Sam Hilliard is a journeyman, 30-year-old baseball player with a .219 career batting average who found his way home and now gets a fresh start.
That doesn’t happen too often in the big leagues.
But that’s where Hilliard finds himself as the Rockies’ position players officially report to spring training on Tuesday.
The Rockies are waiting, wishing and hoping for their corps of young outfielders to blossom, perhaps this season. Maybe Jordan Beck, Yanquiel Fernandez, Zac Veen or Benny Montgomery is the next Charlie Blackmon. Maybe.
But for the here and now, Hilliard figures to break camp as the team’s fourth outfielder and primary backup to two-time Gold Glove winner Brenton Doyle in center.