Jimmy Hill

James Hill
(Lefty, Squab)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 6", Weight 140 lb.

• Debut 1938
• Final Game 1945
• Born June 6, 1918 in Plant City, FL USA
• Died May 31, 1993 in Sarasota, FL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Jimmy Hill was a one-time All-Star in the Negro Leagues.

Hill first drew the notice of Negro League teams when the Detroit Tigers used him as a batting practice pitcher during spring training in Jimmy's native Florida. The Newark Eagles signed the southpaw, who went 5-0 as a rookie in 1938. Jimmy was 10-1 with a 2.77 RA in 1940, ranking third in RA. He fell to 6-5 in 1941. In the 1941 East-West Game, he was the 4th pitcher for the East, relieving Henry McHenry and giving up two unearned runs (thanks to a dropped third strike by Roy Campanella and errors by Dick Seay and Pancho Coimbre) and no hits while fanning two in the 8th inning. Bill Byrd relieved him for the 9th.

Lefty fell to 4-9 in 1942 and 4-4 in 1943. On June 6, 1943, he threw a 7-inning no-hitter against the New York Black Yankees. He was 1-2 in 1944 and 2-1 in 1945, his last season with Newark. The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues lists Hill as playing in the minors from 1946-1948, but BR Minors shows no corresponding player.

Notable Achievements

• NNL All-Star (1941)
• NNL Saves Leader (1942)

Sources

• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway
• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• Black Baseball's National Showcase by Larry Lester