He was picked in the 1971 Secondary Draft out of Rice University and played four seasons for the San Diego Padres.

On October 22, 1976 Hilton was one of the first players acquired by the expansion Toronto Blue Jays franchise, though he would never play a game for them.

Early in the 1975 season, Hilton contracted hepatitis which caused the San Diego Padres to announce he would be out indefinitely.

The Tigers were managed by American Don Blasingame, who kept the slumping Hilton in the lineup despite the presence of promising rookie Akinobu Okada.

Murakami had his epiphany as he saw Hilton hit a double, while watching a Yakult Swallows game in Japan.