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Wikipedia

John Hiller

December 27, 2022

For the photographer with a similar name, see John K. Hillers.

John Frederick Hiller (born April 8, 1943) is a Canadian former baseball relief pitcher who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers between 1965 and 1980. A native of Toronto, he joined the Tigers in 1965 and was a member of the 1968 Detroit Tigers team that won the World Series. He set a major league record by starting a game with six consecutive strikeouts in 1968.

John Hiller
Hiller in 1975
Pitcher
Born: (1943-04-08) April 8, 1943 (age 79)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Batted: Right
Threw: Left
MLB debut
September 6, 1965, for the Detroit Tigers
Last MLB appearance
May 27, 1980, for the Detroit Tigers
MLB statistics
Win–loss record87–76
Earned run average2.83
Strikeouts1,036
Saves125
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Member of the Canadian
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction1985

In January 1971, Hiller suffered a heart attack and underwent intestinal surgery to control his body's absorption of cholesterol. After missing the 1971 season, Hiller returned in 1972, helping the Tigers win the American League (AL) East title and winning Game 4 of the 1972 AL Championship Series. In 1973, he compiled a 1.44 earned run average (ERA) and broke the major league single-season saves record with 38. The Sporting News awarded Hiller its 1973 Comeback Player of the Year and Fireman of the Year awards.

In 1974, Hiller set an AL record with 17 relief wins and was selected as a member of the All-Star team. He continued to rank among the AL's elite relief pitchers through the 1978 season. He retired from playing in May 1980 with a career win–loss record of 87–76, a 2.83 career ERA, and 1,036 strikeouts. He continues to hold the Tigers' club record with 545 career games pitched. Hiller returned to professional baseball in the mid-1980s as a minor league pitching coach for the Tigers. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

Early years

Hiller was born in Toronto in 1943.[1] He grew up in Scarborough, the son of an auto body repairman.[2] He was a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs while growing up and played ice hockey as a goaltender.[2] He attended David-Mary Thomson Public School and West Hill Collegiate Institute,[3] but dropped out after the 11th grade.[4][5] He competed as a sprinter in the 220- and 440-yard dashes while in high school.[3] He excelled in baseball as a pitcher, and reportedly once struck out 22 batters in a seven-inning game, including one batter who got on base due to a wild pitch (an uncaught third strike).[2]

Detroit Tigers

Minor leagues (1962–1965)

In June 1962, Hiller, at age 19, signed a contract with the Detroit Tigers for $400 a month, a pair of spikes, and an old glove.[6][7] Detroit scout Edwin "Cy" Williams discovered Hiller playing for the Scarborough Selects, an All-Star team composed of local sandlot players.[3]

Hiller played for the Tigers' Jamestown, New York, club in the New York-Pennsylvania League during the 1963 season. He appeared in 29 games, 22 as a starter, and compiled a 14–9 record with a 4.03 ERA, 11 complete games, and 172 strikeouts in 181 innings pitched.[8]

Hiller spent most of the 1964 season with the Duluth-Superior Dukes of the Northern League. He appeared in 30 games for the Dukes, 19 as a starter, and compiled a 10–13 record with a 3.45 ERA.[8]

In 1965, Hiller was assigned to the Montgomery Rebels in the Southern League where he was converted to a relief pitcher. In 47 games for Montgomery (43 in relief), he compiled a 5–7 record with a 2.53 ERA.[8] Hiller noted in early 1966 that he initially viewed the assignment to the bullpen as a demotion, but became accustomed to the role: "You don't have to worry about pacing yourself. You just come in and throw hard all the time. It's more exciting, too, once you accustom yourself to pitching with men on base."[9]

1965–1967

On September 5, 1965, the Tigers purchased Hiller from Montgomery.[10] He made five relief appearances for the 1965 Tigers and did not allow a run in six innings pitched.[1]

Hiller began the 1966 season with the Tigers, but appeared in only one game, pitching two innings in relief against Washington on April 17, giving up two hits and two earned runs.[1] Three days later, Hiller flew back to Detroit where he was hospitalized at Detroit Osteopathic Hospital with pneumonia and pleurisy.[11] On May 11, he was sent down to the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League.[12] He compiled a 4.45 ERA in 54 relief appearances for Syracuse in 1966.[8]

Hiller started the 1967 season with the Toledo Mud Hens of the International League, compiling a 5–1 record with a 3.00 ERA.[8] He was called up by the Tigers in late June for his third stint with the club. Farm director Don Lund noted at the time that Hiller had recently mastered his control on breaking pitches to balance his excellent fastball.[13] Over the last three months of the 1967 season, Hiller appeared in 11 games, eight as a starter, and compiled a 4–2 record with a 2.50 ERA.[1]

1968 and 1969 seasons

Hiller spent his first full season in the majors as a reliever and spot starter for the 1968 Tigers team that won the American League pennant and the 1968 World Series. Hiller appeared in 39 games, 12 as a starter, and compiled a 9–6 record with a 2.39 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 128 innings pitched.[1] On August 6, he set a major league record when he struck out six consecutive batters against Cleveland to start a game.[14] On August 20, he pitched a one-hit complete game shutout against the Chicago White Sox;[15] the one hit came in the eighth inning on a ball that just missed Hiller's glove.[16]

Hiller also had two relief appearances in the 1968 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, pitching the last two innings in the 7–3 Game 3 loss, and facing five batters without recording an out in Game 4, a 10–1 loss. He allowed six hits and three walks, posting a 13.50 ERA, but the Tigers recovered to win the Series in seven games.

Following a players' strike in the spring of 1969, Hiller returned to the Tigers. He appeared in 40 games for the 1969 Tigers, but his ERA increased by more than a point-and-a-half to 3.99.[1] During the 1969 season, Hiller acquired the nickname "Ratso" after he went with teammates to see the movie Midnight Cowboy. The character "Ratso" Rizzo, played by Dustin Hoffman, had a limp, as did Hiller at the time.[17]

Hiller returned to form in 1970, appearing in 47 games, 42 in relief, and compiling a 6–6 record with a 3.03 ERA.[1] On October 1, in the final game of the season, he pitched a two-hit, complete-game shutout and struck out 11 batters, including seven in a row. With Hiller pitching quickly, the game was played in only one hour and 41 minutes – the fastest game of the year at Tiger Stadium.[18]

Heart attack

On January 11, 1971, Hiller, at the age of 27, suffered a heart attack at his home in Duluth, Minnesota. Hiller described the attack as follows: "I had just gotten up and was having a cup of coffee. I lit up a cigarette. It was strange – a heaviness in my chest. It felt like the pneumonia I had in 1966 so I put the cigarette out. Later I had another cigarette and had the same feeling. So I didn't smoke the rest of the day."[19] He went to the hospital when the pain returned that night. He was hospitalized for three weeks and notified the Tigers of his heart attack in mid-February. Hiller was placed on a strict diet, quit smoking cigarettes, and lost 20 pounds in the month after his heart attack.[19]

