Chuck Hiller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chuck Hiller
Hiller in 1961
Second baseman
Born: (1934-10-01)October 1, 1934 Johnsburg, Illinois, U.S.
Died: October 20, 2004(2004-10-20) (aged 70) St. Pete Beach, Florida, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Right
debut
April 11, 1961, for the San Francisco Giants
Last appearance
June 2, 1968, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB statistics
Batting average	.243
Home runs	20
Runs batted in	152
Teams
San Francisco Giants (1961–1965) New York Mets (1965–1967) Philadelphia Phillies (1967) Pittsburgh Pirates (1968)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (1982)

Charles Joseph Hiller (born October 1, 1934 – died October 20, 2004) was an American baseball player. He played as a second baseman in Major League Baseball. In the 1962 World Series, he made history! He was the first player from the National League to hit a grand slam in a World Series game.

Chuck batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was about 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 170 pounds. After his playing career, he stayed in baseball. He worked as a coach and manager.

Chuck Hiller's Early Life and College Baseball

Chuck Hiller grew up in Johnsburg, Illinois. He went to McHenry East High School. After high school, he attended the University of St. Thomas. This college is in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

He was a fantastic college baseball player. In 1955, he had an amazing batting average of .576. The next year, in 1956, he helped his team win the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship. Chuck Hiller was honored for his college career. He was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.

Starting in the Minor Leagues

Chuck Hiller began his professional baseball journey in 1957. He was signed by the Cleveland Indians. For two seasons, he played in their farm system (minor league teams). He batted .288 and hit 19 home runs.

In December 1958, the San Francisco Giants chose him in the minor league draft. This meant he would now play for the Giants' minor league teams. In 1960, Chuck Hiller was named the Texas League Player of the Year. He played for the Rio Grande Valley Giants. That year, he batted .334 with three home runs and 74 runs batted in (RBIs). Over two seasons in that league, he batted .337 with 151 RBIs. His strong play helped him get ready for the major leagues.

Playing for the San Francisco Giants

Becoming a Rookie in 1961

Chuck Hiller earned a starting spot with the San Francisco Giants in 1961. He played as the team's starting second baseman. In his first major league game, he got one hit. However, he struggled for a bit after that. He didn't get a hit in his next 21 tries. This led to him sharing playing time with another player, Joey Amalfitano.

Chuck started to hit better, especially against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In one series, he got four hits, including three doubles. He also scored three runs. His hitting kept improving. In May, he hit his first major league home run. It was against the Cincinnati Reds' pitcher Jim Brosnan. By June, his batting average was .233.

However, Chuck had some trouble with his fielding. He made several errors (mistakes). These errors sometimes led to opponents scoring runs. Because of his fielding struggles, the Giants sent him to their Triple-A team, the Tacoma Giants, in July. He played very well in Triple-A. He batted .324 with five home runs. This strong performance earned him a call back to the major leagues in September. When he returned, he batted .289 for the rest of the season. He also improved his fielding. For his rookie year, Chuck Hiller batted .238.

Becoming a Full-Time Starter in 1962

Before the 1962 season, the Giants needed a full-time second baseman. Chuck Hiller got the job. He usually batted second or first in the lineup. His role was to get on base for the powerful hitters behind him. These hitters included Willie Mays and Willie McCovey.

In 1962, Chuck had a great season. He got a career-high 166 hits. He also scored a career-high 94 runs. He set personal bests in games played (161), doubles (22), and RBIs (48). However, he also led all major league second basemen with 29 errors.

The Giants and Dodgers had a very close race for first place that year. They both finished with the same record. This led to a special three-game playoff series. The Giants won the series! This meant they would play in the World Series against the New York Yankees.

Chuck Hiller's 1962 World Series Moment

The Giants lost the first game of the World Series. In game two, Chuck Hiller started the game with a double. He then scored the first run for the Giants. His team won that game.

In game four, the Giants were playing at Yankee Stadium. The score was tied 2–2 in the seventh inning. The bases were loaded for Chuck Hiller. He had struck out in a similar situation earlier in the game. But this time, he hit a powerful grand slam! He hit the ball into the stands in right field. This was a historic moment. It was the first grand slam ever hit in a World Series by a player from the National League. His grand slam helped the Giants win the game 7–3.

Chuck also drove in a run in game five. In game six, he scored another run. The series went to a deciding game seven. Chuck Hiller didn't get any hits in that final game. The Yankees won the game and the World Series title.

In his only World Series, Chuck Hiller batted .269. He also helped turn seven double plays. He led the Giants with five RBIs and four runs scored. He even tied Roger Maris of the Yankees for the most runs scored in the series.

Struggles in 1963 and 1964

The 1963 season was tough for Chuck Hiller. He started poorly, batting only .119 in April. He also made three errors in one game. On May 1, he broke his wrist, which kept him out for a month. When he returned, he slowly improved.

On June 15, he got a key hit against future Hall of Famer Juan Marichal. Chuck hit a double that drove in the only run of the game. This was the only run in Marichal's only career no-hitter. Chuck also hit his first home run of the season in June. In July, he hit a walk-off home run to win a game. He finished the season with a .223 batting average and a career-high six home runs.

In 1964, Chuck continued to struggle. By June, his batting average was only .189. The Giants decided to give his starting job to a rookie player, Hal Lanier. Chuck played much less for the rest of the season.

Moving to the New York Mets

In 1965, the New York Mets needed a second baseman. Their All-Star player, Ron Hunt, was injured. So, the Mets bought Chuck Hiller from the Giants. Chuck batted .258 for the Mets while Hunt was out. He also hit three home runs.

When Hunt returned, the Mets tried Chuck at other positions. He played some games at third base and in the outfield. Overall, he batted .238 for the Mets that year. He also hit one home run with the Giants, making it six total for the season. This matched his career high.

In 1966, Chuck Hiller became a valuable player off the bench. He was often used as a pinch hitter. On April 29, his pinch-hit single won an extra-innings game. He batted very well through June, hitting .328. This led the Mets manager to find more playing time for him. He started playing more at third base and in the outfield. The Mets had their first winning month in team history in July, and Chuck batted .321 that month. He finished the season with a career-best .280 batting average. He was especially good as a pinch hitter, getting 16 pinch hits, which led the National League.

In 1967, Chuck had another chance to be the Mets' starting second baseman. But he started the season poorly, batting only .111. He also got injured in May. During the All-Star break, the Mets traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Coaching Career and Later Life

Chuck Hiller played only a few games for the Phillies. After that season, he was sent to the minor leagues. The Pittsburgh Pirates then picked him up. In 1968, he played most of the season in Triple-A. He also played 11 games for the Pirates. After the 1968 season, he decided to retire as a player.

Chuck Hiller then began a long career as a baseball coach and manager. He managed the Salem Rebels in the Carolina League. He also worked for the Mets again, helping with player development. Later, he became a major league coach for teams like the Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, and St. Louis Cardinals. He also coached briefly for the Giants and the Mets. When he wasn't coaching in the major leagues, he taught infield skills in the Mets' minor league system. He also managed in the Cardinals' organization.

Chuck Hiller passed away on October 20, 2004. He was 70 years old. He died from leukemia in St. Pete Beach, Florida.

Career Statistics

See also

• List of St. Louis Cardinals coaches