A RED HOT BLUE JAY

Nine months of 2009 are almost in the books, and there are a few candidates for Local Sports Story of the Year. The Edison high baseball team’s first ever valley championship in baseball. Rafer Alston playing in the NBA Finals. Brook Lopez’s outstanding rookie season with the New Jersey Nets. Casey McGehee’s terrific rookie season with the Milwaukee Brewers. Tom Mendonca becoming Fresno State’s career home run leader.

There will be more when football season is over (I’m paying close attention to Bulldogs running back Ryan Mathews), but my vote is already in. It goes to Aaron Hill.

Hill, a Visalia native and Redwood High School alum, has been tearing the cover off the baseball all season long. After missing most of last season with a concussion (he played in only 55 games last year), Hill is back with a vengeance, to the tune of a .286 batting average, a career high 33 home runs and counting, and a career high 100 RBI and counting. Aaron also made the All-Star team for the first time in his career. If he’s not the Comeback Player of the Year I’ll shave my head.

Hill is also set to have the best statistical year at the plate of ANY player from the valley to ever play Major League Baseball. And if you have Gus Zernial’s name in your head, he’s from Beaumont Texas. My criteria is this: you must have played high school or college baseball in this area to be dubbed a valley product. Being born here and moving away doesn’t count in my eyes, so Dwayne Murphy (born in Merced) and the late Ken Caminiti (born in Hanford) don’t count. Hill has already hit more homers in a season in the majors than anyone from here, and he’s about to eclipse Terry Pendleton (Fresno State) in RBI (Pendleton drove in 105 runs in 1992 for Selma native Bobby Cox and the Braves – Hill has 100) and Hall of Famer Frank Chance (Fresno HS) in runs scored (103 in 1906 for the Cubs to Hill’s 94). And, as of September 22, Aaron has 15 games to go.

Hill also plays solid defense at second base and could win a Gold Glove before his career his over.

Baseball is rich in tradition in these parts, so what Hill is doing is pretty special. His concussion slowed him down last year, but he’s giving opposing pitchers migraines now.

Don’t pass the Tylenol.

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