By late March, he weighed 180 pounds, 30 pounds lighter than he had been during the 1970 season.[20] By the time of his 28th birthday, Hiller had lost 40 pounds and four pant sizes in the waist. He reported at the time: "The doctors have never even hinted that I'd be able to pitch again."[21] Despite the pessimism of doctors, Hiller made a birthday promise to himself that he would pitch again.[21] In April, Hiller underwent an ileo-bypass, a surgery in which about the doctors removed seven feet of his small intestines – the portions that are responsible for absorbing cholesterol.[22] The Tigers announced in May that Hiller would not return to the team during the 1971 season.[23] In August 1971, Hiller reported that he had lost 50 pounds (down to 160 pounds) and was selling furniture in Duluth and playing golf and paddleball.[24]

The comeback begins in 1972

In February 1972, the Tigers invited Hiller to training camp as a minor league coach for the Lakeland Tigers.[25] After spending the first half of the 1972 season as a pitching coach for Lakeland, Hiller announced in late June that he was running two miles a day, in top shape at 170 pounds, and ready to return to pitching. He said: "I'm ready to go. I'm just waiting for that call from Detroit. It's up to them now if they want me."[26] Hiller suspected that the Tigers' willingness to take a chance on him was impacted by the sudden heart attack and death of Detroit Lions receiver Chuck Hughes during a game at Tiger Stadium in October 1971.[26][27]

On July 7, 1972, the Tigers reinstated Hiller to their roster. He returned to the mound the next day, having had no rehab games in the minors and after not facing a batter in 18 months. He gave up a two-run home run to the first batter, Dick Allen, but Detroit manager Billy Martin opined that Hiller had pitched well, and Hiller confirmed after the game "this is what I want. I really want it."[28] Two days later, Hiller returned to the mound and retired the side in a victory that gave the Tigers sole possession of first place in the American League East.[29] On October 1, Hiller pitched a complete-game, five-hit victory over Milwaukee Brewers that Jim Hawkins of the Detroit Free Press called the "biggest win of the season".[30] After the game, which was Hiller's first win since October 1, 1970, he told reporters: "I go at this game with a little different attitude than I used to. Before my sickness, I was more uptight every time I pitched. I used to get nervous warming up. Now I don't worry about tomorrow. If I do well, I do well. If I don't – well, there'll aways be another day."[31]

In the last half of the 1972 season, Hiller helped the Tigers win the American League East pennant, appearing in 23 games with a strong 2.03 ERA.[1] He also pitched in three games in the 1972 American League Championship Series against the Oakland Athletics, winning Game 4 when Detroit scored three times in the bottom of the 10th inning.[32]

The comeback peaks in 1973

Hiller's comeback peaked in 1973 with what baseball historian Bill James rated as the most valuable season by a relief pitcher in baseball history.[33] Hiller appeared in 65 games, all in relief, and compiled a 10–5 record.[1] He broke Clay Carroll's Major League Baseball record with 38 saves. His single-season saves record stood for 10 years until Dan Quisenberry tallied 45 saves in 1983,[34] and remained a Tigers team record until broken by Todd Jones in 2000.[35]

Hiller also accumulated a career-low 1.44 ERA in 125 innings to win the American League ERA title; Rollie Fingers ranked second at 1.92.[1][36] Demonstrating how dominant Hiller was during the 1973 season, his Adjusted ERA+, which adjusts a pitcher's ERA according to the pitcher's ballpark and the average ERA of the pitcher's league in a given year, was 285. Only two pitchers in major league history are known to have recorded a higher rating: Hall of Famers Tim Keefe in 1880 (293) and Pedro Martinez in 2000 (291).[37]

Hiller also led the American League's pitchers with 65 appearances and 60 games finished.[38]

On September 30, Hiller became the last man to win a game and the last to throw a pitch in the original Yankee Stadium, getting Yankees' first baseman Mike Hegan to fly out to center field in an 8–5 Detroit win.[39]

As the first major league player to suffer a heart attack and then return an active competitor,[27] Hiller's comeback was rated as "one of the most heartwarming sagas in sports."[40] Slugger Frank Howard called it "the kind of thing you see once in a lifetime."[40] After the 1973 season, Hiller won numerous awards for his remarkable accomplishments, including the following:

  • The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award for the American League.[40]
  • The Sporting News Fireman of the Year Award for the American League.[41]
  • The Hutch Award as the player who "best exemplified the fighting spirit" of Fred Hutchinson.[42]
  • Detroit baseball writers selected him as the "Tiger of the Year". Hiller received 32 votes (out of 33 votes cast) for the award, more than any other player in the history of the award to that time.[43]
  • Detroit sports writers and broadcasters also selected him as Detroit's "Sportsman of the Year" for 1973.[44]
  • In May 1974, the American Heart Association presented Hiller with its Heart of the Year Award which had not previously been awarded to an athlete and which been presented to President Richard Nixon the previous year.[45] The Heart Association cited Hiller "for his courage in meeting the personal challenge of heart attack . . . and for his inspiring example to other heart attack victims."[46]

In an era where no relief pitcher had ever won a Cy Young Award (Mike Marshall became the first one year later), Hiller finished fourth in the voting for the 1973 American League Cy Young Award behind starters Jim Palmer, Nolan Ryan, and Catfish Hunter.[47] He also tied for fourth in the voting for the American League Most Valuable Player Award, behind Reggie Jackson and Rod Carew.[48]

In January 1976, he was honored in Philadelphia with a Most Courageous Athlete award and acknowledged that, prior to the heart attack, he smoked too much, drank too much and ate too much. He described the broader life lesson that he hoped would be drawn from his comeback: "I hope I've helped a lot of people by talking to them. I hope they understand when you have a heart attack you haven't come to the end of your life or the end of your career."[49]

1974 and 1975 seasons

 
John Hiller in the 1970s

In 1974, Hiller had another strong season as he broke the American League record with 17 relief wins. He appeared in 59 games, all in relief, compiled a 17–14 record with 2.64 ERA and a career-high 134 strikeouts.[1] Hiller won his 10th game of the season on July 1 and was on pace to break Roy Face's major league record of 18 relief wins set in 1959.[50] Two weeks later, he was named to the American League All-Star team for the only time his career, though he did not pitch in the game.[51] On September 13, Hiller recorded his 17th relief win of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers. The win broke the American League record of 16 relief wins set by Dick Radatz in 1964.[52] Bill Campbell tied the record in 1975, but it has not been broken.

