In the mid-1990s, the New York Yankees were an unstoppable force in Major League Baseball. One of their standout players during that time was Melvin Hall Jr., known as Mel Hall, who made a name for himself with the team in the early 1990s.
Mel Hall, a former professional baseball player, was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 2nd round of the 1978 MLB June Amateur Draft. Throughout his career from 1981 to 1992, he played for various teams such as the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Guardians (then known as the Indians), and the New York Yankees. After a brief stint in Japan, he returned to the United States in 1996 to play for the San Francisco Giants before being released mid-season.
However, Mel Hall’s life took a dark turn in 2009 when he was convicted of sexually assaulting two underage girls whom he coached in a youth basketball program. One of the victims was just 12 years old at the time of the assault. Additionally, in 1990, he allegedly had a relationship with a 15-year-old girl.
As a result of these heinous crimes, Mel Hall was sentenced to 45 years in prison with a 22-year minimum before he is eligible for parole. Currently, he is serving his sentence at the H. H. Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, Texas. A docu-series titled Bronx Zoo ‘90: Crime Chaos and Baseball will delve into the crimes committed by Mel Hall and is set to premiere on May 16, 2024, on Peacock. This serves as a cautionary tale of a once-promising baseball star whose life took a tragic turn.
