Dave Hilton (baseball)

John David Hilton (September 15, 1950 – September 17, 2017) was a professional baseball player. He was picked in the 1971 Secondary Draft out of Rice University and played four seasons for the San Diego Padres. He also played three seasons in Japan for the Yakult Swallows and Hanshin Tigers. Hilton was primarily a third baseman, but played several games at second base.

Dave Hilton
Third baseman
Born: (1950-09-15)September 15, 1950
Uvalde, Texas
Died: September 17, 2017(2017-09-17) (aged 67)
Scottsdale, Arizona
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 10, 1972, for the San Diego Padres
Last MLB appearance
April 27, 1975, for the San Diego Padres
MLB statistics
Batting average.213
Home runs6
Runs batted in33
Teams

Career

Early in the 1975 season, Hilton contracted hepatitis which caused the San Diego Padres to announce he would be out indefinitely.[1]

Hilton is credited by famed Japanese author Haruki Murakami as having inspired him, at the age of 29, to become an author. Murakami had his epiphany as he saw Hilton hit a double, while watching a Yakult Swallows game in Japan.[2]

Hilton died September 17, 2017.[3]

References

  1. "Padres release veteran Beckert". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. May 2, 1975. p. 26. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  2. Murakami, Haruki (2009). What I talk about when I talk about running : a memoir (1st Vintage International ed.). New York: Vintage International. p. 27. ISBN 978-0307389831.
  3. Obert, Richard (September 18, 2017). "Well-respected youth baseball coach Dave Hilton dies". azcentral.com. Retrieved September 19, 2017.

Preceded by
Julio Gargia
Frederick Keys manager
1997
Succeeded by
Tommy Shields
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