In 1975, the Tigers compiled one of the worst seasons in club history with 102 losses and a team ERA of 4.27. However, Hiller had another outstanding season. He opened the season without allowing a run in his first five appearances totaling over 14 innings.[53] He continued to pitch well and, during a stretch from late June to late July, he did not allow a hit in 10 games and 16+2⁄3 innings.[54] He also struck out 87 batters in 70+2⁄3 inning pitched – giving him a career-high average of 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings.[1] Hiller noted in late July: "I've never struck out people like this before."[54]

While pitching against Cleveland on July 25, 1975, Hiller "felt something tear" in his throwing arm and was sidelined for the remainder of the season.[55][56] While trying to come back in September, Hiller reported that, although the pain had subsided, he could still feel a lump under his left arm where the injury occurred.[57] Despite playing only half the season, he led the team with 36 appearances and 14 saves and compiled a 2.17 ERA.[58]

1976–1980

In 1976, Hiller returned to the Tigers' spring training with a shaved head. Sports writers joked that Hiller's head was as smooth as his delivery and compared the new look to Fu Manchu or "a cross between Genghis Khan and Kojak."[59][60] Hiller got off to a slow start in the early weeks of the 1976 season, holding a 1–3 record and a 3.47 ERA in late May.[61][62] However, he then regained his form and won 11 of 15 decisions for the balance of the season; his 2.38 ERA was on par with the 2.34 ERA recorded by the team's rookie sensation Mark Fidrych, who won the 1976 Rookie of the Year award.[63] Hiller ranked fourth in the American League in games finished (46) and ninth in both adjusted pitching runs and adjusted pitching wins.[1] He closed the 1976 season with a rare start (his first since 1972) and threw a four-hit, complete-game shutout against the Milwaukee Brewers.[64]

In April 1977, the Tigers traded Willie Horton to the Texas Rangers for relief pitcher Steve Foucault.[65] Foucault edged out Hiller as the Tigers' stopper,[66] as Hiller was asked to pitch both in relief and as a spot starter. He started eight games and threw three complete games. However, his ERA jumped by more than a point to 3.56, and he compiled a record of 8–14 with only seven saves.[67] In late September 1977, doctors diagnosed Hiller with an enlarged liver, possibly caused by the intestinal surgery he received after his heart attack; doctors advised that he should never have another drink for the rest of his life.[68]

Hiller reclaimed his role as the Tigers' closer in 1978. He appeared in 51 games, all in relief, and his total of 46 games finished ranked sixth in the American League.[1] He led the 1978 Tigers with a 2.34 ERA and 15 saves.[69] The Tigers honored Hiller on June 25, 1978, with a John Hiller Recognition Day at Tiger Stadium.[70]

In 1979, Hiller had 43 relief appearances, but Aurelio Lopez (acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals before the season began) took over as the Tigers' closer as Hiller's ERA soared to 5.22.[71] Hiller played with pain in his left shoulder during the 1979 season, and his season ended on August 27 when he was placed on the disabled list.[72] Hiller believed that he injured his shoulder in mid-May while "messing around trying to throw a screwball."[73]

 
Hiller broke Hooks Dauss' team record of 538 games pitched.

Hiller returned to the Tigers briefly in 1980, just long enough to break Hooks Dauss' franchise record of 538 games pitched. Hiller broke Dauss' record on April 29 and ended his career having appeared in 545 games as a Tiger.[74] He was the last member of Detroit's 1968 World Series championship team to remain with the club. During the 1970s, Hiller appeared in 426 games for the Tigers, nearly double the total of any other Detroit pitcher.[75]

On May 30, 1980, after finishing a clubhouse card game with teammates, Hiller called a team meeting and announced that he was retiring. The Tigers interrupted the game that night to announce Hiller's decision. Hiller stepped out of the dugout in street clothes and waved to the crowd. The crowd reacted with polite applause at the surprise announcement and then began chanting, "We want Hiller! We want Hiller!" until the game was interrupted to allow Hiller to step onto the field for a final bow.[76] Hiller told reporters after the game: "I just don't think I can compete here anymore. . . . I don't want to embarrass myself. I always said the hitters would let me know when it was time to retire, and they did."[76]

After his retirement, the Detroit Free Press paid tribute to Hiller, not on its sports page but on its editorial page:

"[W]hat sets the John Hiller story apart is neither the professional skill nor the personal grace and style that were his in such an abundant measure. Detroiters have a special affection for Hiller for what he had to overcome and for the dogged persistence with which he fought his way back from a heart attack. By will and discipline, he made himself a fit professional athlete again. He overcame."[77]

Hiller ended his career with a record of 87–76, a 2.83 ERA, 545 appearances, and 1,036 strikeouts in 1,242 innings pitched.[1] At the time of his retirement, his 125 saves ranked behind only Sparky Lyle (231), Hoyt Wilhelm (154) and Rollie Fingers (136) in major league history, and remained a Detroit Tigers club record until 1993.

Family, later years, and honors

Hiller married Janis Patricia Baldwin in 1965.[3] They had three children, including son Steve and daughter Wendy.[5] His first marriage ended in divorce in February 1985, and he married his second wife, Linette, later that year.[2][78]

After retiring from baseball, Hiller returned to his home in Duluth, Minnesota. Hiller and his first wife had lived in Duluth since 1966. In 1982, he bought an abandoned farm near Felch in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and played baseball for the Felch Rangers.[79] He was appointed constable for Felch in 1983.[80] Hiller later lived for more than 30 years in Hermansville and then Iron Mountain, both in the Upper Peninsula.[81][82]

He also supported himself with jobs selling insurance, owning a pet shop, operating a country store, and working as a Pepsi distributor. From 1985 to 1987, he returned to professional baseball as a minor league pitching coach for the Tigers.[78][83][84] His coaching career ended when he was diagnosed in 1988 with a blockage behind his right knee that had caused the arteries in his lower leg to deteriorate. Doctors recommended amputation, but Hiller declined.[81]

Hiller has been inducted into several halls of fame, including the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame (inducted 1985),[85] Michigan Sports Hall of Fame (inducted 1989),[86] Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (inducted 1999),[87] and the Ontario (Canada) Sports Hall of Fame (inducted 2017).[88]

