Hall ready to contribute after frustrating season
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Toby Hall already has noticed one big difference between this year and last.
He can pick up his youngest son, Kendall.
Just less than a year ago, Hall was playing first base for the White Sox in a Cactus League game and he made a fairly routine play on a groundball.
As it turned out, Hall landed awkwardly and dislocated his right shoulder. After considering season-ending surgery, Hall opted for rest and rehabilitation.
The Sox' 32-year-old catcher was activated in mid-May, but he was a shell of his old self while batting .207 with no home runs and 3 RBI in 38 games.
"It (stunk),'' Hall said. "It was real frustrating. I've never been hurt before and I come over here wanting to contribute and I get hurt. I think the only thing that sums it up is it's frustrating.''
Hall, who signed a two-year, $3.65 million contract with an option for 2009 prior to last season, finally admitted how bad the injury was Thursday.
"I was basically playing with one arm,'' Hall said. "When I tried to hit, it was one-handed. If you look at the injury I had, trying to go out there and compete against guys with two arms, it was tough.''
How bad of a season was it?
Defensively, Hall only managed to throw out 3 of 29 runners trying to steal. Offensively, the 6-foot-2, 255-pounder had the fewest RBI among all major-leaguers with 100 or more at-bats. Even worse, his 3 RBI were the lowest in the American League since 1999, when the Angels' Trent Durrington had 2.
"Last year, regardless of the injury, when you're only playing once every 10 days and you're hurt, you're just not going to get good results,'' Hall said. "Even if I played every other day, I probably wouldn't have good results. It was something last year where I just wanted to prove to my body that I could at least throw.
"I wasn't even able to pick up my kid. To be able to go out there and swing a bat, throw, that was a plus for me.''
Hall continued his strengthening program during the off-season, but he has yet to play in a game this spring. He's expecting to play next week.
"Hopefully, by Monday I can get in there,'' Hall said. "But we're shooting for the last two weeks. Everything else is good. I've been doing some simulated stuff, taking batting practice and everything, but it'll be nice to get in a game.''
Hall said his shoulder feels good, but he still is trying to get in back in baseball shape.
"Anytime you have a dislocation, it's crazy,'' Hall said. "I'm still trying to get everything tightened up in the capsule. I did a lot of strengthening on it during the off-season, but now it's time for baseball so I have to stick with their program. At least I can use both arms.''
If Hall has a setback, the White Sox have two candidates in camp to play behind No. 1 catcher A.J. Pierzynski -- Cole Armstrong and Donny Lucy. Armstrong is batting .833 (5-for-6) in the Cactus League, and Lucy is batting .375.
"Cole has made a pretty good improvement the last couple years,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Lucy looks pretty good and is swinging well. But I'm impressed by the way Cole goes about his business.''