Dave Hillman

Darius Dutton "Dave" Hillman (born September 14, 1927) is an American former professional baseball player, a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball between the 1955 and 1962 seasons. Listed at 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) and 168 pounds (76 kg), he batted and threw right-handed.

A finesse pitcher with decent control, Hillman did almost everything a hurler is asked to do. He started and filled various relief roles coming out from the bullpen as a closer, middle reliever, and set-up man as well.

He entered the majors in 1955 with the Chicago Cubs, playing for them five years before joining the Boston Red Sox (1960–1961), Cincinnati Reds (1962) and New York Mets (1962). In 1956 had a 21-7 record with a 3.38 ERA, while playing most of the season for the PCL Los Angeles Angels. His most productive season came in 1959 with the Cubs, when he posted career-numbers in appearances (39), wins (8), starts (24), complete games (4), strikeouts (88), and innings pitched (191.0). On May 6, 1959, at Forbes Field, collected his only major league shutout against Harvey Haddix and the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3–0, giving up two hits, walking one and striking out two. A strictly reliever for the 1961 Red Sox, he went 3-2 with a 2.77 ERA and 78.0 innings in 28 games.

In an eight-season career, Hillman posted a 21-37 record with 296 strikeouts and a 3.87 ERA in 188 appearances, including 64 starts, eight complete games, one shutout, 42 games finished, three saves, 185 walks, and 624.0 innings of work.

Along with his Cubs teammate Jim Marshall, Hillman was part of the very first inter-league trade without waivers in major league baseball history, when he went to the Boston Red Sox in return for Dick Gernert. The transaction was the first during a three-week period of trading permitted by a change in both leagues' rules.^[1]

Hillman has been a long-time resident of Kingsport, Tennessee since his retirement from baseball and is an avid Amateur Radio operator, holding FCC callsign KA4NMJ.

References

Sources

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• BR Bullpen
• Retrosheet box score