See also

References

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  2. ^ a b c d Larry Hilliard and Rob Hilliard. "John Hiller". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d "Sports Chatter". The Windsor Star. October 2, 1968. p. 34 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Jim Hawkins (July 27, 1980). "Hiller's anonymous now, and he loves every minute". Detroit Free Press. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b "Tiger Wives Run the Show". Detroit Free Press. March 27, 1977. p. 4C – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Tigers Sign, Farm Hiller". The Baltimore Sun. June 20, 1962. p. B14 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Ernie Harwell (March 3, 1991). "untitled". The Detroit News. p. 7E – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b c d e "John Hiller Minor League Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
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  16. ^ Brian Bragg (August 17, 1978). "The Champions". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Neary, Kevin (March 5, 2013). Closer: Major League Players Reveal the Inside Pitch on Saving the Game. Running Press Book Publishers. p. 25. ISBN 9780762447169. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
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  40. ^ a b c "Sports Mini-Profile: Death Was in the Batter's Box And the Count Was 3 and 2". Hattiesburg American. April 14, 1974.
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  45. ^ Schechter, Gabriel. . Baseball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 25, 2006. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
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  47. ^ "'I Finally Made It' – Palmer". Lansing State Journal. November 7, 1973. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  48. ^ "Jackson unanimous MVP choice in AL". The Sun (San Bernardino). November 14, 1973. p. D1 – via Newspapers.com.
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  50. ^ Jim Hawkins (July 3, 1974). "Hiller Piling Up Relief Wins At Record Pace". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
  51. ^ Jim Hawkins (July 18, 1974). "Hiller Picked For AL Stars". Detroit Free Press. p. 2D – via Newspapers.com.
  52. ^ Jim Hawkins (September 13, 1974). "Hiller Busts Record With 17th Relief Win". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
  53. ^ "Hiller Does It Again! Tiger Reliefer [sic] Off To Fast Start". The Ludington Daily News. May 9, 1975. p. 6.
  54. ^ a b Jim Hawkins (July 25, 1975). "Fire's Out! Hiller Rescues Coleman, 5–2". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
  55. ^ Jim Hawkins (July 27, 1975). "Hiller Lost to Tigers for 21 Days". Detroit Free Press. p. 1E – via Newspapers.com.
  56. ^ "Hiller's Arm Still In Doubt". Detroit Free Press. August 23, 1975. p. 4C – via Newspapers.com.
  57. ^ "Hiller's Chomping at the Bit; Houk Won't Use Lefty, Yet". Detroit Free Press. September 3, 1975. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
  58. ^ "1975 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  59. ^ Jim Hawkins (February 29, 1976). "Where There's a Will . . . 'Manager' Hiller, Locked-Out Tigers Train on Own". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
  60. ^ Larry Paladino (March 30, 1976). "Hairy situation: John Hiller of Tigers shaves head daily". Battle Creek Enquirer and News (AP story). p. B3.
  61. ^ "Think John Hiller's Worried? You Bet He Is". Detroit Free Press. May 23, 1976. p. 5E – via Newspapers.com.
  62. ^ Richard L. Shook (May 21, 1976). "What's Wrong With Hiller? The Answer Is . . . Nothing". The Ludington Daily News (UPI story). p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  63. ^ "1976 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  64. ^ "Hiller Tosses Four-Hitter In 1st Start Since '72". The Ludington Daily News. October 2, 1976. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  65. ^ "Texas Deal Probably Best for Me – Horton". Detroit Free Press. April 13, 1977. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
  66. ^ "Houk's No. 1 stopper now: It's Foucault". Detroit Free Press. May 17, 1977. p. 1D.
  67. ^ "1977 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  68. ^ Jim Hawkins (September 28, 1977). "Hiller Has Liver Ailment". Detroit Free Press. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
  69. ^ "1978 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  70. ^ "Tigers' Hiller gets his day in the sun". Detroit Free Press. June 25, 1978. p. 1E – via Newspapers.com.
  71. ^ "1978 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  72. ^ Brian Bragg (August 28, 1979). "Hiller through for the year". Detroit Free Press. p. 4E – via Newspapers.com.
  73. ^ Brian Bragg (August 30, 1979). "What a relief! Hiller plans Tiger return". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1D, 7D – via Newspapers.com.
  74. ^ Jack Dulmage (April 30, 1980). "Tigers waiting to get off the ground". The Windsor Star. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  75. ^ "Tiger pitching leaders of the 1970s". Detroit Free Press. April 13, 1980. p. 33 – via Newspapers.com.
  76. ^ a b Brian Bragg (May 31, 1980). "Hiller calls it quits as Tiger hurler". Detroit Free Press. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  77. ^ "Hiller: His story was distinctive, and so too his place in Detroit". Detroit Free Press. June 3, 1980. p. 8A – via Newspapers.com.
  78. ^ a b Anne Tobik (September 8, 1985). "Hiller to coach Tigers' farm arms". Detroit Free Press. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
  79. ^ "Farm club: Ex-Tiger Hiller settles in the UP as Felch's ace pitcher". Detroit Free Press. May 13, 1982. p. 1F – via Newspapers.com.
  80. ^ "Hiller finds paradise in small-town lifestyle". Detroit Free Press. August 6, 1983. p. 2D – via Newspapers.com.
  81. ^ a b Jerry Green (January 5, 1997). "Hiller a specialist in fine art of survival". The Detroit News. p. 2D – via Newspapers.com.
  82. ^ Peter J. Wallner (July 26, 2017). "Heart attack 46 years ago still impacts ex-Tigers pitcher John Hiller". Mlive.com.
  83. ^ "Hiller Returns To Baseball As Tiger Coach". The Herald-Palladium (AP story). March 20, 1986. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
  84. ^ "Whatever happened to . . . John Hiller". Detroit Free Press. May 7, 1986. p. 5D – via Newspapers.com.
  85. ^ "John Hiller". Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  86. ^ "John Frederick Hiller". Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  87. ^ "John Hiller". Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  88. ^ "'Hall call' for former Tigers great John Hiller". Iron Mountain Daily News. September 28, 2017.

