MIL Journal-Sentinel: Surgery resuscitates [Joe Dillon’s] career

Joe Dillon retired from baseball in 2003, the victim of three years of back problems. He underwent surgery that year for a pretty simple reason.

“More than anything, I got the back surgery just to be able to play with my son when he got older,” Dillon said… “I didn’t think I was going to play again,” Dillon said. “I went back to school and I was coaching at my college. I went to Texas Tech and I was coaching there and finishing my degree.”

But a funny thing happened.

“It fixed everything,” Dillon said of the discectomy of the L4 and L5 vertebrae. “I had a lot of people kind of talk me into playing again, and I was able to get a job with the Marlins and get back into the game.”
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Making his first big-league appearance since Oct. 2, 2005, Dillon batted for pitcher Manny Parra with one out in the ninth inning and lined a single to right-center off Mets closer Billy Wagner to put two runners on.

From retirement, to the minors, to the majors, to Japan, to the minors - and back in the majors once more.