One New York Yankee player didn’t expect Father’s Day to stir up so many emotions. But grief doesn’t exactly go by any calendar. At 35 years old, the Yankees reliever is a seasoned veteran on the mound. But when it comes to off the field, he is navigating the kind of heartbreak that sometimes even time doesn’t heal.
Tim Hill was just 17 years old when his father, Jerry, passed away from colon cancer. It was 2007, and now, nearly two decades later, those memories still hurt him just as much. Speaking to Daily News reporter Gary Phillips, who himself recently lost his father, Hill opened up about his heartbreak and sorrow in a rather candid conversation.
The thing that sums it all up all his emotions is this: “It’s never f–king easy, dude, no matter what,” said the New York Yankee player. But that was not all that he said.
Even after decades, Hill admits that he still needs his father. It doesn’t matter; even if he reaches a century old, he still would. “Even if they die at 100 years old and they had an amazing life, you’re still going to be f–king sad about it. It sucks no matter what. And a lot of times, it’s more devastating when you still need them,” said Hill to Phillips. And this last line hits hard, doesn’t it? Because at the end, it’s not just about simply missing someone’s presence. It’s about the milestones, the advice that remains unspoken, and the feelings that there is so much left in life to share with them.
Hill admits that even to date, he tries to remember the sound of his dad’s voice. And that is simply heartbreaking. Hill also carries a certain amount of guilt with him. As a teenager simply reeling from the diagnosis, he lashed out. He got kicked out of several schools and even dropped out of his senior year. Looking back, he said, “I was a s–thead…I regret that. That sucks.” But, well, eventually things turned around for the better. He started college ball and then got drafted by the Royals and made it into the majors. Just like his dad always thought and believed he would.
Now Hill is a father himself and is also facing a new challenge. It turns out that he has inherited Lynch syndrome, the same genetic mutation that contributed to his dad’s cancer. Now he is worried that he has passed it down to his son. But through all the pain and doubts, Hill finds peace in the small things like hummingbirds, which he and his sisters think are messages from their dad. But well, it is not just Hill in pinstripes who is thinking about fatherhood in a whole new light.
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge finds new strength in fatherhood
Aaron Judge holds a lot of titles these days, including captain, MVP, and best hitter in MLB. But ask him which one matters the most, and without missing a beat, he would say Nora’s dad. The slugger’s 5-month-old daughter will be in the stands at Fenway Park this Sunday for a really special occasion—Judge’s first Father’s Day as a dad.
Sure, Nora wouldn’t understand the gravity of it yet because most probably he would be snoozing through half of the time, but to her dad—it would mean so much. After Saturday’s game, Judge said, “I just want to be just like my dad… I want to be able to teach my daughter important life lessons, always be there for her, and show her the importance of hard work and little things like that.”
And honestly, it’s hard now to believe that the dad’s strength is real. Judge is putting up absolute video game numbers right now. He is batting. 390 with a 1.265 OPS and 26 home runs in just 68 games. Coincidence? Sure, it can be, but maybe having Nora come into his life shifted something in him. And, well, it turns out that he is also not bringing the stress of the game home like he used to. He admitted that the fact that he knows the same sweet, smiling baby will be home waiting for him helps him turn the page a little quicker.
And now, to forget, his new schedule is more bedtime stories and diaper duty. He even plays with Nora before heading to the stadium. And yes, he is officially the dad who goes around flashing everyone on the team their baby pics! Adorable Max? But he isn’t alone; the team has many young dads doing the same, from Trent Grisham, Devin Williams, and Tim Hill.
The post “Still Need Him” – Yankees’ 35YO Veteran Recalls Father’s Tragic Death as Past Regrets Resurface on Father’s Day appeared first on EssentiallySports.
