Glenallen Hill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Glenallen Hill |
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Hill in 2008
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: March 22, 1965 Santa Cruz, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| July 31, 1989, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 31, 2001, for the Anaheim Angels | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .271 | ||
| Home runs | 186 | ||
| Runs batted in | 586 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Glenallen Hill, born on March 22, 1965, is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder. He played for several teams during his thirteen-year career. These teams included the Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Anaheim Angels. A big highlight of his career was winning the 2000 World Series with the New York Yankees. Hill was a right-handed batter and thrower.
He was sometimes called The Juggler because he had some challenges with defense.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Glenallen Hill was born in Santa Cruz, California. His mother worked at Dominican Hospital, and his father was a truck driver and later worked in construction.
Hill went to Santa Cruz High School and graduated in 1983. He was a talented athlete, playing three different sports. He even received scholarship offers to play both baseball and football at Arizona State University.
However, the Toronto Blue Jays drafted him in the ninth round of the 1983 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 219th player chosen overall.
Playing Career Highlights
Toronto Blue Jays (1989–1991)
Hill made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on July 31, 1989, with the Toronto Blue Jays. He got his first MLB hit and an RBI (run batted in) single. In 19 games that year, he had 15 hits, including his first home run. He also drove in seven runs. His good play helped him stay with the team for the 1990 season. That year, he hit .231 in 84 games, with 12 home runs and 32 RBIs. In 1991, he played 35 games for the Blue Jays, hitting .253. On June 27, 1991, Hill was traded to the Cleveland Indians.
Cleveland Indians (1991–1993)
Hill played 37 games for the Indians in 1991. He had 32 hits and 14 RBIs. In 1992, his only full season in Cleveland, Hill played 102 games. He hit 18 home runs and had 49 RBIs, which were new personal bests for him. In 1993, Hill played 66 games for the Indians. He hit .224 before being traded to the Cubs on August 19.
Chicago Cubs (1993–1994)
In his first season with the Cubs, Hill played 31 games. He hit very well, with a .345 batting average and 22 RBIs. In 1994, Hill played 89 games. He hit 10 home runs and had 38 RBIs. The baseball season ended early that year due to a player strike. On April 7, 1995, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.
San Francisco Giants (1995–1997)
Hill signed with the Giants on April 9, 1995. He hit .264 with 24 home runs and 86 RBIs. He also had a career-high 25 stolen bases. The next year, Hill hurt his left wrist while trying to catch a ball. He was out of action for a while, playing only 98 games. He still hit .280 with 19 homers and 67 RBIs. In 1997, he hit .261 with 11 home runs and 64 RBIs.
Hill made history on June 12, 1997. He was the first National League player to be a designated hitter in a regular season game. This happened during the first-ever interleague play game, where his San Francisco Giants played the Texas Rangers. That year, he played in his first postseason games against the Marlins. After the Giants lost, Hill became a free agent on October 29.
Since Hill grew up near San Francisco, he often connected with the community while playing for the Giants. He made many public appearances and signed autographs for fans.
Seattle Mariners (1998)
Hill signed with the Mariners on January 8, 1998. He hit .290 with 12 home runs and 33 RBIs. Later, the Cubs claimed him off waivers.
Return to Chicago Cubs (1998–2000)
The Cubs picked up Hill on July 6, 1998. In 48 games, Hill hit an impressive .351 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs. He also played in one game during the 1998 National League Division Series. He had one hit, one RBI, and one stolen base in that game. He became a free agent again on October 23 but re-signed with the Cubs on December 7.
In 1999, Hill hit .300 with 20 home runs and 55 RBIs. In 2000, he played 64 games 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. He hit a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks. On May 11, 2000, Hill hit a home run that landed on a building across from Wrigley Field. This was a very rare and memorable shot. He was traded to the Yankees on July 23.
New York Yankees (2000)
Hill played 40 games for the Yankees, mostly as a designated hitter. He hit 16 home runs in this role. He was added to the team's postseason roster. He played in four games in the 2000 American League Division Series against the Oakland A's. In the 2000 American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners, Hill played two games. In the 2000 World Series against the New York Mets, Hill played three games. He earned a World Series ring when the Yankees won the series in five games.
Anaheim Angels (2001)
On March 28, 2001, Hill was traded to the Angels. He played only sixteen games that year, hitting .136 before being released on June 1. He retired from playing after that season.
In his 13-year Major League career, Hill had a lifetime batting average of .271. He hit 186 home runs and drove in 586 RBIs in 1,162 games. As a pinch hitter, he had a .287 average with 13 home runs.
Coaching Career
In 2003, Glenallen Hill started coaching in the Colorado Rockies' minor league system. After the 2006 season, he became the first base coach for the Rockies' main team.
In 2007, Hill began wearing a helmet while coaching first base. He did this after another coach was seriously injured by a batted ball. Hill quickly became a supporter of all first base coaches wearing helmets. In 2008, a rule was made requiring all professional baseball base coaches to wear helmets.
Hill managed the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in 2013 and 2014. These were the AAA (highest minor league level) team for the Colorado Rockies. On January 8, 2015, he was named the manager of the Albuquerque Isotopes. This happened when the Rockies changed their AAA team to the Isotopes.
Personal Life
In July 1990, Hill was placed on the disabled list after getting hurt during a sleepwalking incident. It was said at the time that he had a nightmare about spiders. He sleepwalked to try to get away. When he woke up, he had cuts on his hands and feet from broken glass. He had also fallen down stairs. His teammates started calling him "Spiderman" after this.
However, in April 2017, as manager of the Albuquerque Isotopes, he let a giant pink-toed tarantula crawl on his arm. He did this during a team media day to show he was not afraid of spiders. A photo from that day was even used on a baseball card.
In 1995, he married Lori Domhoff. They have two children. His son, Glenallen Jr., was chosen by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 4th round of the 2019 MLB Draft.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players named in the Mitchell Report