External links

  • Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference

December 27, 2022
john, hiller, photographer, with, similar, name, john, hillers, john, frederick, hiller, born, april, 1943, canadian, former, baseball, relief, pitcher, played, seasons, major, league, baseball, detroit, tigers, between, 1965, 1980, native, toronto, joined, ti. For the photographer with a similar name see John K Hillers John Frederick Hiller born April 8 1943 is a Canadian former baseball relief pitcher who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball MLB for the Detroit Tigers between 1965 and 1980 A native of Toronto he joined the Tigers in 1965 and was a member of the 1968 Detroit Tigers team that won the World Series He set a major league record by starting a game with six consecutive strikeouts in 1968 John HillerHiller in 1975PitcherBorn 1943 04 08 April 8 1943 age 79 Toronto Ontario CanadaBatted RightThrew LeftMLB debutSeptember 6 1965 for the Detroit TigersLast MLB appearanceMay 27 1980 for the Detroit TigersMLB statisticsWin loss record87 76Earned run average2 83Strikeouts1 036Saves125TeamsDetroit Tigers 1965 1970 1972 1980 Career highlights and awardsAll Star 1974 World Series champion 1968 MLB saves leader 1973 Member of the CanadianBaseball Hall of FameInduction1985In January 1971 Hiller suffered a heart attack and underwent intestinal surgery to control his body s absorption of cholesterol After missing the 1971 season Hiller returned in 1972 helping the Tigers win the American League AL East title and winning Game 4 of the 1972 AL Championship Series In 1973 he compiled a 1 44 earned run average ERA and broke the major league single season saves record with 38 The Sporting News awarded Hiller its 1973 Comeback Player of the Year and Fireman of the Year awards In 1974 Hiller set an AL record with 17 relief wins and was selected as a member of the All Star team He continued to rank among the AL s elite relief pitchers through the 1978 season He retired from playing in May 1980 with a career win loss record of 87 76 a 2 83 career ERA and 1 036 strikeouts He continues to hold the Tigers club record with 545 career games pitched Hiller returned to professional baseball in the mid 1980s as a minor league pitching coach for the Tigers He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame and Canada s Sports Hall of Fame Contents 1 Early years 2 Detroit Tigers 2 1 Minor leagues 1962 1965 2 2 1965 1967 2 3 1968 and 1969 seasons 2 4 Heart attack 2 5 The comeback begins in 1972 2 6 The comeback peaks in 1973 2 7 1974 and 1975 seasons 2 8 1976 1980 3 Family later years and honors 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksEarly years EditHiller was born in Toronto in 1943 1 He grew up in Scarborough the son of an auto body repairman 2 He was a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs while growing up and played ice hockey as a goaltender 2 He attended David Mary Thomson Public School and West Hill Collegiate Institute 3 but dropped out after the 11th grade 4 5 He competed as a sprinter in the 220 and 440 yard dashes while in high school 3 He excelled in baseball as a pitcher and reportedly once struck out 22 batters in a seven inning game including one batter who got on base due to a wild pitch an uncaught third strike 2 Detroit Tigers EditMinor leagues 1962 1965 Edit In June 1962 Hiller at age 19 signed a contract with the Detroit Tigers for 400 a month a pair of spikes and an old glove 6 7 Detroit scout Edwin Cy Williams discovered Hiller playing for the Scarborough Selects an All Star team composed of local sandlot players 3 Hiller played for the Tigers Jamestown New York club in the New York Pennsylvania League during the 1963 season He appeared in 29 games 22 as a starter and compiled a 14 9 record with a 4 03 ERA 11 complete games and 172 strikeouts in 181 innings pitched 8 Hiller spent most of the 1964 season with the Duluth Superior Dukes of the Northern League He appeared in 30 games for the Dukes 19 as a starter and compiled a 10 13 record with a 3 45 ERA 8 In 1965 Hiller was assigned to the Montgomery Rebels in the Southern League where he was converted to a relief pitcher In 47 games for Montgomery 43 in relief he compiled a 5 7 record with a 2 53 ERA 8 Hiller noted in early 1966 that he initially viewed the assignment to the bullpen as a demotion but became accustomed to the role You don t have to worry about pacing yourself You just come in and throw hard all the time It s more exciting too once you accustom yourself to pitching with men on base 9 1965 1967 Edit On September 5 1965 the Tigers purchased Hiller from Montgomery 10 He made five relief appearances for the 1965 Tigers and did not allow a run in six innings pitched 1 Hiller began the 1966 season with the Tigers but appeared in only one game pitching two innings in relief against Washington on April 17 giving up two hits and two earned runs 1 Three days later Hiller flew back to Detroit where he was hospitalized at Detroit Osteopathic Hospital with pneumonia and pleurisy 11 On May 11 he was sent down to the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League 12 He compiled a 4 45 ERA in 54 relief appearances for Syracuse in 1966 8 Hiller started the 1967 season with the Toledo Mud Hens of the International League compiling a 5 1 record with a 3 00 ERA 8 He was called up by the Tigers in late June for his third stint with the club Farm director Don Lund noted at the time that Hiller had recently mastered his control on breaking pitches to balance his excellent fastball 13 Over the last three months of the 1967 season Hiller appeared in 11 games eight as a starter and compiled a 4 2 record with a 2 50 ERA 1 1968 and 1969 seasons Edit Hiller spent his first full season in the majors as a reliever and spot starter for the 1968 Tigers team that won the American League pennant and the 1968 World Series Hiller appeared in 39 games 12 as a starter and compiled a 9 6 record with a 2 39 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 128 innings pitched 1 On August 6 he set a major league record when he struck out six consecutive batters against Cleveland to start a game 14 On August 20 he pitched a one hit complete game shutout against the Chicago White Sox 15 the one hit came in the eighth inning on a ball that just missed Hiller s glove 16 Hiller also had two relief appearances in the 1968 World Series against the St Louis Cardinals pitching the last two innings in the 7 3 Game 3 loss and facing five batters without recording an out in Game 4 a 10 1 loss He allowed six hits and three walks posting a 13 50 ERA but the Tigers recovered to win the Series in seven games Following a players strike in the spring of 1969 Hiller returned to the Tigers He appeared in 40 games for the 1969 Tigers but his ERA increased by more than a point and a half to 3 99 1 During the 1969 season Hiller acquired the nickname Ratso after he went with teammates to see the movie Midnight Cowboy The character Ratso Rizzo played by Dustin Hoffman had a limp as did Hiller at the time 17 Hiller returned to form in 1970 appearing in 47 games 42 in relief and compiling a 6 6 record with a 3 03 ERA 1 On October 1 in the final game of the season he pitched a two hit complete game shutout and struck out 11 batters including seven in a row With Hiller pitching quickly the game was played in only one hour and 41 minutes the fastest game of the year at Tiger Stadium 18 Heart attack Edit On January 11 1971 Hiller at the age of 27 suffered a heart attack at his home in Duluth Minnesota Hiller described the attack as follows I had just gotten up and was having a cup of coffee I lit up a cigarette It was strange a heaviness in my chest It felt like the pneumonia I had in 1966 so I put the cigarette out Later I had another cigarette and had the same feeling So I