haller served as the manager of the minor league Double-A Birmingham Barons, of the Southern League (an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=haller001tho#standard_managing::none|title=Tom Haller minor league manager statistics|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=October 30, 2011}}</ref> On June 9, 1986, Haller was named as the General Manager of the White Sox, but disagreements with executive Ken Harrelson led to Haller resigning at the end of the season.<ref name="chisoxhallergm"/>
After a long illness, Haller died, in Los Angeles, on November 26, 2004, at the age of 67.<ref name="nythallerobit"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{baseballstats|mlb=115359|espn=22477|br=h/halleto01|fangraphs=1005244|brm=haller001tho|retro=H/Phallt102}} {{basketballstats}} *[https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/399c055e Tom Haller] at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
{{San Francisco Giants general managers}} {{Chicago White Sox general managers}} {{San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame}} {{Portal bar|Biography|Baseball}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haller, Tom}} Category:1937 births Category:2004 deaths Category:San Francisco Giants players Category:Los Angeles Dodgers players Category:Detroit Tigers players Category:Major League Baseball catchers Category:National League All-Stars Category:Major League Baseball general managers Category:Players of American football from Will County, Illinois Category:San Francisco Giants coaches Category:San Francisco Giants executives Category:Birmingham Barons managers Category:Illinois Fighting Illini football players Category:Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players Category:Sportspeople from Lockport, Illinois Category:Phoenix Giants players Category:Springfield Giants players Category:Tacoma Giants players Category:American people of Austrian descent