He wasn’t Cy Young. He wasn’t an All-Star every year. But Rich Hill did what no other baseball star could dream of: surviving and fighting for 14 teams, weathering time and adversity.
When Rich Hill stepped onto the mound for the Kansas City Royals, he rewrote history: the most-team pitcher in the modern MLB era — 14, tied with Edwin Jackson.
But that number doesn’t tell the whole story…
From his early days with the Chicago Cubs, Hill was suspected of being a “stopper.” He was cut, sent down, and then… back. Multiple times. Fourteen times, to be exact. Boston, Baltimore, Cleveland, Angels, A’s, Yankees, Dodgers, Twins, Mets, Pirates, Padres and now the Royals – all have been his “home,” if only for a season. But in each place, he has left behind something money can’t buy: his heart.
In 2014, Rich Hill almost retired from baseball after the sudden death of his young son. But then he came back. Literally… from the ashes, from the tears, from the nights in the locker room.
14 teams, 19 seasons, hundreds of nights of pain, and a heart that never dies.
Hill doesn’t just pitch. He throws his life into every pitch. At 44, he’s not done yet.
Asked if he still wants to keep going, Hill laughed:
“I still have a fire in my heart. And I haven’t seen anyone put it out yet.”
📌 From “extra guy” to a symbol of resilience.
📌 Rich Hill is not a legend of one team – he is a legend of the entire league.
And that is why we must remember him – not just by numbers. But by respect.