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If there was any doubt in the Kansas City Royals' decision to bring a 45-year old pitcher into their organization, it was put to rest on Tuesday.
That's because Rich Hill, the pitcher in question, looked utterly dominant in his first tune-up appearance.
Hill, pitching in the complex league against the Cubs, retired all 12 batters he faced, striking out seven.
Remarkably, none of the hitters Hill faced were even born when the southpaw was drafted in 2002.
Dealing in the desert.
45-year-old Rich Hill retires all 12 batters he faces, striking out 7, in his @Royals organizational debut!
Every single ACL Cubs hitter he faced was not born when Hill was drafted by Chicago in 2002. #RaisingRoyals👑 pic.twitter.com/lyqxB6Mxk2
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Hill pitched in four games last season out of the Red Sox bullpen. Before that, he had been coaching his son in Little League, pseudo-retired but clearly still looking to return.
The southpaw with the loopy curveball has a 4.01 career ERA and has struck out 1,428 batters in 1,409 innings.
Hill has pitched for 13 teams. The Royals would be No. 14, joining Edwin Jackson as the only guys to have played for 14 MLB teams.
At this point, Hill seems like a pretty strong candidate to make the Royals. And his story would be one of the coolest around.
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