didn t smoke the rest of the day 19 He went to the hospital when the pain returned that night He was hospitalized for three weeks and notified the Tigers of his heart attack in mid February Hiller was placed on a strict diet quit smoking cigarettes and lost 20 pounds in the month after his heart attack 19 By late March he weighed 180 pounds 30 pounds lighter than he had been during the 1970 season 20 By the time of his 28th birthday Hiller had lost 40 pounds and four pant sizes in the waist He reported at the time The doctors have never even hinted that I d be able to pitch again 21 Despite the pessimism of doctors Hiller made a birthday promise to himself that he would pitch again 21 In April Hiller underwent an ileo bypass a surgery in which about the doctors removed seven feet of his small intestines the portions that are responsible for absorbing cholesterol 22 The Tigers announced in May that Hiller would not return to the team during the 1971 season 23 In August 1971 Hiller reported that he had lost 50 pounds down to 160 pounds and was selling furniture in Duluth and playing golf and paddleball 24 The comeback begins in 1972 Edit In February 1972 the Tigers invited Hiller to training camp as a minor league coach for the Lakeland Tigers 25 After spending the first half of the 1972 season as a pitching coach for Lakeland Hiller announced in late June that he was running two miles a day in top shape at 170 pounds and ready to return to pitching He said I m ready to go I m just waiting for that call from Detroit It s up to them now if they want me 26 Hiller suspected that the Tigers willingness to take a chance on him was impacted by the sudden heart attack and death of Detroit Lions receiver Chuck Hughes during a game at Tiger Stadium in October 1971 26 27 On July 7 1972 the Tigers reinstated Hiller to their roster He returned to the mound the next day having had no rehab games in the minors and after not facing a batter in 18 months He gave up a two run home run to the first batter Dick Allen but Detroit manager Billy Martin opined that Hiller had pitched well and Hiller confirmed after the game this is what I want I really want it 28 Two days later Hiller returned to the mound and retired the side in a victory that gave the Tigers sole possession of first place in the American League East 29 On October 1 Hiller pitched a complete game five hit victory over Milwaukee Brewers that Jim Hawkins of the Detroit Free Press called the biggest win of the season 30 After the game which was Hiller s first win since October 1 1970 he told reporters I go at this game with a little different attitude than I used to Before my sickness I was more uptight every time I pitched I used to get nervous warming up Now I don t worry about tomorrow If I do well I do well If I don t well there ll aways be another day 31 In the last half of the 1972 season Hiller helped the Tigers win the American League East pennant appearing in 23 games with a strong 2 03 ERA 1 He also pitched in three games in the 1972 American League Championship Series against the Oakland Athletics winning Game 4 when Detroit scored three times in the bottom of the 10th inning 32 The comeback peaks in 1973 Edit Hiller s comeback peaked in 1973 with what baseball historian Bill James rated as the most valuable season by a relief pitcher in baseball history 33 Hiller appeared in 65 games all in relief and compiled a 10 5 record 1 He broke Clay Carroll s Major League Baseball record with 38 saves His single season saves record stood for 10 years until Dan Quisenberry tallied 45 saves in 1983 34 and remained a Tigers team record until broken by Todd Jones in 2000 35 Hiller also accumulated a career low 1 44 ERA in 125 innings to win the American League ERA title Rollie Fingers ranked second at 1 92 1 36 Demonstrating how dominant Hiller was during the 1973 season his Adjusted ERA which adjusts a pitcher s ERA according to the pitcher s ballpark and the average ERA of the pitcher s league in a given year was 285 Only two pitchers in major league history are known to have recorded a higher rating Hall of Famers Tim Keefe in 1880 293 and Pedro Martinez in 2000 291 37 Hiller also led the American League s pitchers with 65 appearances and 60 games finished 38 On September 30 Hiller became the last man to win a game and the last to throw a pitch in the original Yankee Stadium getting Yankees first baseman Mike Hegan to fly out to center field in an 8 5 Detroit win 39 As the first major league player to suffer a heart attack and then return an active competitor 27 Hiller s comeback was rated as one of the most heartwarming sagas in sports 40 Slugger Frank Howard called it the kind of thing you see once in a lifetime 40 After the 1973 season Hiller won numerous awards for his remarkable accomplishments including the following The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award for the American League 40 The Sporting News Fireman of the Year Award for the American League 41 The Hutch Award as the player who best exemplified the fighting spirit of Fred Hutchinson 42 Detroit baseball writers selected him as the Tiger of the Year Hiller received 32 votes out of 33 votes cast for the award more than any other player in the history of the award to that time 43 Detroit sports writers and broadcasters also selected him as Detroit s Sportsman of the Year for 1973 44 In May 1974 the American Heart Association presented Hiller with its Heart of the Year Award which had not previously been awarded to an athlete and which been presented to President Richard Nixon the previous year 45 The Heart Association cited Hiller for his courage in meeting the personal challenge of heart attack and for his inspiring example to other heart attack victims 46 In an era where no relief pitcher had ever won a Cy Young Award Mike Marshall became the first one year later Hiller finished fourth in the voting for the 1973 American League Cy Young Award behind starters Jim Palmer Nolan Ryan and Catfish Hunter 47 He also tied for fourth in the voting for the American League Most Valuable Player Award behind Reggie Jackson and Rod Carew 48 In January 1976 he was honored in Philadelphia with a Most Courageous Athlete award and acknowledged that prior to the heart attack he smoked too much drank too much and ate too much He described the broader life lesson that he hoped would be drawn from his comeback I hope I ve helped a lot of people by talking to them I hope they understand when you have a heart attack you haven t come to the end of your life or the end of your career 49 1974 and 1975 seasons Edit John Hiller in the 1970s In 1974 Hiller had another strong season as he broke the American League record with 17 relief wins He appeared in 59 games all in relief compiled a 17 14 record with 2 64 ERA and a career high 134 strikeouts 1 Hiller won his 10th game of the season on July 1 and was on pace to break Roy Face s major league record of 18 relief wins set in 1959 50 Two weeks later he was named to the American League All Star team for the only time his career though he did not pitch in the game 51 On September 13 Hiller recorded his 17th relief win of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers The win broke the American League record of 16 relief wins set by Dick Radatz in 1964 52 Bill Campbell tied the record in 1975 but it has not been broken In 1975 the Tigers compiled one of the worst seasons in club history with 102 losses and a team ERA of 4 27 However Hiller had another outstanding season He opened the season without allowing a run in his first five appearances totaling over 14 innings 53 He continued to pitch well and during a stretch from late June to late July he did not allow a hit in 10 games and 16 2 3 innings 54 He also struck out 87 batters in 70 2 3 inning pitched giving him a career high average of 