Los Angeles Dodgers: Rich Hill Puts Ascension into Perspective
By David Hill
Rich Hill may be the ultimate rags to riches story in baseball today. The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher had an interesting way of putting his career into perspective.
One could forgive Rich Hill for taking a step back to appreciate just being a part of the World Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher had been a journeyman throughout most of his career, bouncing around the majors, minors, and independent ball before suddenly reinventing himself at 35 years old. Armed with a deadly curve, Hill returned to the majors for a four start stint with the Red Sox in 2015, suddenly looking like an ace.
Now, just over two years later, Hill finds himself as a part of the best team in baseball in 2017. The Dodgers challenged for the most wins in baseball history before injuries foiled their plans. However, they bounced back, and have roared through the postseason. For his part, Hill is enjoying the ride, and improved amenities that come with being in the majors.
Rich Hill put being in the World Series in persoective: “A couple years ago, I was using a bucket in independent ball as a toilet.”
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) October 22, 2017
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While this could be considered a jab at the Oakland A’s infamous plumbing issues, this apparently occurred during Hill’s time with the Long Island Ducks. While independent ball may not have some of the luxuries of the minors, one could at least hope for a toilet. But, sometimes, any port in a storm, especially if one is living on Taco Bell and other fast food.
Of course, Hill no longer needs to worry about that. He was able to parlay that solid stint with Boston into a one year deal with Oakland. Then, this past offsesaon, Hill was able to get that payday. His three year, $48 Million contract will help him avoid such problems moving forward. Although, if need be, he could purchase quite a few buckets should nature call.
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It has been a long, strange journey for Rich Hill, and one that included a bucket adventure. We can all commiserate with the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, and his ill timed stomach issues.