In the grand, universal scheme, six years isn’t considered a long period of time. But for Red Sox pitcher Rich Hill, it felt like a lifetime.
After starting 13 games in 2009 for the Baltimore Orioles, Hill’s routine of taking the ball every fifth day was put on hold. Sure, during those six seasons, he found work as a major league reliever — the Milton native appeared in 40 games from 2010-12 for the Red Sox — but following abbreviated stints with the Sox, Cleveland, Anaheim and the New York Yankees, Hill found himself unemployed after being released by the Washington Nationals in June.