Rich Hill, the Dodgers' Fiery, Enigmatic Game 2 Starter

It’s not every day that a journeyman pitcher gets the call in the World Series.

Over a 12-year career, Rich Hill, who debuted with the Chicago Cubs in 2005, has since made his way to nine organizations—including a brief stint in 2015 with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League. All that before landing with the Los Angeles Dodgers the following year—and making it all the way to the big game, where he’ll start Game 2 on Wednesday against the formidable Justin Verlander.

Despite having some ups and downs, Hill has shown some magic of late; last August, he brought a perfect game into the eighth inning and had the remaining no-hitter broken up in the 10th. Unbelievably, Hill lost the game.

So what should you expect when he takes the mound on Wednesday night? Per The New York Times, “a fire-breathing, water jug-tossing competitor who grunts and shouts and seems just a little bit out of his mind.”

Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt told the Times that the team nicknamed Hill “Mad Max.” Says his manager, Dave Roberts: “He’s absolutely crazy. He sees red. He’s bordering on psychotic, but in the best possible way.”

What does the man himself have to say for his mound-level behavior? “People pay good money to come and watch a baseball game, and when I go out there I’m giving everything I got every single time,” Hill told the Times. “Whatever the results are, the results are going to be. If you come to watch a game where I’m pitching, you’re going to get that intense passion and understanding that the effort doesn’t compromise.”