Tim Hill Gets Honored & It's Kind Of A Big Deal

Baseball rivalries can get hot enough to boil the resin bag, but every now and then the sport steps back, wipes the eye black off its face, and remembers that humanity is actually bigger than Yankees–Red Sox nonsense. And nothing proves that more than Boston — of all teams — handing an honor to a Yankees reliever. If that doesn’t signal the universe soft-resetting, I don’t know what will.

The Red Sox named Tim Hill the 2025 Tony Conigliaro Award winner, an award reserved for players who embody spirit, determination, and the kind of courage Conigliaro carried like a badge. And Tim Hill? He doesn’t just embody those traits — he practically defines them.

This man fought through eight months of chemotherapy after a stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis in 2015. Eight. Months. Of hell — and he still clawed his way back. On top of that, he’d already endured the loss of his father, Jerry, to the same disease in 2007. Later, he learned he had Lynch syndrome, a condition that increases cancer risk and would have broken a lesser human being. But not Tim Hill. The guy isn’t just resilient; he’s forged from whatever substance superheroes pretend they’re made of. I didn’t know any of this. It just makes his story sweeter. 

“Tony’s story is one of determination and resilience, two qualities I have always admired,” Hill said. “One thing I’ve learned is that a little inspiration, along with determination, can go a long way. This award itself is a reminder that setbacks don’t have to define you.”

And here’s the wild part: as remarkable as his personal story is, Tim Hill’s performance on the mound since joining the Yankees might be just as impressive. New York grabbed him in June 2024, and he instantly stabilized the bullpen like he’d been there for years. A 2.05 ERA. An 18–9 K–BB ratio over 44 innings. Only one earned run allowed in 8⅓ playoff innings. You don’t stumble into numbers like that — you command them.

Tim Hill isn’t just one of my favorite relievers in the Yankees’ pen — he’s one of the most quietly invaluable players on the entire roster. He brings poise, innings, reliability, toughness, and a story that makes you stand a little taller just hearing it. He’s the guy who trots in from the bullpen and instantly makes you breathe easier.

Rivalries make baseball fun. But Tim Hill?
He makes baseball better. Congrats Timmy.