John Hiller: From Death's Doorstep to One of the Best

Throughout our life time, we are all bound to face some sort of adversity. Whether it be trouble in school, recovering from an addiction,or coping with the loss of a loved one, it is never easy.

Now imagine the people you respect most in your life and think about what they have accomplished. Over their life time they have probably beaten the odds at least once and without possibly not even thinking about it until now, it is likely a key component of your admiration.

Yet as regular civilians we are blessed. We are allowed to deal with life’s obstacles in private, something we take for granted.

Professional athletes on the other hand are not so fortunate. Yes they get the fame and the fortune, but it comes with a steep price. You see, when their life gets messy, they must overcome it with everyone watching.

As strong willed as they might be, most simply cannot handle the pressure. Yet if they find a way to persevere through it all and come back, we anoint them as heroes.

This is the tale of a ball player who unintentionally came knocking on death’s doorstep. Against all odds he reemerged, becoming an inspiration for all.

After making some brief appearances for the Detroit Tigers during the previous two seasons, in 1967 the baseball world was formally introduced to southpaw relief pitcher John Hiller. During this pennant season for the Tiger’s he quickly became their go to guy, posting a solid 2.63 ERA in 65 innings pitched.

Over the next three seasons, Hiller blossomed into one of the better relievers in the game. From 1966-1968 he posted a highly respectable 2.99 ERA, serving as closer, middle reliever, and spot starter. Although he posted middling numbers the next two seasons, Hiller was only 27 and to many in baseball, his future looked bright.

On January 11th 1971, Hiller’s baseball career was put on hold. On that day, Hiller suffered a massive heart attack. Although he had been smoking since the age of 13, a good deal of other players had as well and none had ever suffered this fate.

“Incredibly painful, incredibly frightening” he said when asked about it in a recent interview. “I didn’t even know I was having a heart attack, first of all. A heart attack? I was 27-years-old.”

Hiller was an incredibly lucky man. Although there were two blockages in the valve of his heart, he was told he would suffer no permanent damage with the intestinal bypass surgery. Alive and on the road of recovery, the dream of returning some day began to creep in the back of his mind.

After sitting out the entire 1971 season, Hiller’s tests showed his cholesterol was nearly all the way down and the blockages were nearly gone. Although he would have to convince the Tiger’s he was 100 percent healthy, the dream was now a possibility.

That offseason, Hiller worked harder than he ever had in his entire life. For three hours a day, every day, from the first part of November to the first part of April, he made up for lost time by running, stretching, and lifting like he never had before.

“I hated running and working out, but every time things got tough, I’d squint, look at the guy ahead of me on the track, and think about getting back on the mound at Tigers Stadium.”

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