Hill was also known for poor defense and has been referred to as The Juggler because of his struggles.[1]
Early life
Hill was born to Felton Hill and Francile McDuffie-Hill in Santa Cruz, California, where his mother worked at Dominican Hospital.[2] His father worked as a trucker and later in construction.[3]
Hill made his major league debut on July 31, 1989, with the Toronto Blue Jays. He collected his first Major League hit, and RBI single, off of Andy Hawkins. In 19 games that year, he collected 15 hits including his first career home run and seven runs batted in. His play that season allowed him to remain with the team for the 1990 season, where he hit .231 over 84 games including 12 home runs and 32 runs batted in. In 1991, he played in 35 games for the Blue Jays compiling a .253 average. On June 27, 1991, Hill was traded to the Cleveland Indians.
Cleveland Indians (1991–93)
Hill played in 37 games for the Indians in 1991 collected 32 hits while driving in 14 runs. In his first and only full season in Cleveland in 1992, Hill played in 102 games collecting 18 home runs and 49 runs batted in (then career-highs). Hill played in 66 games for the Indians in 1993 and hit only .224 before being traded to the Cubs on August 19. While a member of the Cleveland Indians, he committed a "phantom steal" of second. This occurred during a game against the Detroit Tigers which was interrupted by a prolonged disturbance in the outfield. When play resumed, no one noticed that Hill had moved from first to second, thus giving him a stolen base.
Chicago Cubs (1993–94)
Hill played in 31 games for the Cubs in his first season hitting .345 while driving in 22 runs. In 1994, Hill played in 89 games and clubbed 10 home runs while collecting 38 runs batted in before the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike cancelled the remainder of the season. On April 7, 1995, he was granted free agency.
San Francisco Giants (1995–97)
Hill signed with the Giants on April 9, 1995, where he hit .264 with 24 home runs and 86 runs batted in along with a career-high 25 stolen bases. The following year, Hill suffered a dislocation fracture of his left wrist while diving for a sinking liner on May 26th. He was out of action until August 5th playing in only 98 games while hitting .280 with 19 homers and 67 runs batted in. In 1997, he hit .261 with 11 home runs and 64 runs batted in. Hill was the first National League player to serve as a designated hitter in regular season play, doing so on June 12, 1997, in the first-ever game in interleague play as his San Francisco Giants faced the Texas Rangers at The Ballpark at Arlington. That year, he played in his first postseason games against the Marlins. He went 0 for 7 with two walks.[5] Following the Giants defeat, Hill was granted free agency on October 29.
As Hill grew up near San Francisco, during his stint with the San Francisco Giants he often reached out to the community in which he grew up, making numerous public appearances and autograph signings.
Seattle Mariners (1998)
Hill signed with the Mariners on January 8, 1998, and hit .290 with 12 homers and 33 runs batted in before being placed on waivers and claimed by the Cubs.
Chicago Cubs (1998–2000)
The Cubs selected Hill off waivers on July 6, 1998. In 48 games, Hill hit .351 with eight home runs and 23 runs batted in. Hill also played in one game during the 1998 National League Division Series where he was one for three with a run batted in and a stolen base.[5] He was granted free agency on October 23, but re-signed with the Cubs on December 7. Hill hit .300 with 20 home runs and 55 runs batted in during the 1999 season. He played in 64 games in 2000 and hit .262 with 11 home runs. On April 29, 2000, Hill became the first player to hit home runs against all 30 MLB teams, hitting a solo shot against the Arizona Diamondbacks.[6] On May 11, 2000, Hill became the first, and thus far only player to hit a home run on the three-story residential building across the street from Wrigley Field at 1032 W. Waveland Ave. The shot came off Steve Woodard in the second inning of the Cubs' 14–8 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.[7] He was traded to the Yankees on July 23.