11 1 strikeouts per nine innings 1 Hiller noted in late July I ve never struck out people like this before 54 While pitching against Cleveland on July 25 1975 Hiller felt something tear in his throwing arm and was sidelined for the remainder of the season 55 56 While trying to come back in September Hiller reported that although the pain had subsided he could still feel a lump under his left arm where the injury occurred 57 Despite playing only half the season he led the team with 36 appearances and 14 saves and compiled a 2 17 ERA 58 1976 1980 Edit In 1976 Hiller returned to the Tigers spring training with a shaved head Sports writers joked that Hiller s head was as smooth as his delivery and compared the new look to Fu Manchu or a cross between Genghis Khan and Kojak 59 60 Hiller got off to a slow start in the early weeks of the 1976 season holding a 1 3 record and a 3 47 ERA in late May 61 62 However he then regained his form and won 11 of 15 decisions for the balance of the season his 2 38 ERA was on par with the 2 34 ERA recorded by the team s rookie sensation Mark Fidrych who won the 1976 Rookie of the Year award 63 Hiller ranked fourth in the American League in games finished 46 and ninth in both adjusted pitching runs and adjusted pitching wins 1 He closed the 1976 season with a rare start his first since 1972 and threw a four hit complete game shutout against the Milwaukee Brewers 64 In April 1977 the Tigers traded Willie Horton to the Texas Rangers for relief pitcher Steve Foucault 65 Foucault edged out Hiller as the Tigers stopper 66 as Hiller was asked to pitch both in relief and as a spot starter He started eight games and threw three complete games However his ERA jumped by more than a point to 3 56 and he compiled a record of 8 14 with only seven saves 67 In late September 1977 doctors diagnosed Hiller with an enlarged liver possibly caused by the intestinal surgery he received after his heart attack doctors advised that he should never have another drink for the rest of his life 68 Hiller reclaimed his role as the Tigers closer in 1978 He appeared in 51 games all in relief and his total of 46 games finished ranked sixth in the American League 1 He led the 1978 Tigers with a 2 34 ERA and 15 saves 69 The Tigers honored Hiller on June 25 1978 with a John Hiller Recognition Day at Tiger Stadium 70 In 1979 Hiller had 43 relief appearances but Aurelio Lopez acquired in a trade with the St Louis Cardinals before the season began took over as the Tigers closer as Hiller s ERA soared to 5 22 71 Hiller played with pain in his left shoulder during the 1979 season and his season ended on August 27 when he was placed on the disabled list 72 Hiller believed that he injured his shoulder in mid May while messing around trying to throw a screwball 73 Hiller broke Hooks Dauss team record of 538 games pitched Hiller returned to the Tigers briefly in 1980 just long enough to break Hooks Dauss franchise record of 538 games pitched Hiller broke Dauss record on April 29 and ended his career having appeared in 545 games as a Tiger 74 He was the last member of Detroit s 1968 World Series championship team to remain with the club During the 1970s Hiller appeared in 426 games for the Tigers nearly double the total of any other Detroit pitcher 75 On May 30 1980 after finishing a clubhouse card game with teammates Hiller called a team meeting and announced that he was retiring The Tigers interrupted the game that night to announce Hiller s decision Hiller stepped out of the dugout in street clothes and waved to the crowd The crowd reacted with polite applause at the surprise announcement and then began chanting We want Hiller We want Hiller until the game was interrupted to allow Hiller to step onto the field for a final bow 76 Hiller told reporters after the game I just don t think I can compete here anymore I don t want to embarrass myself I always said the hitters would let me know when it was time to retire and they did 76 After his retirement the Detroit Free Press paid tribute to Hiller not on its sports page but on its editorial page W hat sets the John Hiller story apart is neither the professional skill nor the personal grace and style that were his in such an abundant measure Detroiters have a special affection for Hiller for what he had to overcome and for the dogged persistence with which he fought his way back from a heart attack By will and discipline he made himself a fit professional athlete again He overcame 77 Hiller ended his career with a record of 87 76 a 2 83 ERA 545 appearances and 1 036 strikeouts in 1 242 innings pitched 1 At the time of his retirement his 125 saves ranked behind only Sparky Lyle 231 Hoyt Wilhelm 154 and Rollie Fingers 136 in major league history and remained a Detroit Tigers club record until 1993 Family later years and honors EditHiller married Janis Patricia Baldwin in 1965 3 They had three children including son Steve and daughter Wendy 5 His first marriage ended in divorce in February 1985 and he married his second wife Linette later that year 2 78 After retiring from baseball Hiller returned to his home in Duluth Minnesota Hiller and his first wife had lived in Duluth since 1966 In 1982 he bought an abandoned farm near Felch in Michigan s Upper Peninsula and played baseball for the Felch Rangers 79 He was appointed constable for Felch in 1983 80 Hiller later lived for more than 30 years in Hermansville and then Iron Mountain both in the Upper Peninsula 81 82 He also supported himself with jobs selling insurance owning a pet shop operating a country store and working as a Pepsi distributor From 1985 to 1987 he returned to professional baseball as a minor league pitching coach for the Tigers 78 83 84 His coaching career ended when he was diagnosed in 1988 with a blockage behind his right knee that had caused the arteries in his lower leg to deteriorate Doctors recommended amputation but Hiller declined 81 Hiller has been inducted into several halls of fame including the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inducted 1985 85 Michigan Sports Hall of Fame inducted 1989 86 Canada s Sports Hall of Fame inducted 1999 87 and the Ontario Canada Sports Hall of Fame inducted 2017 88 See also EditList of Detroit Tigers team records List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchiseReferences Edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o John Hiller Baseball Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved July 10 2019 a b c d Larry Hilliard and Rob Hilliard John Hiller Society for American Baseball Research Retrieved July 10 2019 a b c d Sports Chatter The Windsor Star October 2 1968 p 34 via Newspapers com Jim Hawkins July 27 1980 Hiller s anonymous now and he loves every minute Detroit Free Press p B1 via Newspapers com a b Tiger Wives Run the Show Detroit Free Press March 27 1977 p 4C via Newspapers com Tigers Sign Farm Hiller The Baltimore Sun June 20 1962 p B14 via Newspapers com Ernie Harwell March 3 1991 untitled The Detroit News p 7E via Newspapers com a b c d e John Hiller Minor League Statistics Baseball Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved July 10 2019 Pitcher John Hiller Has Best Chance of Sticking with Tigers The Battle Creek Enquirer and News March 9 1966 p III 3 via Newspapers com Tigers Buy Pitcher Detroit Free Press September 6 1965 p 3D via Newspapers com Pneumonia hits Tigers Hiller The Windsor Star April 22 1966 p 22 via Newspapers com Tigers Send Hiller Sullivan To Minors The Montgomery Advertiser May 12 1966 p 49 via Newspapers com Tigers Land Jim Landis Detroit Free Press June 30 1967 p 2D via Newspapers com Hiller Fans Six in Row For Record Lansing State Journal August 7 1968 p F1 via Newspapers com John Hiller Hurls One Hit Contest The Holland Evening Sentinel August 21 1968 p II 1 via Newspapers com Brian Bragg August 17 1978 The