On Rich Hill…
Rich Hill has made one of the more remarkable comebacks in Major League Baseball. After asking for his release from the Washington Nationals in June of 2015, it seemed like the southpaw was done with baseball. After showing flashes of brilliance as a starting pitcher in 2007 and 2008, Hill struggled with his control and would eventually have Tommy John Surgery in 2011. He would get back to the Major Leagues as a reliever. In fact, he’s appeared in at least one Major League game in every season since 2005. When you are left handed, you will always have a chance to be in a Major League bullpen.
His work as a reliever would mirror his work as a starter. In 127 relief appearances, he pitched 86.1 innings, allowed 77 hits, 58 walks, and struck out 103 batters. This added up to a 4.38 ERA, as opposed to his 4.44 ERA as a starting pitcher. When you can hold left handed batters to a .216/.332/.331 batting line, you’ll always get a chance. At 35 years old, Hill could’ve held on as a reliever for at least five more seasons. But, he chose a different path. He asked for that release because he wanted to give starting pitching one last chance. His conviction was so deep that he went back to Independent Baseball. Imagine having a belief so strong that you would give up a guaranteed paycheck on a bet that would most likely not pay off.
Take a minute to think about that. None of the 30 teams had given Rich Hill a chance to be a starting pitcher since 2009. With the dearth of quality pitching around the League, anyone who is perceived to even have the slightest chance will be given that opportunity. Hill didn’t sniff a starting rotation for six years. Why would he think that he would get one by leaving Major League Baseball?
There is that thing inside all athletes that allows them to have the capacity to compete at the highest level. It’s a belief that he/she can accomplish anything, even when everyone else doesn’t think it is possible. It’s that quality that separates the elite athletes from the hacks like us. But, Rich Hill is different. While everyone who can be on a Major League roster is technically elite because there are only so many people on the face of the earth who can claim they play in the Majors, Hill was never more than an intriguing prospect. And, that was a decade ago.
But, Hill went back to the start. He changed his delivery back to his pre-surgery motion. He committed to pitch in the Independent League, less than a year after he made a Major League appearance as a New York Yankees reliever. He had the belief that he could be a successful starting pitcher despite everyone saying otherwise.
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Hill’s four starts in Boston were remarkable.[/caption]
That belief was rewarded. Hill made two starts for the Long Island Ducks, spanning 11 shutout innings. He gave up just 2 hits and struck out 21 batters. The Red Sox gave him a chance to start in Triple-A. After five solid starts (32.1 innings, 27 hits, 29 strikeouts, 2.78 ERA), Hill was called up to Boston for the last month of their disastrous season. He pitched as if he were the best pitcher in the sport. In 4 starts, he pitched 29.1 innings, allowed just 14 hits, 5 runs, 5 walks, and struck out 36 batters. It was an amazing run, which allowed Hill to enter the Winter on many team’s radar. Once again, Hill’s belief would be tested. Many teams were intrigued, but his performance, after all, was really a four game stint. There wouldn’t be guarantees of a starting rotation spot. In a sport that overuses the phrase “small sample size”, Hill would have to stick to his belief that he was a starting pitcher.
In a bit of irony, it was the reputed data-driven Oakland A’s who committed to Hill as a member of their rotation, signing him for $6 million for the 2016 season. The A’s, an organization that must take educated risks if they want to win, saw enough in Hill’s starts and process to guarantee him the spot. He looked shaky in Spring Training and did nothing to dispel the doubters during his first start as a last minute fill-in on Opening Day. He pitched just 2.2 innings, allowed 3 hits, 1 walk, 2 earned runs (4 overall), and struck out 3. He followed that up with a solid start against the Mariners, striking out 10 in 6 innings, while allowing just one run for his first win of the season. The Royals base-hitted him to death in his third start, touching him up for 9 hits, 3 walks, and 3 runs in 4.1 innings.
His last two starts — against the Yankees and Tigers — have been special. In 13 innings, he’s allowed 7 hits, 1 earned run, 4 walks, and has struck out 18. That looks more like the pitcher we saw in Boston last September. Overall, Hill has struck out 37 batters in 26 innings. His 90 MPH fastball has elicited swings and misses nearly 30 percent of the time. That’s the seventh best rate in Major League Baseball, ahead of the likes of Corey Kluber, Clayton Kershaw, Jose Fernandez, and Madison Bumgarner. That’s not too bad for a guy who chose to play Independent League Baseball less than one year ago.
There are many opinions about whether or not Rich Hill is for real. Honestly, those concerned about that are missing a great story. There are very few people, in any walk of life, who have the conviction to take such a risk on themselves. Most are afraid of the embarrassment of potential failure. Most aren’t willing to swallow pride and go back to the start. And, truthfully, most of those people are right. Rich Hill is the exception. He beat long odds by leaving Major League Baseball and sticking to his belief that he could be a successful starting pitcher. He beat long odds in getting one of the 30 teams to give him a chance. That’s the story and that’s what isn’t being celebrated nearly enough. Sometimes, we just have to go all in, even when nobody else would do the same thing. Sure, there is risk and probable failure. But, there is always that chance of realizing a goal, just like Rich Hill.
