CROMWELL, Conn. _ Rich Hill gripped the podium and stared at the speech he'd spent the week writing. He operates without fear on the pitcher's mound, but public speaking can still jostle his nerves.
In front of him sat hundreds of members of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce, who sipped orange juice and coffee inside the ballroom of a hotel, waiting to hear from their 2017 honoree for role model of the year.
Hill's nose kept sniffling, his voice catching in his throat. He had sat on the dais as speakers feted him with compliments and the crowd showered him with a 22-second standing ovation.
One man referred to Hill as a "true role model." Another suggested the students in attendance should try to emulate his "positive outlook, hard work, dedication and never-quit attitude." A third commended Hill as an "example for others to follow."
Hill has heard these sentiments often in the wake of his baseball resurrection, an odyssey that led him to a three-year, $48-million contract with the Dodgers. He often does not know how to respond. Standing in the ballroom, he tried to relay the wisdom of his experience.
"In a way, I'm a role model for failure," Hill said. "My first suggestion for 2017 is to go out and fail _ but fail at something you have passion for. I'm standing here today because I've failed more often than I've succeeded.
"Without struggle, there is no progress. Without failure there is no progress."
Hill understands loss. He carried it with him each day as he navigated from baseball's valley to its peak. In June 2015, he was 35, unemployed and spinning curveballs to teenagers on an American Legion field. In December 2016, he signed the largest contract for any free-agent starting pitcher.
In his remarks, Hill stressed the necessity of preparation, conviction and perspective: Be ready for opportunity. Follow your passion. Place a stone in a bucket each day and watch the pile grow. Do not succumb to adversity, because "if baseball has taught me anything, it's that the failures on the field will pale in comparison with what life will throw at you."
Hill has lived his advice. When his body betrayed him, he spent years rebuilding it. When the industry pigeonholed him, he rejected the appraisal. When he lost his infant son, he resolved to cherish each passing moment.
He does not seek to be an inspiration but he is willing to inspire.
"I believe everyone in them has something that is special and unique," Hill said a day earlier. "It can be anything on the spectrum of life. But if you hold onto it and don't let anybody see it, it just gets wasted. It goes to the grave."
