David Hissey was a four-year member (2006-09) of the Emory baseball team, starting 166 of the 172 games he played in. He hit .300 or higher each of his four seasons and finished with a career mark of .366 at the plate. He closed out his Emory tenure second all-time in runs scored (180) and third in hits (237), and his total of 113 stolen bases is still a school record. He helped the Eagles to three University Athletic Association championships and two trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a national runner-up finish in 2007. He became the fifth player in program history to be drafted when the Philadelphia Phillies selected him in 2009.
Q: Occupation and where do you reside?
DH: I work in a business development role for an asset management company. My job is to engage with investment research teams with the goal of our investment products being selected for their client portfolios. In terms of location, I live in Malvern, PA - not too far away from where I grew up.
Q: How did you choose this career path?
DH: I knew I always wanted to be in business development. I have always enjoyed working with people and found that sales/business development was very much like sports, especially baseball. You strike out most of the time but keep grinding and eventually good things happen.
Q: Can you give an update on some of your experiences post-Emory to where you are now?
DH: It has been a whirlwind of a decade since I graduated. I started my adult career with a year in New York in the sales and trading world before landing at my current role - which is approaching 9 years.
The last six years have been a blur as we have had 4 little ones in that time but before that I had tons of fun with my wife (hiking, paddle tennis, running, traveling, etc.), road trips to watch my brothers play ball, lots of time with family, the occasional golf trip and lots of work travel.
Q: What were the factors in you choosing Emory as your college?
DH: A good buddy of mine from a high school (Tommy Mieczkowski) was a few years ahead of me and loved his time at Emory and encouraged me to apply. It’s hard to find a better spot when you think about the combination of academics, athletics and short winters.
Q: What are some reflections upon your time at Emory, both as a baseball player and as a student?
DH: An unbelievable 4 years for me at Emory. Playing for Coach T and Perez were pretty special, but my biggest takeaway was playing with and building lifelong relationships with the guys on the team.
Also, it was great spending 4 quality years with Aunt Sue and her husband Bill! (#1 Emory Eagles Fan and recent retiree from the law school - hi Aunt Sue!)
Q: Who were some of the people who played an influential role while you were at Emory?
DH: Tommy Mieczkowski for introducing me to Emory
Coach T and Coach Perez
I was fortunate enough to make a lot of great friends on the team over the years but my roommates at the baseball house (Joe Roth, Frank Pfister and Zander Sotiriou and later on Marc Terranova) are as close to family as it gets!
Q: The 2007 team you were on won 43 games, still a school record, and finished runner-up at the NCAA Championships. That group was certainly the “Cardiac Kids”, winning 14 games in the team’s final at-bat. What do you remember from the year and why do you think that team was so successful?
DH: That team was so good - I thought we were just as good if not better in 2006 but couldn’t get through the regionals. Our staff was incredible in 2007 (Glu, Ganzer, Babb)...it was nice going into a game knowing we only needed to score 2-3 runs and we had a W. Our offense was great all year long (Frank, Joe and Molnar) all had huge years and Sam Cunningham (and then Tyler Short) had two of the biggest hits of all time in the game vs. Ferrum. We were just grinders and expected to win every game and did whatever it took to do so. Zander Sotiriou bunted a ball off of his eye during the World Series and got right back in the box and got the job done - that was 2007.
Q: In addition to 2007, are there any of highlights that you remember while competing at Emory?
DH: Just a great four years at Emory. For me, it was all about the baseball (and school) - road trips, cards (spearheaded by Tommy Dugan), ice baths, locker room, hand weights, formal and informal team gatherings, sprinting through the line - can’t beat it.
Q: You earned a number of honors during your career and still rank prominently among the school’s all-time leaders in a number of categories. Are there any particular accomplishments that you are proud of or that stand out?
DH: It was just nice being part of a winning team and a winning program - and having the opportunity to play and be a contributor every day. I had so many friends from high school and summer ball that played for programs that spent four years losing or sitting on the bench. There is nothing better than showing up to the field every day with your buddies, knowing that you were in the lineup and expected to win.
Q: You were just the 5th player in school history to be drafted – the Phillies in 2009. How exciting was it for you to go through that and then get picked by your hometown team?
DH: Hearing my name called was a pretty special moment. I knew it was nothing more than a victory lap but it was a great way to end a career. A lot of people were involved in getting me a look (my legion Coach Mike Cooper, my brother and others) and the Phillies were nice enough to let me round out a rookie league roster.
Obviously none of this would have been possible without the hours at the field with my dad and brothers (and portable L screen) - and bull pens with my mom. It was quite a 17 years of playing organized ball and I miss it every day - can’t wait to get out with our little ones!
Q: How you are surviving the pandemic and how has it affected you?
DH: It’s a drag everyone has been getting sick and some lives have been ruined - but it has been a great opportunity for me to spend a little extra time with my family and reset after a crazy few years.
Q: Any interests/hobbies or things you do to relax when away from work?
DH: With 4 little ones, it’s hard to find too much time to relax. If I’m lucky I can squeeze in a few workouts during the week and on weekends our family always enjoys hiking on the hills around the Brandywine River.
Q: Any former teammates that you are in contact with?
DH: I wish there was time to see all of them but between work and family there’s not time for much. I keep up with a few of them fairly regularly and try to catch up when I am in different cities but there’s just never enough time. Plus, an annual golf trip with Emory baseball guys has been grandfathered into my marriage so I always look forward to that.
Q: Are you able to keep up with Emory baseball?
DH: Of course I keep up with the squad! I check box scores regularly and am pumped to see them doing so well -- I’d expect nothing less with Coach T and Coach P steering the ship.
Q: Any advice you would give Emory students/future grads?
DH: Use the alumni network! You won’t hear back from half the people but if you reach out to enough people, you will meet some awesome people who will be great resources throughout your career. Don’t rely on e-mail - pick up the phone!
Q: Is there anything that you take from being a student-athlete into your profession?
DH: Yes, dealing with failure, sprinting through the line and always grind – it carried over to my adult career.
Q: Any other items you would want to add?
DH: Been married 6 years now with four kids - Cathryn (5), Caroline (4), David (2), Anna (1).
David Hissey and his family live in Malvern, PA