Rich Hill, who pitched for the Red Sox in 2015, will join veteran coach Ace Adams at the World Series Club in West Hartford on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016.

MLB pitcher Rich Hill will be a guest of honor at the World Series Club dinner on Jan. 6, 2016, in West Hartford. Courtesy of World Series Club

By Ronni Newton

The community will have the opportunity to hear a great story about the value of persistence from left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher Rich Hill, who along with veteran pitching coach Ace Adams will be guests of honor at the World Series Club’s dinner on Jan. 6, 2016, at the VFW at 83 South St., West Hartford.

“Hill’s is a great story about persistence, and making a comeback. It’s a great lesson for kids and adults about working hard. You can get it back,” World Series Club President Tim Brennan said.

Hill, 35, has been an MLB pitcher for 11 years, and although he had some early success with the Chicago Cubs, arm injuries relegated him to a lefty setup man and he bounced back and forth to the minors with a variety of teams, Brennan said.

In June 2015, the Washington Nationals released Hill from their AAA team, but Hill was not ready to give up, said Brennan.

Hill got himself into great shape working out with an American Legion team in Milton, MA, and went on to prove himself with the Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks.

Veteran coach Ace Adams will be one of the guests of honor at the World Series Club’s dinner on Jan. 6, 2016, in West Hartford. Courtesy of the World Series Club

In August 2015, he signed with the Red Sox (for the second time). “It was lights out – he was bowling down the big hitter teams,” Brennan said. “It was a storybook with a new beginning.”

Hill signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Oakland A’s, and will join their starting rotation for the 2016 season.

Hill will be joined at the World Series Club’s January dinner by Ace Adams, who has been coaching for 40 years and is currently with the Detroit Tigers. Adams has worked with Cliff Lee, Jonathan Papelpon, Anibel Sanchez, John Lester, and many others.

The buffet dinner, which begins at 6 p.m., is open to the public and admission is free for those 18 and under. The cost is $25 for members and $40 for non-members in advance ($45 at the door). Click here for more information about the event or to register.

For more information about the World Series Club of Hartford County, click here.

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