#589 Hal Lainer

Typical for the time; a good field poor hit infielder…. Up to this time, a life time Giant….Best season was well behind him; his rookie year of 1964….started that year in AAA Tacoma achieved a mid season call up based on .324 BA….Had a decent response to improved level of play, immediately taking a regular spot at 2^nd base and hitting .274….the rest of his career did not hit above .233 in any given season….eventually moved to shortstop…virtually no power with his best mark being 3 home runs in the 1966….His last HR of that year was on Sept 5^th,  would not hit  another until April  25^th 1970, a span of 485 games….lost playing time in 1971 with the arrival of teenacger Chris Spier….relegated to fill in at all 4 infield spots…After purchase by NYY was used sparingly for two seasons.