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Hill overcomes long layoff to earn first All-Star berth

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Jon Paul Morosi

Jon Paul Morosi is a national MLB writer for FOXSports.com. He previously covered baseball for the Detroit Free Press and Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He began his journalism career at the Bay City Times in his native Michigan. Follow him on Twitter.

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Updated Jul 10, 2009 11:57 PM ET
     
 
At this time last year, no one knew when — or even if — Aaron Hill would play baseball again. Now, he might be the most grateful All-Star in baseball. "I'm happy to be in uniform again," Toronto's second baseman said last week. "There are a lot of stories out there where guys didn't make it back. I'm just keeping that in mind, how easily that can be taken away. That's helpful. It gets you in the cage when some days you don't feel like going in there. "Don't take things for granted. I should probably post that on my locker, just to have it up. It definitely helps." Hill's 2008 season ended abruptly on May 29, when he collided with teammate David Eckstein while pursuing a pop fly in shallow center field. Of course, he didn't know it at the time. The team called it a mild concussion. Hill talked optimistically about playing the next day. Well, he didn't play the next day. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. The aftereffects refused to abate. Initially, Hill told the team's athletic training staff that he would be fine. A healthy amount of obstinacy had made Hill a first-round pick in 2003, an everyday major leaguer at age 23, a take-the-hard-slides second baseman. Why change now? "He was stubborn," said Dave Abraham, the Jays assistant athletic trainer. "The first two to four weeks, he was saying, 'I'm getting it back. I'm feeling good.' We listened to him. We'd try to have him do a few things. But we didn't know if he was telling the truth or not. "He'd come into the training room with glassy eyes. He wasn't doing great, even though he said he was. After realizing he couldn't read a newspaper, or walk his dog, or just do normal things, I think he figured, 'I'd better tell the truth.'" The admission was difficult, for someone who had never been on the disabled list before. And it probably saved his career. Head injuries take time to heal. The playing careers of catcher Mike Matheny and infielder Corey Koskie were recently cut short by concussions, and Hill became aware of the cautionary tales. He started listening to the messages communicated by trainers, general manager J.P. Ricciardi and teammates alike. Go home and relax, they told him. Don't even ride a bike. Do nothing. "Once I accepted that I wasn't going to play, that was the hardest thing, just getting it through that thick head of mine," Hill said, smiling. "I bought into what they said. I gained a couple pounds, but, in the end, I was grateful to the organization that they didn't push me." Hill, now 27, was not far removed from a career-best 2007 season in which he hit .291 with 17 home runs and 78 RBIs. But there was no guarantee that he would be himself again this year. Hill acknowledged last week that he wasn't symptom-free until "October-Novemberish." Those around him were optimistic — but cautiously so. "As soon as you heard about the concussion, you were really concerned," said Red Sox scout Jaymie Bane, who signed Hill for the Blue Jays six years ago. "You've seen some guys in all sports — Eric Lindros, Corey Koskie — have careers affected by this. You start to worry as time goes on, even though he's saying, ¿I'll be fine.'" Well, Hill has been more than fine this year. He's putting up corner-outfield numbers— .298, 20 home runs, 59 RBIs — while playing a very good second base. Through Thursday, he ranked second in the American League (behind Ichiro Suzuki) with 112 hits. He wears out left-handed pitching. Hill, under contract through 2014, is part of his team's future in a way that fellow Toronto All-Star Roy Halladay is apparently not. As for how Hill's noggin has responded this year? "You thought about it when you saw guys tapping him on the head after a walk-off — you had to remind them not to," Abraham said. "Other than that, we've more or less forgotten about his concussion. He's just going along, doing the job." Hill has carved out a unique piece of franchise history in the process. With a two-homer game on June 28, he broke a tie with Roberto Alomar for the most home runs in one season by a Jays second baseman. Yes, you read that right: Before the season was three months old, Hill had broken Alomar's full-season record. Hill received plenty of congratulatory text messages in the days that followed but isn't about to gloat. "I've got to do more than just break a home run record to be in the same category as that guy," he said. The humble Hill is a most deserving All-Star, and he will represent a number of constituencies when he stands on the third-base line for pregame introductions at Busch Stadium. He will be there for his native Visalia, Calif., where he was a multisport star while growing up. He will be there for Canada, as one of two players from the country's only big league team. And he will be there for those affected by concussions, the disturbingly common sports injury that is not yet fully understood. "The idea is, if you get a proper diagnosis and manage it the right way, everybody should have a chance to come back like Aaron Hill," said Chris Nowinski, president and CEO of the Sports Legacy Institute, which supports concussion research, treatment and education. "The brain is far more delicate than we really understand. But if you can take off a good amount of time, especially when you're still suffering from symptoms, you're giving yourself the best chance at a full recovery. "He's a success story. He was willing to sit out for the rest of the season and not try to be a hero." On Tuesday night, of course, he will have full license to be a hero again — as a first-time All-Star for the American League.
Tagged: Padres, Ichiro Suzuki, Red Sox, Aaron Hill, Blue Jays, Roy Halladay, Mariners

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