Rising from Phoenix—Nonfiction by Tony Press

In March of 1961 I was standing just over the fence from the Giants bullpen, down the third base line, in Phoenix’s old Municipal Stadium. Chuck Hiller, a hot prospect (.334 in Double A the year before), was doing sit-ups between the rubber and the plate.

“Hey,” he said, “you want to help me here?” Without giving him a chance to withdraw the request, I vaulted the fence, tossed my glove on the perfect green grass, and knelt at his feet, holding them down to make his exertions worth it. I didn’t yet know the expression “died and gone to heaven,” but that’s how I felt. I was nine (almost ten, I told people).

We were in town for a week, at the ballpark everyday, and staying at the same hotel where most of the Giants stayed. In those days, you could bump into players at the pool, at miniature golf courses, and we did: Cubs, Red Sox, Giants, just like regular guys, but different.

Hiller tore up Spring Training, hitting over .400 (as I recall), and earned the second-base spot in the Opening Day line-up. Not bad for a 26-year old from McHenry County, Illinois, with zero major league experience.

Opening Day, he singled in his second at-bat, off Bob Friend.  I wasn’t at that game but I’d been at the Opener the year before, the first game ever played at Candlestick. Richard Nixon was there, too, but we didn’t talk, and Sad Sam Jones beat the Cards, 3-1. In this one, 1961, Hiller went one for four, but soon struggled and was hitting only .238 before getting sent down to AAA after 70 games.  He hit .324 there.

Another Opening Day rookie in 1961, who’d also crushed the ball in Spring Training, was a tall 23-year old catcher (and former college quarterback), Tom Haller.  He was hitless that first game, but was on base with a walk just before Hiller’s single.

Haller also was from Illinois, from Lockport, about 65 miles south of McHenry. He, too, didn’t last long in ’61, going back to AAA Tacoma after only 30 games. He’d been hitting .145.

Catchers were a big deal for my family in that Spring Training of 1961. I had my eye on Haller, one sister had a crush on John Orsino, and the other was enamored with Hobie Landrith. My sisters were older than me (baseball fans, to be sure, but still … ). I was nothing but a fan, Haller and Hiller. 

And then came 1962. Hiller returned, played 161 games with 602 at-bats. In his entire career, his next highest season game total was 111. In ’62, in those 161 games, he hit .276.

Haller returned as well, playing 99 games and belting 18 homers in only 332 at-bats. He shared duties with Lonesome Ed Bailey, who cracked 17 long balls. It’s not often a catching corps totals 35 home runs, but they did it.

Hiller and Haller also saw action in that year’s World Series (the first for the Giants in San Francisco), with Hiller playing all seven games and Haller four. In Game 4, Chuck Hiller, not a power hitter at all, became the first National Leaguer in history to hit a World Series Grand Slam. One other Giant homered in that game: Tom Haller.

I didn’t get to the ballpark for any of the Series games at Candlestick, but my mom worked each one as an Upper Deck usher — very close to where the whole family had sat on Opening Day in 1960. She was on an “extras list,” people  who were called in only for special events – including the All-Star Game in 1961 (Stu Miller got the win), and this Series. Not bad.

One more thing about 1962: Dodger (boo, Dodgers!) fan Danny Kaye released a fun song called, yes, “The Dodger Song” — including the sweet lyrics:

“Cepeda runs to field the ball
So does Hiller, so does Miller
Haller hollers “Hiller”
Hiller hollers “Haller”
Haller hollers “Hiller”
Points to Miller with his fist
And that’s the
Hiller Miller Haller Hallelujah Twist!”

“Little” Stu Miller on the mound, confounding many sluggers, including, often, big Frank Howard. And Orlando Cepeda at first. Catchers were cool but Orlando was my favorite, then and forever.  

And there was partying at Orlando’s modest apartment at 9th and Irving, celebrating his birthday. Other party-goers included Willie McCovey and Juan Marichal, so, three Hall of Famers in one small place.

I didn’t play beyond Little League, but if someone asks for help with sit-ups, go for it!

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Tony Press tries to pay attention and sometimes he does. His story collection, Crossing the Lines, was published by Big Table. He claims 2 Pushcart nominations, 12 years in a single high school classroom, and 25 criminal trials. He enjoys the San Francisco Bay – from his window – on a daily basis, often with hot chocolate.