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Colin Ford stars as Rickey Hill in the 2023 biographical sports drama movie The Hill. What happened to the baseball player in real life?

Summary

• Rickey Hill, an aspiring baseball player with a physical impairment, overcame obstacles to have a career in the sport.
• Hill had to retire after four seasons playing in the minor leagues because of a spine injury.
• After retiring from baseball, Hill became a coach and focused on preaching about perseverance and his faith.

The Hill chronicles the triumphs of Rickey Hill, an aspiring baseball player whose physical impairment lessened his chances of achieving his dreams, and the athlete went on to have a career in the sport following the movie's events. The 2023 biographical sports drama film, directed by Jeff Celentano and written by Angelo Pizzo and Scott Marshall Smith, stars Colin Ford as the aforementioned baseball player. It grossed only $7.6 million at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics (even though audiences seemed to enjoy the movie, as many believed it was a tear-jerker and inspirational).

Aside from Ford, the other cast members of The Hill included Dennis Quaid as Pastor Hill, Joelle Carter as Hellen Hill, Scott Glenn as Red Murff, Siena Bjornerud as Gracie Shanz, Ryan Dinning as Robert Hill, Carina Worm as Connie Hill, Bonnie Bedelia as Gram, and Randy Houser as Ray Clemons. It is only one of many biographical sports films centered around inspirational athletes, but unlike most, the person at the center of it all is lesser-known. The portrayal of Rickey Hill's true story didn't gloss over the talented baseball player's obstacles, though, making it one that resonated with viewers.

Rickey Hill Played 4 Seasons In Minor League Baseball Before Retiring

As depicted in The Hill, Rickey Hill wore leg braces because of a degenerative spinal disease when he was young. Consequentially, his aspirations of playing baseball professionally were hindered. Hill's love for the sport culminated in a determination to make his dreams come true (which caused turmoil within his family, especially his father, who wanted to protect him from getting badly injured). Hill successfully tried out for the Montreal Expos, and the MLB team signed him in 1975 at the age of 19. Unfortunately, the athlete never made it to the majors.

Hill played in the Expos' farm system for four years before he was forced into retirement. According to Baseball Reference, he started on the Expos' rookie team in 1975 before making his way up to the A level in the minors the following year. Hill remained at this level from 1976 to 1978, but he officially retired from the sport when his spine gave out in the late 1970s. Overall, his stats were impressive (he accumulated a .298 batting average over the four seasons in the minor leagues), and he might have made it to the major league level if his spine didn't give out.

The Hill Review: Dennis Quaid Leads A Biopic Unable To Find Genuine Drama

Rickey Hill Focused On His Faith & Preaching About Perseverance

Following his retirement from baseball, Rickey Hill didn't want to abandon the sport completely. As mentioned before the 2023 film's end credits, Hill now coaches Little League Baseball in Fort Worth, Texas. But he also followed in his father's footsteps and dedicated his life to his faith and preaching about his obstacles and triumphs. He wanted to share his story, and Hill was finally able to when it was adapted for the big screen in The Hill.

The Hill is available to stream on Netflix.

Source: Baseball Reference

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