John Hiller
Born: 4/8/1943 in Toronto, ON, CAN
MLB Debut: 1965-09-06 | Final Game: 1980-05-27
Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 185 lbs
Full name: John Frederick Hiller
Biography
John Hiller, born in 1943, was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1965 until his retirement in 1980. He was known for his exceptional skills on the mound, finishing his career with a record of 87-76 and an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 2.83. Over the course of his career, Hiller accumulated 1,036 strikeouts and secured 125 saves, showcasing his ability as both a starter and a reliever. His performance earned him a selection to the All-Star Game, highlighting his status among the elite players of his time.
Hiller played during an era that witnessed significant changes in baseball, including the evolution of pitching strategies and the role of relief pitchers. His effectiveness in high-pressure situations made him a reliable asset for his team, and he became known for his resilience and competitive spirit. Hiller's contributions to the game were not only measured in statistics but also in the impact he had on the teams he played for, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of baseball.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87 | 76 | 545 | 43 | 13 | 6 | 125 | 1242.0 | 1040 | 391 | 110 | 535 | 1036 | 2.83 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | DET | AL | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6.0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.00 | 0.0 |
| 1966 | DET | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9.00 | 0.0 |
| 1967 | DET | AL | 4 | 3 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 65.0 | 57 | 19 | 9 | 49 | 2.63 | 1740.1 |
| 1968 | DET | AL | 9 | 6 | 39 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 128.0 | 92 | 34 | 51 | 78 | 2.39 | -964.6 |
| 1969 | DET | AL | 4 | 4 | 40 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 99.3 | 97 | 44 | 44 | 74 | 3.99 | -1181.4 |
| 1970 | DET | AL | 6 | 6 | 47 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 104.0 | 82 | 35 | 46 | 89 | 3.03 | 197.6 |
| 1972 | DET | AL | 1 | 2 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 44.3 | 39 | 10 | 13 | 26 | 2.03 | -243.5 |
| 1973 | DET | AL | 10 | 5 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 125.3 | 89 | 20 | 39 | 124 | 1.44 | 4819.6 |
| 1974 | DET | AL | 17 | 14 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 150.0 | 127 | 44 | 62 | 134 | 2.64 | 2586.6 |
| 1975 | DET | AL | 2 | 3 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 70.7 | 52 | 17 | 36 | 87 | 2.17 | 1709.5 |
| 1976 | DET | AL | 12 | 8 | 56 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 121.0 | 93 | 32 | 67 | 117 | 2.38 | 1093.4 |
| 1977 | DET | AL | 8 | 14 | 45 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 124.0 | 120 | 49 | 61 | 115 | 3.56 | 135.8 |
| 1978 | DET | AL | 9 | 4 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 92.3 | 64 | 24 | 35 | 74 | 2.34 | 1700.8 |
| 1979 | DET | AL | 4 | 7 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 79.3 | 83 | 46 | 55 | 46 | 5.22 | -3919.4 |
| 1980 | DET | AL | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30.7 | 38 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 4.40 | -291.6 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 546 | 101 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 34 | 0.109 | 0.135 | 0.119 | 0.253 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | DET | AL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1966 | DET | AL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1967 | DET | AL | 23 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.133 | 0.0 |
| 1968 | DET | AL | 39 | 37 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0.081 | 0.0 |
| 1969 | DET | AL | 41 | 21 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.286 | 0.0 |
| 1970 | DET | AL | 47 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1972 | DET | AL | 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1973 | DET | AL | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1974 | DET | AL | 59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1975 | DET | AL | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1976 | DET | AL | 56 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1977 | DET | AL | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1978 | DET | AL | 51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1979 | DET | AL | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1980 | DET | AL | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | ALCS | DET | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1968 | WS | DET | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5.3 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5.06 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | ALCS | DET | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3.3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 |
| 1968 | WS | DET | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 13.50 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 545 | 43 | 45 | 136 | 8 | 5 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | DET | P | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966 | DET | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | DET | P | 23 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 1968 | DET | P | 39 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| 1969 | DET | P | 40 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 1970 | DET | P | 47 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972 | DET | P | 24 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| 1973 | DET | P | 65 | 0 | 8 | 16 | 1 | 1 |
| 1974 | DET | P | 59 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 1975 | DET | P | 36 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | DET | P | 56 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977 | DET | P | 45 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| 1978 | DET | P | 51 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | DET | P | 43 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | DET | P | 11 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 545 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Hutch Award | |
| 1973 | TSN Comeback Player of the Year | |
| 1973 | TSN Fireman of the Year |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Cy Young Award | AL | 7th | 1.0 | 120 | 0 |
| 1974 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 20th | 11.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1973 | Cy Young Award | AL | 4th | 6.0 | 120 | 0 |
| 1973 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 4th | 83.0 | 336 | 0 |