Hill, Dick (1993)
DICK Hill will join fellow University of New Hampshire grads, Peter Dresser and John Gleason, at tonight's HoF induction.
DICK split his time between Maine and New Hampshire. Born in Portland in 1942, he resided in Manchester and Bedford, N.H. until 1964.
But he summered at Popham Beach and, while there in 1956 and ‘57, played in the Babe Ruth League.
As an All-Star, he played outfield on the first Maine team to go to the New England Tournament. This gave him an opportunity to play against the boys who later campaigned with him at Manchester Central H.S.
At Manchester Central, Dick participated in baseball, football and cross-country, but baseball was his first love. it was in the family.
His dad, Francis, is a 1979 HoFer and brother, Fred, a Bowdoin College pitching Star. In 1959 and 1960, Dick matriculated at Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts.
in 1960, Dick was the #1 pitcher for Tabor, compiling a 5-1 record with a 1.38 ERA. He was tagged ‘our best pitcher -- a fine boy and a fine athlete" by his coach, and won the team's MVP award. Tabor won the Southeast New England Prep School title both years Hill played.
He was a good hitter and played the outfield when not on the mound.
He also lettered in soccer and basketball. While at Tabor, Dick hurled for Brunswick in the Portland Twilight League and for Manchester Millers in the Northeast League.
He also gained a lot of pointers at two sessions of the Western Carolina Baseball School}.
At UNH, Hill was an outstanding relief pitcher.
in his junior year he pitched 13 innings and yielded no runs.
The right-hander, 511° and 185 iDS., Was considered one of the better relievers in the Yankee Conference.
in July, 1961 Scout Jack Burns at a Red Sox tryout camp tried to sign Dick, but his father advised staying in school so his pro career was delayed.
While at UNH, Dick continued to play in the Twilight League with Charley Turner's Yarmouth townies.
In ‘64, he journeyed to Quebec to play for Coaticook in the Canadian Provincial League.
Coaticook was managed by ex-Cardinal Ralph LaPointe, with good connections in pro ball. In 1965, Hill turned in a 9-3 record for the Canadian club with a skimpy 0.86 ERA.
This, coupled with a 27 inning scoreless streak, including a one-hitter at the Dick Howser Baseball School in Florida, led to a tryout with the Red Sox.
At the minor league spring training camp in 1966, Dick pitched ten innings, yielding no runs and only six singles.
This sparkling performance got him a contract with Waterloo in the Midwest League.
But the disappointed rookie received no starts and was soon shipped to Covington TN the Rookie Appalachian League. Again Hill was buried in the bullpen and, again with no starts, was cut. This might have been after the Red Sox brass discovered that, although listed as 22, he was truly 24.
Dick returned to the Twi League, made appearances in the Boston Park League and pitched batting practice at Fenway for the Bosox in ‘68.
In 1969, he popped a tendon at Yarmouth and closed his career.
Recently, he has been a coach in the Bath Little League and soccer
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