New York Yankees (2000)
Hill played in 40 games for the Yankees, mostly as a designated hitter. He hit 16 home runs in a rotating designated hitter role and was added to the postseason roster. He played in four games in the 2000 American League Division Series against the Oakland A's and was 1 for 12 with 2 runs batted in. In the 2000 American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners, Hill played in two games and went 0 for 2, striking out in both of his plate appearances.[5] In the 2000 World Series against the New York Mets, Hill played in three games going 0 for 3.[5] He earned a World Series ring when the Yankees defeated the Mets in five games.
Anaheim Angels (2001)
On March 28, 2001, Hill was traded to the Angels for minor-leaguer Darren Blakely. He appeared in only sixteen games that year, hitting .136 before being released on June 1. He retired after the season.
In a 13-year major league career, Hill compiled a lifetime batting average of .271, hitting 186 home runs and driving in 586 RBIs in 1,162 games. As a pinch hitter Hill had a .287 lifetime average with 13 home runs.
Coaching career
In 2003, he began coaching in the Colorado Rockies minor league system before being named first base coach following the 2006 season.[8]
In 2007, Hill started wearing a helmet while coaching first base following the death of Tulsa Drillers (a Rockies minor-league affiliate) first base coach and former major leaguer Mike Coolbaugh from injuries sustained when hit in the head by a batted ball.[9] Hill and Oakland's Rene Lachemann were the only coaches at the major league level to do so that year. Hill quickly became an advocate for all first base coaches to wear helmets.[10] In 2007, Joe Garagiola Jr. (then Vice President of Baseball Operations), adopted a rule requiring all professional baseball base coaches to wear helmets beginning in 2008.[11]
Hill managed the Colorado Springs Sky Sox during the 2013 and 2014 seasons while the Sky Sox were the AAA affiliates of the Colorado Rockies. He was named the manager of the Albuquerque Isotopes on January 8, 2015, after the Colorado Rockies changed their AAA affiliation from Colorado Springs to Albuquerque Isotopes.
Steroid allegations
Mitchell Report
In December 2007, Hill was included in the Mitchell Report in which it was alleged that he had used performance-enhancing drugs during his career. In the report, Kirk Radomski alleged that he met Hill at a social function in 2000 during which they discussed Hill's dissatisfaction with the results from his use of HGH. Radomski claims he sent Hill a complimentary bottle of HGH, which Hill tried — then later expressed his satisfaction with the results. Radomski stated that Hill purchased two kits of HGH from him and provided a photocopy of a cancelled check from Hill for $3,200. Hill's phone number and address were also included in Radomski's address book.
As an employee of Major League Baseball, Hill was required to submit to an interview by the Mitchell investigators. During the interview, Hill denied having used the HGH provided by Radomski, citing that he had been suffering from marital stresses at the time. He stated that this had been a one-time purchase, and that he had never used performance-enhancing substances. He admitted that the drugs had stayed in his possession until 2007 when he discovered them while unpacking from a move. Hill claimed that he couldn't remember other players with whom he may have discussed steroid use, and noted that his lawyer had warned him that naming players would hurt his career.[12]
On December 20, 2007, Hill was also named in Jason Grimsley's unsealed affidavit as a user of steroids.[13] Hill and Grimsley were teammates on the 2000 New York Yankees. In a February 2008 joint press release with Matt Herges issued by the Colorado Rockies, Hill admitted to having used steroids.[14][15]
Personal life
In July 1990, Hill was put on the disabled list after suffering injuries during a sleepwalking incident. Hill, who it was claimed at the time was an arachnophobe, had a nightmare about being attacked by spiders and in the process went sleepwalking to try to get away.[16] When he awoke from the incident, he had cuts on his hands and feet due to walking across shards of broken glass from a table he knocked over and also fell down a flight of stairs. His teammates began calling him "Spiderman" afterwards.[17][18] In April 2017, as manager of the Albuquerque Isotopes, he allowed a giant pink-toed tarantula to crawl on his arm during a team media day to demonstrate he was not arachnophobic.[19][20] A photograph taken that day was used on a 2017 Albuquerque Isotopes Choice baseball card.[21]
.jpg)
