Skip to main content

PhoulBallz Interview: Off-season Check In with 1b Darick Hall

Darick Hall (left) & Tyler Fallwell, photo courtesy of Darick Hall
Darick Hall continued his ascent toward the big leagues in 2018, flashing plenty of power and achieving success at two levels in the process.  The 23-year-old lefty-handed batter tore through the Class A Advanced Florida State League before earning a promotion to the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils.

In 128 combined games this year, the Phillies 14th round draft selection from 2016 tallied a .244 batting average with 26 home runs and 87 RBI.  

Following the regular season, Hall participated in the prestigious Arizona Fall League.  In 18 games there with the Scorpions, the six-foot-four 234-pounder sported a .238 average with four home runs and 12 RBI.  

This week I talked with the slugging first baseman about his successful year, the time spent in the AFL, his workout routine and more.  Read ahead for that full interview.

-What did you take out of your 2018 campaign?  Any key lessons or things to focus on moving forward?

2018 was an amazing year. So many good memories and new experiences on the field! One of the key elements I took away from this year was how to have unwavering confidence in myself and (my) ability. Baseball is a hard game and is especially hard if you don't have full confidence in yourself at all times. I had a few rough patches this year that I was able to come out of. I learned a lot about myself through these times. Moving into the off-season development, I am working hard on being able to refine my approach at the plate. 

-What are some of your favorite memories from the 2018 season?

Some of my favorite memories from this year came early in the year. The High-A Clearwater was a great group of guys and the dynamic of that team was incredible! We always had fun. I believe we started the season 1-10 and I still remember Shawn Williams, our manager, just telling us to keep playing hard and have fun through it all. Not too long after, we started winning a lot of games and eventually worked to a winning record. The lesson I learned is that there's not always a problem when things aren't going your way as long as you keep going about it the right way and working hard it will even out. It absolutely did!

-How do you feel the Arizona Fall League benefited your progress and are there any big lessons your took from your time there?

The fall league was a wonderful experience. We had a great group and an awesome coaching staff! The talent in that league was surreal. I really enjoyed picking the brains or the staff and players from other organizations. Pete Alonso was one of my favorite guys to talk to about hitting. He's got his swing well figured out and it's fun to watch.  I picked up on a swing key during my time in the fall league. It helped with my timing. It really has to do with the timing of my load in the the swing. I've been building on it during this off-season.

-What can you share about your workout routine right now? Or are you still enjoying some down time?

With the fall league cutting into the off-season I really had to hit the ground running. I took about two weeks off afterwards and then started back in. Right now my focus is on getting my body back into baseball shape.


Duce and Hall, photo- courtesy of Darick Hall
-What facility are you using/will you use to get your work in and are there any other pro players of former players that you are working with?

I've been working out with my best friend Matt Duce. He was drafted in the 9th round by the Cardinals this year. We played together at DBU, grew up playing little league and high school baseball together as well. On the days we work out we go back to my house hit in the cage and throw. Hunting season is in full swing right now as well so on our of days we mix in time to go look for deer. There is also a fishing tournament coming up that I am looking forward to! 

-Aside from baseball related work, how are you spending your time this off-season?

When I'm not working out or hitting I'm most likely on my bass boat or hunting! Those are my two favorite things to do when it's not baseball season. I fish bass tournaments throughout the off-season. My source of income really relies on how well I can do during those tournaments!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Stats to Ponder: Jimmy Rollins Edition

J-Roll has batted under .200 for a calendar month twice in his career. In April 2004, Rollins went 13-for-71, for a .183 average. The following month, Rollins went 30-for-107, which is a .280 average. And in August 2005, Rollins went 22-for-117, for a .188 average. The month that followed saw Rollins go 49-for-122 for a .402 average. Rollins is batting .171 so far in May 2009. Improvement is not far away for Jimmy. The Phillies are 10-2 in games this year which Rollins scores at least 1 run. The Phillies are 4-12 in games which Rollins does not score. Jimmy Rollins in 6 games against the Braves this year is batting .071 (2-for-28). In 2008 Rollins batted .284 against the Braves in 18 games. In 2007 Rollins batted .347 against the Braves in 18 games. In 2006 Rollins batted .367 against the Braves in 18 games. Jimmy Milestone Watch: 6 more RBI and Rollins will tie Scott Rolen for 25th all time in Phillies RBI leaders. 7 more triples and Rollins will tie Richie Ashburn for 4th all time i...

Crawford's Chronicles: JP Crawford talks Spring Training

JP Crawford, image- Jay Floyd Entering this year as the widely regarded top prospect in the Phillies organization, J.P. Crawford will be taking time each week to provide insight directly from inside spring training in Clearwater, FL, right here on PhilliesNation.com. Crawford, 20, was named the top positional prospect in two leagues (Class A South Atlantic League and Class A Advanced Florida State League) last year, when he combined, in 123 games, to post a .285 average, 11 homers, 48 RBI and 24 stolen bases. He also represented the Phils organization in the MLB All-Star Futures Game last season. As the 2015 campaign approaches, the six-foot-two 180-pound lefty batter is expected to reach the Double-A level and continue to prove why the Phillies selected him in the first round of the 2013 draft. In this initial installment of our weekly check-in with J.P., he shares thoughts on a variety of topics, including his exclusion from big league camp, which member of the big leagu...

Phreestyle Battle & Notes

Unrelated to baseball, really...but it's fun and our Phils are off today. This new kid on the hip hop scene, Charles Hamilton , whose single Brooklyn Girl is ripping up radio and video count downs, was at PSU for a performance recently. A freestyle battle ensued, and as you'll see, the Penn State student held his own. Stay tuned for the ending. It's the best part. Here are some random Phillies-in-idle baseball thoughts and notes- Colbert Hamels is slated to make his Grapefruit League debut tomorrow vs. Team Canada. Shane Victorino is going to wear #50 on his jersey for Team USA, a nod to Hawaii Five-O. Brad Lidge is likely to not see game action till next week, after he throws some more bullpen sessions and works out the tightness in his forearm. Albert Pujols is declaring "respect for his country" as reasoning for sitting out of the Cardinals' exhibition this week against Team Dominican Republic. He told reporters, "I don’t want to play against them...