Sam Hill

Samuel Hill

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 167 lb.
• High School Hooper City High School
• Debut 1946
• Final Game 1948
• Born May 2, 1926 in New Castle, AL USA
• Died April 4, 1977

BR page

Biographical Information

Sam Hill spent five seasons in the Negro Leagues, three in the Manitoba-Dakota League and three in the minor leagues.

Hill debuted with the Chicago American Giants in 1946, at age 16, and became a starter the next year. He hit .313 in 1948 and was an All-Star. In the first 1948 East-West Game, he hit 8th for the West and played center field. In a 3-0 win, he went 0 for 3 with a walk and grounded in a run. In the second game, he hit 7th and played right field. In a 6-1 loss, Hill was 0 for 2 with a walk, steal and the only West run.

Sam played in the Manitoba-Dakota League from 1950-1952, hitting .290 for Winnipeg in his last season. He also spent part of 1952 with the Memphis Red Sox. Signing his way into Organized Baseball, Hill hit .272/?/.416 with 9 triples for the 1954 Williamsport Grays. He missed 1955-1956, presumably due to military service. He next surfaced in 1957 with the Duluth-Superior Dukes (.312/.388/.423, 77 R) and Charlotte Hornets (9 for 33, 2B, 2 HR, 4 BB). He was 5th in the Northern League in average and his .984 fielding percentage was second among outfielders with 100+ games.

Hill ended his career in 1958 by batting .265 in 28 games for the Dukes and winding up back with Memphis in the dying Negro Leagues.

Notable Achievements

• NAL All-Star (1948)

Sources

• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway
• Black Baseball's National Showcase by Larry Lester
• 1958 Baseball Guide

Related Sites

• BR Minors page