Dave Hillman, baseball player, 1955-1962

Dave Hillman

Born: 9/14/1927 in Dungannon, VA, USA

Died: 11/20/2022 in Kingsport, TN, USA

MLB Debut: 1955-04-30 | Final Game: 1962-06-22

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 168 lbs

Full name: Darius Dutton Hillman

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Biography

Dave Hillman was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1962. Born in 1927, Hillman made his mark during a transitional period in the sport, navigating the post-World War II era when the game was evolving both in terms of player talent and fan engagement. He showcased his abilities with a career record of 21 wins and 37 losses, an earned run average (ERA) of 3.87, and a total of 296 strikeouts, while also contributing 3 saves over his time in the league. Hillman was known for his competitive spirit on the mound and his capacity to handle pressure situations, which was reflected in his ability to register saves despite a modest overall win-loss record. His pitching style combined a mix of finesse and determination, characteristic of many pitchers of his era. Though not a household name, Hillman played a vital role for his teams, contributing as a reliable arm during the late 1950s and early 1960s, a time when baseball was gaining immense popularity in America. After his retirement from the game on June 22, 1962, Hillman’s contributions to baseball were remembered by fans and historians alike, marking him as a noteworthy figure in the sport’s rich history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
21 37 188 64 8 1 3 624.0 639 268 71 185 296 3.87 0

Career ERA 3.87 vs. league average 3.92 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1955 CHC NL 0 0 25 3 0 0 0 57.7 63 34 25 23 5.31 4.00 (-33%) -
1956 CHC NL 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 12.3 11 3 5 6 2.19 3.96 (+45%) -
1957 CHC NL 6 11 32 14 1 0 1 103.3 115 50 37 53 4.35 3.83 (-14%) -
1958 CHC NL 4 8 31 16 3 0 1 125.7 132 44 31 65 3.15 3.86 (+18%) -
1959 CHC NL 8 11 39 24 4 1 0 191.0 178 75 43 88 3.53 3.90 (+9%) -
1960 BOS AL 0 3 16 3 0 0 0 36.7 41 23 12 14 5.65 3.82 (-48%) -975.0
1961 BOS AL 3 2 28 1 0 0 0 78.0 70 24 23 39 2.77 4.03 (+31%) 464.5
1962 CIN NL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3.7 8 4 1 0 9.82 — 0.0
1962 NYN NL 0 0 13 1 0 0 1 15.7 21 11 8 8 6.32 3.96 (-60%) -1380.3

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
197 163 9 16 2 0 0 6 0 15 85 0.098 0.179 0.110 0.289 -447.1

Career AVG .098 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 61.9% below league average.

Career OBP .179 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 45.3% below league average.

Career SLG .110 vs. league average .394 across their career seasons — 72.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.289 vs. league average 0.721 across their career seasons — 59.9% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1955 CHC NL 26 10 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 5 0.100 — — — — 0.0
1956 CHC NL 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1957 CHC NL 36 24 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 16 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1958 CHC NL 32 41 4 6 2 0 0 3 0 0 20 0.146 — — — — 0.0
1959 CHC NL 42 60 0 9 0 0 0 3 0 6 32 0.150 .256 (-42%) .323 (-26%) .392 (-62%) .715 (-46%) -447.1
1960 BOS AL 16 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1961 BOS AL 28 17 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1962 CIN NL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1962 NYN NL 13 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 188 64 54 104 5 4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1955 CHN P 25 3 4 10 1 1
1956 CHN P 2 2 0 4 0 0
1957 CHN P 32 14 11 12 1 3
1958 CHN P 31 16 7 20 1 0
1959 CHN P 39 24 28 31 2 0
1960 BOS P 16 3 1 9 0 0
1961 BOS P 28 1 1 15 0 0
1962 CIN P 2 0 0 0 0 0
1962 NYN P 13 1 2 3 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 188