ScreenRant: What Team Rickey Hill Played Professional Baseball For After The Hill BY RYAN KIRKSEY PUBLISHED 5 DAYS AGO After overcoming several health obstacles, Rickey Hill was able to play professional baseball for several teams before being forced to retire. https://screenrant.com/the-hill-rickey-hill-baseball-teams-minor-league-play/

 

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What Team Rickey Hill Played Professional Baseball For After The Hill

BY

RYAN KIRKSEY

PUBLISHED 5 DAYS AGO

After overcoming several health obstacles, Rickey Hill was able to play professional baseball for several teams before being forced to retire.

(Colin-Ford-as-Rickey-Hill)

SUMMARY

 Rickey Hill, despite having physical disabilities, played for four minor league baseball teams before retiring at the age of 22.

 Hill's talent and dedication allowed him to overcome doubts and obstacles, becoming one of the most talented players of his age.

 The Hill is an inspirational true story that portrays Hill's journey and his determination to pursue his dream of playing baseball.

The Hill tells the inspirational story of young Rickey Hill, who had several physical disabilities but did not let them stand in the way of playing for several professional baseball teams before he was forced to retire. He was able to play for four seasons professionally despite Rickey Hill's story being one where he was born with a degenerative spine disorder. Throughout his childhood in the 1960s and 1970s, Rickey Hill was always told he would never be able to make it as a baseball player, but The Hill shows how he was able to overcome those doubts and obstacles.

Starring Colin Ford as Rickey Hill and Dennis Quaid as Rickey's father, James, The Hill is a true story about a young man overcoming great odds for the game he loved. Despite his physical ailments, Hill was devoted to baseball growing up and was able to become one of the most talented players of his age. The Hill shows that his talent and dedication did allow him to be successful for several teams while his body still let him play.

The Hill is available for streaming on Netflix.

Rickey Hill Played For 4 Minor League Baseball Teams Before Retiring

Teams: Lethbridge Expos, Rio Grande Valley Whitewings, Texas City Stars, Grays Harbor Loggers

Colin Ford as Rickey Hill in The Hill and Rickey Hill in real life.

Rickey Hill decided to attend a tryout held by the Montreal Expos in 1975. They were impressed with his ability as a hitter at age 19 and signed him to their minor league system for that season. Throughout the next four seasons, Hill was able to progress three levels in their minor league system, first starting at the Rookie level with the Lethbridge Expos, before being promoted to the High-A Level Rio Grande Valley Whitewings and the Texas City Stars.

Hill's final stop in his professional career would be with the A-Level Grays Harbor Loggers. Despite his physical limitations, Hill was able to also contribute in the field on defense as well as in the batters' box. Hill played 121 games in the outfield and another 16 at first base during his minor league career, but he would be best known for his strengths as a hitter, showing a keen batter's eye, and top-tier power for someone so young.

Rickey Hill's Professional Baseball Career Stats Explained

Hill's batting average was .298 with 26 home runs & 116 RBI

Colin Ford as Ricky Hill standing next to Dennis Quaid's Pastor Hill in The Hill

Hill's first season with the Lethbridge Expos was a tough one, as he adjusted to the demands of a professional organization and being away from home at age 19. That season, he hit only .217 with one home run and 11 RBI in 39 games. Still, his coaches saw promise in his bat and promoted him to the Rio Grande Valley Whitewings for the 1976 season.

It was here that Hill's talent began to fully emerge. Over the next two years playing for High-A teams against some of the top young players in the country, Hill hit .331 with 10 home runs, 20 doubles, and 54 RBI in just 99 games. His last season was also a strong one, and he hit .286 with an incredible 15 home runs and 51 RBI in just 63 games. Altogether, they combined for a .298 average with 26 home runs and 116 RBI in 201 minor league games.

Why Rickey Hill Retired From Baseball In 1978 After Only Playing 4 Seasons

Rickey's health battles returned

Colin Ford as Rickey Hill and Siena Bjornerud as Gracie Shanz in The Hill.

Following the 1978 season, at just 22 years old, Hill began having severe trouble with his back and spine that forced him to stop playing. While he tried to rehab and make it back to playing again, his body would not let him, and he had to officially retire after the 1978 minor league season. Hill's unlikely and inspiring professional baseball journey would end with him just 22 years old and with his whole life still ahead of him.

The Hill follows up with Rickey Hill's story at the film's end and mentions he still coaches Little League teams in Fort Worth, Texas. In addition to his love and continued involvement in baseball, Rickey Hill also began to preach and teach communities about overcoming adversity and doing whatever it takes to reach your dreams. One of the more inspirational sports stories that has ever been told on film, Rickey Hill's journey has inspired many people since he retired from professional baseball.

The Hill 2023 Movie Poster

The Hill

PG

ScreenRant logo

The Hill is a sports-drama biography about Rockey Hill, a baseball player who suffered from a degenerative disease but battles to overcome his condition to achieve his life-long dream of playing in the MLB. Despite protests from his family and community faith leaders, Rickey will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.

Release Date

August 25, 2023

Director

Jeff Celentano

Cast

Dennis Quaid , Colin Ford , Joelle Carter , Randy Houser , Jesse Berry , Bonnie Bedelia , Scott Glenn

Studio(s)

Vitamin A Films , Rescue Dog Productions , Piney Pictures

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THE HILL (2023)

About The Author

Ryan Kirksey • Writer

(73 Articles Published)

Ryan is a Core Features contributor for Screen Rant. A connoisseur of both sports and the small screen, Ryan has been writing extensively about both for more than five years including for sites such as TV Obsessive, FanDuel, Fantrax, Pop Matters, and Razzball. Ryan is also the co-host of the TV Obsessive podcast which is a weekly look at all things television. 

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