Champions Detroit Free Press p 1D via Newspapers com Neary Kevin March 5 2013 Closer Major League Players Reveal the Inside Pitch on Saving the Game Running Press Book Publishers p 25 ISBN 9780762447169 Retrieved April 16 2016 Hiller Finishes Season In A Hurry The Port Huron Times Herald October 2 1970 p B1 via Newspapers com a b Tigers Hiller Reveals Heart Attack Detroit Free Press February 19 1971 pp 1D 2D via Newspapers com Jim Hawkins March 26 1971 Hiller May Be Ready To Pitch by Midseason Detroit Free Press p 2D via Newspapers com a b Hiller Makes Self A Promise Lansing State Journal April 8 1971 p E1 via Newspapers com Earl McRae John Hiller Had a Heart Attack Now he s back pitching for the Tigers The Ottawa Citizen pp The Canadian Magazine pp 10 12 via Newspapers com Hiller Through For Year The Port Huron Times Herald May 6 1971 p C3 via Newspapers com Comeback Lansing State Journal August 16 1971 p C1 via Newspapers com Hiller Back In Baseball As Coach Lansing State Journal February 27 1972 p E7 via Newspapers com a b Rich Zitrin June 22 1972 Hiller Says I m Ready to Pitch Again Detroit Free Press p 7D via Newspapers com a b Tiger hurler beat big odds The Journal Herald March 18 1974 p 8 via Newspapers com Jim Hawkins July 9 1972 This Is What I Want Hiller Detroit Free Press p D1 via Newspapers com Tigers Go Into First Alone 8 3 Detroit Free Press July 11 1972 pp 1C 2C via Newspapers com Jim Hawkins October 2 1972 It s Best of 3 for All the Marbles Detroit Free Press pp 1D 6D via Newspapers com Jim Hawkins October 2 1972 Hiller Beat Heart Attack Nothing Can Rile Him Now Detroit Free Press pp 1D 6D via Newspapers com Miracles Do Happen Tigers Detroit Free Press October 12 1972 pp 1D 9D via Newspapers com Bill James 2010 The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract Simon and Schuster p 867 ISBN 978 1439106938 Quisenberry ties record and Hiller s not surprised Detroit Free Press September 13 1983 p 4D via Newspapers com Holmes Dan March 15 2015 A Timeline of Detroit Tigers Closers VintageDetroit com Retrieved July 13 2020 John Hiller wins ERA title Battle Creek Enquirer and News October 7 1973 p C3 via Newspapers com Single Season Leaders amp Records for Adjusted ERA Baseball Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved July 11 2019 1973 AL Pitching Leaders Baseball Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved July 10 2019 The first goodbye Old Yankee Stadium said farewell in 1973 New York Daily News September 20 2008 a b c Sports Mini Profile Death Was in the Batter s Box And the Count Was 3 and 2 Hattiesburg American April 14 1974 Fireman of the Year Award Reliever of the Year Award by The Sporting News Baseball Almanac Archived from the original on March 17 2015 Hiller Wins Hutch Award Detroit Free Press November 15 1973 p 4D via Newspapers com Jim Hawkins November 11 1973 Hiller Who Else Tiger of the Year Detroit Free Press p 2E via Newspapers com Hiller Young Win Awards Lansing State Journal October 26 1972 p C6 via Newspapers com Schechter Gabriel John Hiller s Amazing Comeback Baseball Hall of Fame Archived from the original on February 25 2006 Retrieved August 15 2019 Hiller wins major 1974 heart award The Port Huron Times Herald May 16 1974 p 1C via Newspapers com I Finally Made It Palmer Lansing State Journal November 7 1973 p C1 via Newspapers com Jackson unanimous MVP choice in AL The Sun San Bernardino November 14 1973 p D1 via Newspapers com Heart Attack Victims Can Look To Hiller The Philadelphia Inquirer January 13 1976 p D1 via Newspapers com Jim Hawkins July 3 1974 Hiller Piling Up Relief Wins At Record Pace Detroit Free Press p 1D via Newspapers com Jim Hawkins July 18 1974 Hiller Picked For AL Stars Detroit Free Press p 2D via Newspapers com Jim Hawkins September 13 1974 Hiller Busts Record With 17th Relief Win Detroit Free Press p 1D via Newspapers com Hiller Does It Again Tiger Reliefer sic Off To Fast Start The Ludington Daily News May 9 1975 p 6 a b Jim Hawkins July 25 1975 Fire s Out Hiller Rescues Coleman 5 2 Detroit Free Press p 1D via Newspapers com Jim Hawkins July 27 1975 Hiller Lost to Tigers for 21 Days Detroit Free Press p 1E via Newspapers com Hiller s Arm Still In Doubt Detroit Free Press August 23 1975 p 4C via Newspapers com Hiller s Chomping at the Bit Houk Won t Use Lefty Yet Detroit Free Press September 3 1975 p 3D via Newspapers com 1975 Detroit Tigers Statistics Baseball Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved July 11 2019 Jim Hawkins February 29 1976 Where There s a Will Manager Hiller Locked Out Tigers Train on Own Detroit Free Press p 1D via Newspapers com Larry Paladino March 30 1976 Hairy situation John Hiller of Tigers shaves head daily Battle Creek Enquirer and News AP story p B3 Think John Hiller s Worried You Bet He Is Detroit Free Press May 23 1976 p 5E via Newspapers com Richard L Shook May 21 1976 What s Wrong With Hiller The Answer Is Nothing The Ludington Daily News UPI story p 6 via Newspapers com 1976 Detroit Tigers Statistics Baseball Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved July 11 2019 Hiller Tosses Four Hitter In 1st Start Since 72 The Ludington Daily News October 2 1976 p 8 via Newspapers com Texas Deal Probably Best for Me Horton Detroit Free Press April 13 1977 p 1D via Newspapers com Houk s No 1 stopper now It s Foucault Detroit Free Press May 17 1977 p 1D 1977 Detroit Tigers Statistics Baseball Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved July 11 2019 Jim Hawkins September 28 1977 Hiller Has Liver Ailment Detroit Free Press p 3D via Newspapers com 1978 Detroit Tigers Statistics Baseball Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved July 11 2019 Tigers Hiller gets his day in the sun Detroit Free Press June 25 1978 p 1E via Newspapers com 1978 Detroit Tigers Statistics Baseball Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved July 11 2019 Brian Bragg August 28 1979 Hiller through for the year Detroit Free Press p 4E via Newspapers com Brian Bragg August 30 1979 What a relief Hiller plans Tiger return Detroit Free Press pp 1D 7D via Newspapers com Jack Dulmage April 30 1980 Tigers waiting to get off the ground The Windsor Star p 17 via Newspapers com Tiger pitching leaders of the 1970s Detroit Free Press April 13 1980 p 33 via Newspapers com a b Brian Bragg May 31 1980 Hiller calls it quits as Tiger hurler Detroit Free Press p 1 via Newspapers com Hiller His story was distinctive and so too his place in Detroit Detroit Free Press June 3 1980 p 8A via Newspapers com a b Anne Tobik September 8 1985 Hiller to coach Tigers farm arms Detroit Free Press p 3D via Newspapers com Farm club Ex Tiger Hiller settles in the UP as Felch s ace pitcher Detroit Free Press May 13 1982 p 1F via Newspapers com Hiller finds paradise in small town lifestyle Detroit Free Press August 6 1983 p 2D via Newspapers com a b Jerry Green January 5 1997 Hiller a specialist in fine art of survival The Detroit News p 2D via Newspapers com Peter J Wallner July 26 2017 Heart attack 46 years ago still impacts ex Tigers pitcher John Hiller Mlive com Hiller Returns To Baseball As Tiger Coach The Herald Palladium AP story March 20 1986 p 23 via Newspapers com Whatever happened to John Hiller Detroit Free Press May 7 1986 p 5D via Newspapers com John Hiller Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Retrieved July 10 2019 John Frederick Hiller Michigan Sports Hall of Fame Retrieved July 10 2019 John Hiller Canada s Sports Hall of Fame Retrieved July 10 2019 Hall call for former Tigers great John Hiller Iron Mountain Daily News September 28 2017 External links EditCareer statistics and player information from Baseball Reference Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Hiller amp oldid 1122468643, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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