BRADENTON, Fla. -- You don't become the oldest professional athlete without having a few tricks up your sleeve.
At 42, Rich Hill became the oldest active athlete in the four professional sports last month whenever Tom Brady retired from the NFL. As he prepares for his 19th major-league season, Hill's career has survived ups and downs, a stint in independent ball and becoming one of the softest tossers in the game because he leaned into becoming the crafty veteran.
The Pirates wanted to bring in a veteran for their young pitching staff.