Peninsula Daily News news services
SEQUIM — Hal Keller, a former Seattle Mariners general manager and longtime Texas Rangers executive who helped bring the radar gun to the major leagues, died in his sleep at his home in Sequim early Tuesday at the age of 84.
Keller, who served as the Mariners’ general manager in 1984 and ‘85, had been suffering from esophageal cancer.
He also endured a lengthy battle with diabetes that resulted in the amputation of a foot.
Keller spent most of his baseball career in scouting and the front office and was the first farm director of the expansion Washington Senators.
After the Senators moved to Texas and became the Rangers, Keller introduced the radar gun, which measures the speed of pitches.
The Rangers said Keller did so on the recommendation of former major league outfielder and Michigan State coach Danny Litwhiler.
Keller was the younger brother of the late Yankees standout Charlie “King Kong” Keller, a five-time All-Star who played in same outfield with Joe DiMaggio.
