“Whoever said professional sports was full of dumb jocks obviously never talked to new Akron Aeros pitcher Erik Stiller. Stiller, a Princeton graduate, got called up to Double A Akron from Kinston on May 8. He was put in as a reliever on May 9 against the Trenton Thunder.”
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Whoever said professional sports was full of dumb jocks obviously never talked to new Akron Aeros pitcher Erik Stiller.

Stiller, a Princeton graduate, got called up to Double A Akron from Class A Kinston on May 8. He was put in as a reliever on May 9 against the Trenton Thunder.

Although he has been an Aero for approximately two weeks, he hasn’t had much of a chance to explore the city.

I like it, it’s great, Stiller said in reference to Akron.

While the shift from North Carolina to Ohio may have been a major one, he has found that his teammates are more familiar than not.

I played with a lot of these guys back in Kinston, he said.

He was able find some obvious differences between Kinston and Akron. He talked about how small Kinston is compared to Akron.

There are some obvious differences in the area, he said. A downtown ballpark is a really cool feel. Kinston has a really nice park but having buildings and skyline is kind of fun. He then gave examples of just how small the North Carolina Indians affiliate really is.

There’s not a Barnes & Noble in Kinston, he recalled. There’s not even a big bookstore; there’s one small one in the mall.

It’s a great little town but it’s nice to have different options if I have to run errands.

Stiller graduated from Princeton on the first day of the draft. While he wasn’t drafted, he found that connections he made earlier in his career helped him out.

I ended up getting a call the second day of the draft from a guy that I played with at Princeton, Stiller recalled. He’s now the director of baseball operations at the Indians … he called me and told me that they weren’t going to be able to draft me but if no one else took me they could sign me afterwards.

He has since then taken a place in the bullpen, something he said he enjoys.

I really like being out in the bullpen, he said. It’s fun to kind of relax out there and joke around and have fun while watching the game. He also made sure to mention the adrenaline rush that you get when your name gets called.

Luckily for him, that adrenaline rush fuels his 89-93 mph fastball and his curveball, cutter and change-up.

I think everybody’s fastball should be their key pitch, he said. If you can’t command your fastball, you’re not going to be able to do much.

This 6-foot-5 Texas native, though, has interests outside of baseball field.

Actually I just went over to Stephen Head’s apartment, I restrung his guitar and we had what he likes to call a jam session, he said. I love playing guitar, I’ve been playing for 10 years, and singing. Anything musical, I love.

He admitted that he has been showing his teammates Josh Rodriguez, Wes Hodges and Head a few things.

The self-proclaimed low-key guy said his specific game highlight was one from his days back in Princeton, N.J.

(It would) probably be winning the Ivy League championship my senior year, he said. We were sort of the underdog team and played a really good series to beat Harvard.

His more general highlight is of his days playing for the Kinston Indians. Stiller, who started last season in extended spring training, received the chance to play for Kinston because of an injury on the team.

While his parents are still back at home in Texas, his dad has been lucky enough to see his only son pitch.

My dad is actually working in Dayton a little bit this summer, he said. He was here when I first got here, so he got to see me pitch that first game.

Unfortunately for his mother, she has yet to see her son pitch in the minors.

She is antsy to get out here and see a game, he said.

He says he’s an open book about his life but one thing that people might not know is just how good a rapper he is.

When you get moved to a new team sometimes you have to sing on the bus, he shared. I have a rap that I have memorized, which was a sprite commercial that Chris Cross did back in the early ’90s. That’s kind of become my signature bus thing. Everywhere I go, it seems like someone wants to get me up in front of the bus to do this rap.

Another surprising tidbit about Stiller is that he has not been a lifelong fan of any team of any sport.

I just watch them all without really following any one team in particular, he said.

With all the singing, rapping and guitar lessons, he has high hopes for himself this season.

I am expecting to get better, he said. My goals are going to be to just keep building on the things that I have built on so far.

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