Halla was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1884.[1] He started his professional baseball career in 1902 with the Jefferson City Convicts of the Missouri Valley League. In 1904, he had a win–loss record of 20-19 for the MVL's Pittsburg Coal Diggers. The following season, he went 15–11 in the Western Association and was sold to the Cleveland Naps in August.[2][3]
Halla made three relief appearances for Cleveland, pitching 12.2 innings and giving up four earned runs. That was the only major league experience of his career.[1] He began the 1906 season with the Ohio–Pennsylvania League's Sharon Steels but then joined the Western Association's Topeka White Sox after losing four of his first five decisions.[2][4]
With Topeka, Halla went 10-3 for the rest of the season. In 1907, he stayed with the same club and went 24–9 to set a career-high in victories.[2] He pitched a no-hitter on August 1 of that year.[5]
Halla was then purchased by the American Association's Louisville Colonels and stayed with them for the next three seasons.[2][6] In 1908, Halla had a win-loss record of 23-16 while pitching 336 innings, and in 1909, he went 17–12.[2] However, he then went 10–23 in 1910 to lead the league in losses.[7] He went to the Pacific Coast League for two seasons after that and posted two more losing records.[2]
Halla bounced around various minor leagues until 1917. In his final season, he went 18-15 for the Western League's Lincoln Links. He finished his professional baseball career with 195 wins and 166 losses, all in the minors.[2]
