Greg Halman: Remembering My Friend

By Mike McDonnell | Oct 12, 2014

Editor’s Note: While it is not yet the three-year anniversary of his untimely death, Mike came to me and said he wanted to write a piece about his fallen friend. It’s a touching piece that reminds us not only how fragile life can be, but also serves as a reminder that baseball players are in fact, people too. I couldn’t let this sit for another 40+days before posting it.

It was May 31, 2011, and I attended a Tacoma Rainiers game. A friend of mine gave me a call that day and just offered me a ticket. Who turns down free tickets even if they are for a minor league game?

So before the game started, I figured I would get a couple of autographs from potential future Mariners. Over the course of two hours, I managed to get six signatures including one from a guy named Greg Halman. Halman went 1 for 6 that day with a triple.

After the game, my bud was supposed to give me a lift home, but instead I found myself sitting outside Cheney Stadium sitting on my rear with no ride. Little did I know that Halman and Mike Carp stayed an hour after the game for some extra time in the Rainiers’ batting cage.

Halman noticed that I was sitting and asked me if I needed a ride. Wasn’t going to say no. Was I? Of course not. Greg though, asked if I wanted to come and hang out with him and Mike. Again, couldn’t say no. So Greg drove me home and I have to say right then and there, I think Greg and I became friends.

Greg messaged me on Facebook five days later asking if I wanted to attend a Mariners game. He said that he had got the call-up and that he was starting, so I had to attend the game. I couldn’t miss his 2011 debut. And what a debut he had!

The Mariners went on to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-6, thanks to a four-run bottom of the eighth. Halman tied the game in the bottom of the 7th with a 2-run triple. Halman finished the game going 3 for 4 with 2 RBI’s. A week later, I decided to go to another M’s game. Halman came up in the bottom of the eighth with the M’s up 2-1 and on an 0-2 pitch, Halman crushed his first major league home run, 417 feet over the center field wall. The Mariners went onto win 3-1.

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After that I met up with Greg outside Safeco and we headed over to the Pyramid Brewery to celebrate him hitting his first MLB home run.

It was during this point in my life where I had a job and I was making money so I could afford to spend $100 a night at the ballpark and out on the town as well. It was also during this celebration that I met his brother Jason.

Obviously not knowing what would happen in November, I had a laugh with Greg and his brother for about an hour. It wouldn’t be until September 1st and 5th that I would see Greg play again.

Both games were something to remember. The first, I witnessed Greg hit his final professional home run as he went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI’s. I then attended Greg’s last and final professional game – I didn’t know that it would also be the final time that I would both see and talk to Greg.

Greg finished off his baseball career going 3 for 5 with an RBI and he scored twice in a 12-9 Rainiers loss. After the game, Greg and I decided to go get a bite to eat. I asked him what his plans were for the offseason. He told me that the following month he and several other major league ball players would be participating in the European Big League Tour. Adam Jones, Prince Fielder and Giancarlo Stanton among others, were to join him.

He then asked me what I had plans for over the next couple months, because he told me that he would be back in the Tacoma area around February to attend the Mariners Fan Fest.

“No shine, no grind brotha.”

I was going to be attending job corps in Oregon to study welding. I told Greg that I would try and make Fan Fest to hang out with him…..that never happened. The final words I said to Greg as we both left was “Later Greg, stay safe, and have fun in the offseason. Cause come March, its time to go back to work for you.”

We gave each other a bro hug and before I got in my car he said five words to me; “No shine, no grind brotha.” I never thought that those would be the final words that Greg would say to me nor did I think that the fun times celebrating a great year, laughing, joking and having a fun time would be the last time that I saw Greg alive.

Greg’s entire baseball career, both minor league and major league, had amazing promise. Halman put up a career .207 batting average with two home runs in 44 major league games.

In the minors, he tore the cover off the ball. In 576 minor league games Halman posted a career .251 batting average with 118 home runs. Halman was also apart of the Netherlands team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Greg Halman in the dugout during a Tacoma Rainiers game in 2011. Credit: Mike McDonnell

Some would say that Halman had a promising career if he could learn to be more patient at the plate, but nonetheless, Halman had a bright future with the Mariners and the Mariners had big plans for him in 2012. But sadly there would be no 2012 season for Greg Halman.

On November 21, 2011 Greg’s brother Jason began acting erratically. He arrived at Greg’s apartment kicking the door demanding that Greg should let him in. Jason then began to play music very loudly, Greg came downstairs to tell his brother to turn the music down.

Jason then pulled out a butterfly knife and began coming at Greg completely out of his mind. Greg put his left arm up to defend himself, the blade of Jason’s knife went past Greg’s arm and cut the left side of his neck. Within minutes, Greg was dead and I had no idea that it had happened. With everything happening 4,879 miles away, I was 10 hours away from finding out the grim news.

About 10 hours later, I went online and I typed in the Mariners site. When I saw the news, I didn’t know what to do or say. Not wanting to believe the news I called his cell and his mother picked it up.

For 10 minutes I stood in the hallway of my job corps dorm and broke down after talking with Greg’s mother knowing that a friend that I just started to get to know was gone. My friend Devin was the first person to just give me a hug trying to control me from crying so loud, all he told me was to “let it all out, there’s no shame in crying for a friend.”

Not being able to attend his funeral was tough, but what else has been tough is three years of my friend not being out there in the outfield for the Mariners. Making plays, driving in runs, and smacking home runs over the fence.

Jason Halman was arrested and charged with manslaughter, but was provisionally released. During Jason’s trial, psychiatrists said that he was having a psychotic episode at the time of him killing Greg.

He was then acquitted of the charges and was released to his family. Every day I miss Greg and I treasure the times that we hung out. He was a talent that never reached his full potential. Knowing what Greg could have done in 2012, makes us all wonder what could have been.

Greg Halman: August 26, 1987-November 21, 2011

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