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Derek Hill Continues His A+ Philly Run By Helping Some Strangers Change a Tire
By Matt Schultz
Published:
Derek Hill is the man. We all knew this already. Since being traded to the Phillies in early June, the guy has done way more than anyone could’ve expected from a platoon player. He’s had tons of clutch hits:
He’s made some of the wildest, most unlikely catches I’ve ever seen:
CATCH OF THE YEAR?!?! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/PuQoEnQ5tY
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) June 26, 2026
This Derek Hill flying catch ended up at 15% catch probability from Statcast, a five-star play and +.85 OAA: https://t.co/TFxmGuAXD1
— The WARmonger (@TheWARmonger_) July 13, 2026
And now he’s out here changing flat tires for Philadelphians after games:
What a guy. What a run. He’s only been in Philadelphia for three months (insane, feels like it’s been two years), and he’s already solidified himself as one of the great bench-player folk heroes in Philly sports. And seeing it all unfold, I can’t help but wonder: is Derek doing this on purpose? Is he actively trying to become a Philly legend?
Did he step off the plane from Chicago and think to himself, “I’m going to become an icon here. I’m going to show up and over-perform and become the clutchest player on the roster. I’m going to hit dingers at the best possible times and lay out for insane catches that make fans leap to their feet and let out shocked, muffled little screams. But that’s not all. I’m going to become a superhero of sorts as well. I’m going to drive around after games searching for people who need help changing a tire or carrying groceries or doing yard work and I am going to help them. This way, whenever my baseball career is over, I can live in Philly and be treated as royalty. The name ‘Derek Hill’ will live on in glory and honor here for the rest of time. There will probably be a street or two named after me. Maybe an elementary school, too. That’s the plan as a Phillie. I will do this. Here we go…”? If he did, he’s doing a great job staying the course.
But I feel like this wasn’t Derek’s strategy. Got a hunch that he is just organically the man. Which is nice. Been pretty cool having him around.
Matt Schultz is a comedy and sports writer from Philadelphia. He’s written extensively for ClickHole, The Onion, and Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. His work has been featured in Vulture, Deadspin, The A.V. Club, Paste Magazine, and other publications. Much of his sports journalism can be found on college basketball websites that don’t exist anymore (PhilaHoops Heads rise up…) email: M.Schultz@sportradar.com