From Rich Hill to Dario Sarduy: a WBSC Premier12 for different generations

Rich Hill was born on March 11, 1980, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. When USA manager Mike Scioscia announced him as the starter for the game against Samurai Japan in the WBSC Premier12 2024 presented by RAXUS, the Japanese press noted that he was double the age of Japanese starting pitcher Hiroto Takahashi.

The WBSC asked Hill how he can keep competing at this level. "It's the consistency of the work, putting in and enjoying it," he said. "I appreciate the process. People see competition on the field, but it's also about competition that happens during bullpens and during the times when we don't see it. I enjoy that. Fortunately, I've been able to stay healthy. I've had issues with surgeries, but I've been able to bounce back. This keeps me able to compete against players who are half my age."

Hill made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on June 15, 2005. Cuba's Dario Sarduy was born on November 12, 2005.

"He was born in 2005? Well, I don't feel like I'm 44. I feel I'm still young…well, not young. As a player, I still feel like I'm in my 20ies [Hill laughs]."

Taekyeon Kim (KOR) is the other player who participated in the WBSC Premier12 2024, born in 2005 while Cuba's Alfredo Despaigne was born in 1986, Hill's decade.

Hill believes the duration of a career has a lot to do with the "work ethic" and "passion".

"The work ethic, the consistency of putting in the work daily. Suppose players have that, if they understand what it takes and have the passion, they know what it takes to get to the top. If they play, it's not because they want to play in the Big Leagues or NPB but because they love it. It's tough explaining to people because you might be doing this for a long time and never get to the big stage."

Hill has plenty of passion for the game. "I wish to play another year. But I don't plan too much. I take it one day at a time."

Sarduy is on the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) development roster. "[Playing in the Premier12] has been a nice experience. I came here feeling ready. Of course, my start wasn't what I expected, but I had another chance to help the team."

Sarduy expressed disappointment for Cuba's results. "We hoped for a better result for the team. In terms of my personal experience, I had a chance to travel and learn. I shared the field with players I used to watch growing up, which is already an accomplishment. I got to share time with them, ask questions, and learn from them. I enjoyed every minute of it."

He added: "The whole group will benefit from this participation. I think we will have better results if we keep working on improving."

Sarduy's Cuba has an average age of 29 and three months as the third oldest in the tournament and while Hill is the oldest player in the WBSC Premier12 2024 USA still had a relatively young roster with an average age of 27 and four months. It would have been by far the youngest team in the Premier12 2019 when the average age was just over 31 and USA averaged just under 29.

The average age of the Premier12 2024 is 27.95. Korea (24.65) is the youngest team, just under Japan (25.75), Puerto Rico (26.75) and Chinese Taipei (27.32). Venezuela and Mexico, at 30.18 and 30.32 respectively, boasted the most experienced squads.