Rickey Hill
| Rickey Hill | |
|---|---|
| First baseman / Outfielder | |
| Born: August 15, 1956 Fort Worth, Texas | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| Pioneer League debut | |
| 1975, for the Lethbridge Expos | |
| Last Northwest League appearance | |
| 1978, for the Grays Harbor Loggers | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .298 |
| Home runs | 26 |
| Runs batted in | 116 |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Rickey Glen Hill (born August 15, 1956) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman who played a four-year Minor League Baseball career from 1975 to 1978, after being signed to the Montreal Expos.[1]
His life and career was the subject of the 2023 American biographical sports drama film The Hill, starring Colin Ford as Hill.[2][3]
Early life
Hill was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1956 to Baptist pastor James Hill and wife Helen.[4][5] He attended Haltom High School.[6] As a child, he was diagnosed with a genetic degenerative spine disorder, which required him to undergo several surgeries and wear leg braces.[7][8]
Career
Hill notably scaled a 10-foot wall of a stadium to get into a scouting camp in order to meet scout and former player Red Murff, which led to him playing in the tryout game, where he went 11-for-11.[9][10]
Hill was signed to the Montreal Expos in 1975. He played in their minor league farm system in 1975 for the Lethbridge Expos as an outfielder alongside Andre Dawson. Hill then played in the Gulf States League for the Rio Grande Valley White Wings in 1976. In 1977, he played in the Lone Star League for the Texas City Stars.[11][12]
In 1978, Hill played for the Grays Harbor Loggers, scoring the most home runs on the Northwest League championship-winning team. He hit 15 home runs for the season, which was two behind Albert Richmond for the Northwest League lead, and had an average of .286 at the plate.[13] Hill had never received his Northwest League championship ring, until 2025 when it was recovered by the son of a Loggers fan, 37 years later.[14]
Hill retired from baseball after the 1979 season at the age of 22, due to complications from his genetic spine disorder.[5]
Personal life
Hill married his high school sweetheart, Sherran Lambert, during a ceremony at home plate at Henderson Stadium in August 1975.[15]
Hill lives in Fort Worth, Texas and works as an employee benefits specialist.[9]
References
- ^ "Rickey Hill Minor Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ "Rickey Hill 'completely blown away' by popularity of biopic on Netflix". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ Mercuri, Monica. "Is 'The Hill' On Netflix A True Story? What Happened To Rickey Hill". Forbes. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ "Local legend Rickey Hill's big screen story". citylifestyle.com. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ a b "The movie about Rickey Hill's uphill battle to play pro baseball inspired a North Texas mayor, who met him in person". wfaa.com. May 11, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ "Rickey Hill - Minor League Baseball Statistics - The Baseball Cube". thebaseballcube.com. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ Ghiroli, Brittany (August 21, 2023). "'The Hill' movie chronicles Texas man's pursuit of pro baseball dream". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ Pringle, Gill (September 28, 2023). "Senior Planet Talks to...Rickey Hill". Senior Planet from AARP. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ a b Staff, A. O. L. (February 6, 2024). "His story is a Netflix hit: Fort Worth's Rickey Hill on The Hill's inspiring message". www.aol.com. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ MacArthur, Greg (February 6, 2024). "The Hill Erased 1 Epic Moment From Rickey Hill's Meeting With Red Murff That Makes His Incredible Story Even Better". ScreenRant. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ "Rickey Hill minor league baseball Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ Kirksey, Ryan (January 24, 2024). "What Team Rickey Hill Played Professional Baseball For After The Hill". ScreenRant. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ Little, Sarah; Russell, Tom (January 22, 2024). "What Happened To Rickey Hill In Real Life After The Hill". ScreenRant. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ "Reuniting Rickey Hill with his ring, 37 years later". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ "Uphill Battle: Rickey Hill reached the summit and a stop in Alberta helped him do it". TALES OF BASEBALL. January 30, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
External links
- Stats at Baseball Reference