Dave Hillman

Darius Dutton Hillman

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 168 lb.
• High School Dungannon High School
• Debut April 30, 1955
• Final Game June 20, 1962
• Born September 14, 1927 in Dungannon, VA USA
• Died November 20, 2022 in Kingsport, TN USA

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Biographical Information

22-year-old right-hander Dave Hillman was signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent before the 1950 season. He started out his pro career with the Rock Hill Chiefs of the class B Tri-State League, going 14-11 with a 2.86 ERA. He got invited back to the same ball club for the 1951 season, this time going 20-10; one of those wins was a 9-0 no-hitter against the Greenwood Tigers on May 28th. Along with a 3.13 ERA, Dave also led the league with 203 strikeouts to his credit, as well as being chosen for the All-Star team.

Dave had a couple of so-so seasons in 1952 and 1953 but in 1954 with the Beaumont Exporters of the AA Texas League he had a solid 16-11 year. He got a call to Wrigley Field in 1955, where he made 25 appearances, pitching 57 innings with no decisions. He also spent part of 1955 with the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League where he went 1-1 in 24 innings.

Hillman won 21 and lost 7 with a 3.38 ERA for the Los Angeles Angels' 1956 PCL champions before being used as a part-time starter and in relief for the second-division Chicago Cubs from 1957 to 1959. Hillman had one career complete game shutout. It was on May 6, 1959 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He gave up 2 hits, walked one and struck out two, but on November 11th that year the Cubs traded him, along with Jim Marshall, to the Boston Red Sox for Dick Gernert.

He worked out of the Red Sox bullpen in 1961 and 1962 before closing with a 21-37 major league record with a 3.87 ERA after last pitching with the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Mets in 1962.

Hillman spent eight seasons in pro baseball (1955-1962) and seemed to fare much better in the minor leagues where he finished up with a 81-61 record with a 3.33 ERA while pitching 1,191 innings. After baseball he went home to Kingsport, TN, where he has been the owner of a clothing store.

Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s
Minors Page

Related Sites

• Dave Hillman at the SABR Bio Project