Basil 'Ryne Duren' Hall has passed on into eternity.
Godfrey 'Goofy' Brown was one of the long-time sports buffs who called with the news on Tuesday morning. He informed of regular get-togethers in the evenings with Hall and others of the old gang such as Bobby 'Elgin Baylor' Fernander and Sammy Chisholm.
That was Hall's element. Much of his time involved playing or talking sports. The "playing" stopped but the talking went on until the final silencing.
He was well-equipped to do both. In the words of American Football legend Jimmy Johnson, Hall, for many years, "walked the walk and talked the talk." The sports landscape was indeed his life. Now we have only the memories.
His buddies from way back will recall the young lad with the fireball arm who dazzled batters with a ferocious fastball. They will also remember the erratic nature of his deliveries at the outset. Batters had to be very apprehensive because the ball could get away and end up out of the general plate zone. Outside was not a problem, but the ones that 'Duren' missed inside were of concern. It was no fun at all to get plunked by one of Hall's fastball.
So, they nicknamed him 'Duren' after the Major League reliever Ryne Duren. The great Yankee manager Casey Stengel reportedly once said of Ryne Duren:
"I wouldn't want to bat against him because getting hit in the head would put you in past tense. That's how batters felt about our 'Duren' for a while, but, the speedster settled down and over the years missed the zone less and less.
He continued season after season and was like good wine. Asa Ferguson who knew Hall throughout his years in baseball, said "high and low, 'Duren' was one of the better pitchers in Bahamian history."
"Basil started with City Lumber at Clifford Park with Penny Bain and that group. I tell you, I always thought of him as one of the better pitchers. When he came to pitch, there were few in his league. In his later years, he was a terrific clutch pitcher. I remember him well in some close games when he was with us (Schlitz Beer) one season. You could count on him to close the door against batters," said Ferguson.
Certainly, Hall's career which spanned decades was significant in the history of Bahamian baseball. He knew his craft and was very keen about it. What set him apart from others though was his willingness to always teach and explain the game to youngsters and anyone who wanted to listen.
Yes, the pitcher with the big stride and the overpowering fastball who knew also how to finesse certain batters, is gone. However, he will always have his niche in the rich baseball legacy of The Bahamas.
Condolences go out to son Marcellus Hall and the rest of the immediate family. May his soul forever rest in peace.
(To respond to this column, kindly contact Fred Sturrup at frobertsturrup@gmail.com)

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