As a pitcher on the USA Youth National Team, Tyler Hibbs had a strong arm and a bright future ahead of him as a professional baseball player. But when drug abuse took hold, he spiraled out of control. Years after Tyler’s death, his father Tom Hibbs published a book on how his deep Christian faith helped him navigate the tragic loss.
Even from childhood, Tyler appeared to be destined for success. “As soon as he came out of the womb, he had a strong arm,” Tom joked. In elementary school, Tyler consistently played above his age level, amazing coaches who were dubious of his pitching abilities. In his teens, Tyler pitched for Arundel High School in Gambrills, Md., winning the State Championship in 2006.
His success peaked when he was chosen among 4,800 players to play on the USA Youth National Team. During his two years on the team, Tyler traveled across the world, helping his team achieve a victory at the Pan American championship in 2007.
But during this time, Tyler began experimenting with drugs. After he was pulled over for speeding in 2008, police found bags of marijuana in his car and arrested him. Soon after, he was suspended and had to complete his final year of high school taking night classes.
From there, Tyler went down the slippery slope of drug abuse.
In college, the line blurred between his passion for baseball and drugs. With added injury to his shoulder from pitching, he began using drugs more often.
He pitched for Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee in 2009. Less than a year later, Tyler failed a drug test and was dismissed from the team.
Tyler had a second chance in 2011 at Catonsville Community College in Catonsville, Md. He performed spectacularly after multiple ligament surgeries. He recovered his ability to pitch and surprised his doctor, who said he was shocked that Tyler could even throw the ball 10 feet, let alone at 90 mph.
While pitching for Francis Marion University in 2012, he tore his ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow during a game against the University of South Carolina. Then his drug abuse spiraled out of control as he turned to cocaine and heroin.
Tyler’s family insisted that he keep trying drug rehabilitation programs, but Tyler always relapsed weeks after each program. At last, Tyler agreed to a long-term rehab program in Florida. Six months later, he returned home and got a job. During this recovery, he saw that some former baseball teammates were playing for the Atlanta Braves and the N.Y. Yankees, which inspired him to begin pitching with Tom in a homemade batting cage.
While Tyler rarely talked about Christianity, Tom said that during this time his son experienced a change of heart. Six months before he died, Tyler asked Tom, “How could Jesus love me, after all of the terrible things I have done?” Tom took this opportunity to evangelize to his struggling son, and Tyler began taking an increased interest in restoring his relationship with Christ. He even began reading Scripture.
In 2016, Tyler insisted on returning to an apartment in Florida.
“I took him down to Florida, drove him down there, and I didn’t know that was the last time I was going to see him,” Tom said.
As Tom drove away from Tyler’s apartment, he looked in the rearview mirror and saw his son waving to him.
More than a year later, Tyler overdosed and died at age 27 April 30, 2017.
Tom went to Tyler’s apartment to collect his belongings. He was overcome with grief, when he said he felt a voice saying, “Trust me. I got this.” He immediately felt a wave of peace pass over him. Tom began to rely on the mercy of God more than ever as he grieved his son.
Throughout the healing process, Tom said he felt compelled to share Tyler’s story. Five years after Tyler’s death, he wrote his book, “A Fall into Redemption: the Tyler Hibbs Story.” While Tyler’s baseball success is the “hook,” Tom said he wanted to share his experience of trusting in God amid tragedy and loss.
Tom’s wife, Susan Aquino, a parishioner of Holy Trinity Church in Gainesville, added, “We want to show that in this horrible circumstance, you still have the hope of Christ.”
Tom wanted to share the good news of Christ in his book. “I think there’s a lot of people on this earth who are looking for hope.” Even if God does not answer your prayers in the way that you want him to, he said, “He is still a great God.”
Harvey can be reached at [email protected].
