From Class A Wisconsin to the Brewers: minor-league catcher Alex Hall receives the call - and opportunity - of a lifetime

Alex Hall received the call of a lifetime on Thursday afternoon, and no one – particularly Hall himself – ever could have seen it coming.

The 22-year-old was promoted to the major leagues from advanced Class A Wisconsin in the wake of Milwaukee Brewers catcher Omar Narváez being placed on the COVID-19 injured list.

The move occurred just prior to the team’s series opener against the San Diego Padres on Thursday night, as the timing of Narvaez’s positive test left the Brewers with few options.

Class AAA Nashville is playing at Durham in North Carolina, meaning that neither Alex Jackson nor Mario Feliciano – both members of the 40-man roster and possessing prior major-league experience – would be able to make it to Milwaukee in time for the game.

"When I talked to you guys before the game, I didn't have any knowledge of it at all," manager Craig Counsell said of the moves.

"At the end of BP, we found out that Omar reported that he wasn't feeling well. He took a test, took a confirmatory test and about 4:30, 4:45 we talked it over with (president of baseball operations David Stearns), and this was the only player we could get here for the game, essentially."

Indeed, with Wisconsin in action only 1 ½ hours up the road in Appleton Hall was in the right place at the right time as the old saying goes. A native of Perth, Australia, Hall is a .257 switch-hitter with six home runs and 81 runs batted in over 135 career games in the minor leagues.

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“Crazy day for Alex and all of us,” is how Brewers vice president of minor-league operations Tom Flanagan described the scene.

“I’m actually up here in Appleton and had the pleasure of informing him. He told me a little while later that he thought I was pranking him when I called him in and sat him down. He was really very stone-faced and not showing much emotion, so I think he was a little leery of what we were telling him. But we had to get him moving, as time was short.

“So, he grabbed his gear and we got him on the road. The Timber Rattlers’ front office was very quick to coordinate a ride for Alex to American Family Field, and he made it prior to game time.”

Here's how Hall remembered the scenario:

"I was eating some Timber Rattlers spread and playing some card games with my buddy Darrien Miller," he said. "Tom Flanagan tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘Can we have a word?’ And I thought, ‘Oh, this can’t be good.’ "

Hall was right. It wasn't good news.

It was great news.

Miller made the requisite calls to his family and friends on the car ride down – it was about 6 a.m. in Australia at the time – and when he arrived at the ballpark he pulled on his No. 9 jersey (last worn by Manny Piña, of all players) and settled into the locker located between Rowdy Tellez and Brad Boxberger.

During the game, TV cameras showed Hall at one point being instructed in the dugout by bench coach Pat Murphy on how to handle certain defensive situations in the unlikely event he'd have to actually enter the game.

"There’s nothing I can lose," Hall said of his mindset. "That’s what I was telling myself – just be ready for anything and have fun. That’s all that I wanted to do. And I did. I had lots of fun tonight. It was great."

Capped off by a memorable 5-4 walk-off victory, with Victor Caratini going the distance behind the plate.

"Any day in The Show is memorable and this one was really good for me," Hall said. "But I’ve got to go back to A ball now and just do my part in the organization."

Counsell said the way the entire situation played out was probably a first as far as he knew.

"I'm sure it was a surreal day," he said. "He got here shortly before the game. I'm sure you saw him in the dugout during the game. I hope he enjoyed himself. It's a special day, no matter what. This is the baseball world that we're in right now.

"I'm sure it'll put all the Appleton guys on notice now that their lives could change quickly. When Joe Ayrault calls and says 'Can I see you?' it's going to take on a little more meaning.

"A fun win for him. He's got a story to tell."

Hall began his professional career with the Perth Heat and signed with the Brewers in December 2017 at the behest of fellow Aussie catcher and former Milwaukee fan favorite Dave Nilsson.

He’s played a total of 58 games above the rookie level with only 14 of those coming with the Timber Rattlers in 2021 and this season.

On the Wisconsin depth chart Hall is third behind Miller and Zavier Warren.

“Great kid,” Flanagan said. “Extremely hard worker. He’s been at Wisconsin but not actually playing a ton, mostly serving as the third catcher. But he’s a very solid receiver and can swing the bat from both sides.”

Let that sink in: Hall jumped from third on the depth chart of the team on the second-lowest rung of Milwaukee's ladder of full-season affiliates to the major leagues.

"It hasn’t fully sunk in yet," he said when asked if he can consider himself a major-leaguer now. "But I guess you could say on my record it is. I am.

"So, yeah."

And, at the very least, he can say he sampled a big-league spread.

"No comment on the Timber Rattlers’ spread," he joked. "But the spread here is really good."

Jackson, who's already been up with the Brewers after Caratini tested positive for COVID-19 in April, is likely to return on Friday.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers get catcher Alex Hall from Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers