Summary

• "The Hill" is a 2023 biographical sports drama film about baseball player Rickey Hill.
• Hill's determination to overcome health issues and pursue his dream of being a professional baseball player is a central theme in the movie.
• Red Murff, portrayed in the film as the scout who discovered Hill, had a brief MLB career and later became known for discovering Nolan Ryan and Jerry Grote.

The Hill tells the miraculous true story of baseball player Rickey Hill, but the movie also focuses on the real-life scout who discovered him — Red Murff. The 2023 biographical sports drama film was directed by Jeff Celentano and written by Angelo Pizzo and Scott Marshall Smith. Hill was an executive producer and very involved in making the movie, so it's about as accurate a depiction of his story as any project based on real events can get. However, Murff died on November 28, 2008, so he couldn't see himself depicted on the big screen.

Hill was diagnosed with a degenerative spinal disease as a child, but he also suffered from many other ailments throughout his early life. He was determined to make his dreams of becoming a professional baseball player come true, even if his health made it much harder. Ultimately, Hill convinced Murff to give him a chance, and at an MLB tryout game, the athlete impressed the scout. As mentioned at the end of The Hill, Hill signed with the Montreal Expos in 1975 and played baseball at the minor league level for four years before an injury ended his career.

Red Murff's Baseball Career: Which MLB Teams He Played For

Before Red Murff was a scout, as he was in The Hill, he played in the major leagues. According to Baseball Reference, Murff made his MLB debut as a relief pitcher on April 21, 1956, for the Milwaukee Braves when he was 35. Given his older age (in of baseball) as a rookie, Murff's tenure in the MLB didn't last long. He played for the Braves for two seasons before his final game on May 30, 1957. Ultimately, Murff's MLB career ended with a 4.65 ERA and a 2-2 record over the course of 26 games.

Red Murff's Time As An MLB Scout Explained

Although Red Murff played two seasons for the Milwaukee Braves (before they relocated to Atlanta in 1966), he is more well-known for his career as an MLB scout. Following his retirement as a major leaguer, Murff coached in the minors (including taking on a managerial role for the Jacksonville Braves) for a handful of years before becoming a scout. While Murff was a scout for the New York Mets, he discovered one of the greatest MLB pitchers of all time.

In the early 1960s, Murff attended a high school baseball game in Texas, looking for potential star athletes, and he found one in Nolan Ryan, a sophomore at the time. The scout immediately reported Ryan's talent back to the Mets, and the team later drafted the pitcher in 1965. Ryan, now a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, played for an impressive 27 years. Over his career, Ryan set many records, including the most strikeouts thrown (5,714) and most no-hitters thrown (seven). Aside from discovering Ryan and Rickey Hill (as seen in The Hill), Murff is also known for scouting catcher Jerry Grote.

The Hill, starring Scott Glenn as Red Murff, is available to stream on Netflix.

Source: Baseball Reference