Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Aaron Hill turns to throw to first after forcing out Seattle Mariners' Josh Wilson at second base in the third inning during a baseball game Wednesday, May 19, 2010, in Seattle. Ichiro Suzuki was safe at first on the fielder's choice. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)Elaine Thompson/The Associated Press
The technical things he was going to leave to hitting coach Dwayne Murphy and manager Cito Gaston. Besides, Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos always treads lightly.
But Anthopoulos sought out Aaron Hill on the club's chartered flight home from Los Angeles on Wednesday, and the 33-year-old Anthopoulos and 27-year-old Hill found more than enough areas of commonality for a two-hour chat. First-time fatherhood, things like that. And at one point, Anthopoulos told a story.
"He and Russ Adams both started off very slowly their first year here, and I told Aaron we'd talk about it around the (teams) office - how Russ seemed like he got really down on himself while Aaron, even though he was hitting .189 or .190, still walked around with his head high," Anthopoulos said Friday, referring to another former first-round pick, Russ Adams.
"I told him we all talked about how he was a guy who wasn't going to let anything stop him. He said he remembered that."
While Anthopoulos relayed the story before Friday night's game against the Baltimore Orioles, Hill finished off 45 minutes of early batting practice with Murphy and Gaston. Pitching coach Bruce Walton was on the mound, as he was earlier this year when the same trio worked with John Buck just hours before a three-homer game by the Blue Jays catcher. "Word is Pappy's got that good luck thing going," Hill said afterward, chuckling. "We'll see a week from now …"
Maybe not that long: Hill stroked a run-scoring single in his first at bat Friday, on a 3-2 pitch from Kevin Millwood. He led off the sixth by crushing an 0-2 pitch into the left-field bleachers.
"I knew my timing was there, because I was getting the barrel on the ball," said Hill, who was 3-for-33 on the Blue Jays recently-concluded road trip. "With two strikes, I just told myself to get ready for the fastball. I knew I had to get my front foot down and start my timing."
There comes a point in some interviews where there is simply not much else to be said. Where it all starts to go circular and fizzle out, much like Hill's 2010 season, and develops a critical mass toward sheer, utter, pointlessness of carrying it on - especially for the person being interviewed. That happened before the game, when Hill … well, he just kind of ran out interest in talking about his slump.
"Nothing's mechanically wrong," said Hill, whose numbers behind the numbers are gruesome: a .154 batting average going into Friday's game and a batting average on balls in play (BABIP) of .144 that is last among all qualified Major League hitters and less than half the Major League average. Hill also had a line-drive percentage of 8.2 per-cent that was also the Majors' worst.
"Sometimes I'm giving up my at bats with two strikes, and getting beaten inside," said Hill. "And I'm not making adjustments to get that pitch. It's kind of more of a defensive thing but … I don't know. It's fine." Frustration evident, Hill asked: "You really think I'm going to go all year doing this, do you?"
Later, Hill opened up. Everybody has a theory for ruts and funks and he thinks he came off the 15-day disabled list babying his sore hamstring. "I was a little cautious putting weight on it at the plate and that kind of messed up my upper body," said Hill. "It was like I was all twisted up when I was swinging. Now, I'm trying to get back to where I need to be."
It is no secret that Hill was one of the players who chafed last season under Gaston and hitting coach Gene Tenace. But there is no issue this season, Hill says, beyond getting out of the slump and maybe finding out about this BABIP stat. "It's the second time in a couple of days somebody's mentioned it to me," he said, chuckling. "I guess it's supposed to mean that even when I'm hitting, I'm hitting into bad luck. Which, you know, would kind of figure."
Now, about this Walton "thing." Can it be coincidence that Hill had the kind of game he had - he just missed another homer, too - hours after seeing Walton throw BP just as Buck had his career night following a session with Walton, too?
Gaston thinks it's more than just luck. Walton is a former pitcher, and Gaston notes that Walton throws harder than a lot of BP pitchers. "You're going from 50 (miles per hour) in a normal BP pitcher to a guy who throws 70-80 and can also throw some curveballs," said Gaston. "When I was in the minor leagues we'd bring him over to throw BP."
It was suggested to Gaston that Walton ought to get a shot on Tuesday, when the Blue Jays will play the Tampa Bay Rays with an as-yet to be named starter.
"If they moved the mound up a bit, maybe," Gaston said.
Hill often takes extra BP and early BP. But this was different: the Rogers Centre roof was open, the Orioles decided against taking extra BP themselves … the sun was out. Mid-twenty degree temperatures. Thursday was an off-day. "Chance to get the blood going in your hands," Hill said.
Honestly. What wasn't to like?
"It's just fun - to be out there alone in a big league ballpark hitting, where all you can hear is the crack of the bat," Hill said. "I love hitting."
On this night, the love was not unrequited.