THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 12, 1994 TAG: 9406120271
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940612 LENGTH: Medium
That's no great secret now that the former bright pitching prospect for the Mets has been removed from their 40-man roster and buried in print by manager Dallas Green as lacking guts and heart.
{REST} A day after winning his first start this season as a Tide, Hillman, a 6-foot-10 lefthander, on Saturday lashed back at Green, the Mets, New York in its entirety and spoke hopefully of a new start elsewhere.
``I have absolutely no desire to play for Dallas Green, no way,'' Hillman, 28, said before Saturday's game. ``From what he says he doesn't want me either, so let's explore other avenues.
``I dislike New York. I can't stand the people, I can't stand the pollution, I can't stand the environment, I can't stand the potholes, I can't stand the crime, I can't stand the barbed wire, I can't stand the spray painting. I can't stand it. I never liked it there.''
Hillman worked 145 innings for the Mets last season and compiled a 3.97 earned-run average despite a 2-9 record. This year, though, he struggled to an 0-3 mark and 7.79 ERA when the Mets waived him. Hillman went unclaimed and was sent to Norfolk with Green's words, spoken to New York reporters, burning his ears.
``Dallas didn't say two words to me,'' Hillman said. ``Then when I got back to New York, I read in the paper that supposedly I was a gutless pitcher and I had no heart. Well, just because I wasn't pitching well, for a person to say that I'm gutless and not tell me, that pretty much defines gutless.
``That's what he does. He just surrenders his players in the newspaper, that's why the media loves him up there. When I gave up runs, I wasn't just like, Oh, no big deal. I was upset. My pitching reflects on me before it reflects on the team.''
``I take it very personally. This is my job. This is really the only job I want to have. For someone to say I'm gutless and have a lack of heart, then that shows me absolutely no respect.''
Hillman agrees that he has yet to shake the label as being better suited for that proverbial non-league between Triple-A and the majors. He also believes he'll soon prove his big league worthiness with the Tides and prompt another team, preferably in a more welcoming market, to deal for him.
``There's 27 other teams out there that I know I can pitch for,'' Hillman said. ``When you've got a guy you don't get along with and a city like New York, that's two negatives against you.''
Green also ripped outfielder Jeromy Burnitz this season when Burnitz was sent down. But Hillman acknowledges that he doesn't have the thick skin needed to handle a Green tirade.
``Jeromy is very hardened to things,'' Hillman said. ``I take things a little more personally, and I think of myself as a very positive person. Up there, it was one negative thing after another.''
AROUND THE LEAGUE: Former Tides and Mets shortstop Kevin Elster has joined Columbus. ... Since going 0-for-6 in the season's first two games, Rochester's Sherman Obando, batting .344, hasn't gone two games without a hit. ... Player of the week Shawn Green of Syracuse leads the league with a .381 average. Green was only 3-for-13 against the Tides at Harbor Park in April. ... Phillies washout Pat Combs joined Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's rotation last month and went 0-5, 8.67 in his first five starts.
by CNB