#598 Hal King

Career MLB back up catcher…traded to Texas in a straight up for fellow catcher, Paul Casanova…best season 1970 was already behind him….Started in Houston organization and had two cups of coffee in 1967 and 1968…Traded to Red Sox who kept him in the minors for 1969….Taken in rule 5 draft by Atlanta where he split time with Bob Tillman….hit 11 home runs and respectable .260…1971 saw a loss of playing time and a drop to .207….the Texas odyssey resulted in a sub .200 average….tossed in as an add on in Cincinnati’s swap of Jim Merritt…finished career with season as a third string catcher behind Johnny Bench and Bill Plummer.