The Hardest Hitter

Stories come and stories go, but the “true to life” story of Ricky Hill will grip your heart and take you through the entire emotional gamut---an experience you won’t soon forget.

As a young lad, Ricky had a dream of someday being The Hardest Hitter in major league baseball. However, it was not going to be an easy journey, as he had a huge mountain to climb. In fact, he was facing insurmountable odds. Early on in his life, he had a serious congenital foot problem that had to be corrected. It took two years to solve that problem. At age four, Ricky started hitting rocks with a stick. His preacher daddy was too poor to buy him a baseball bat and a ball. Day after day, Ricky would hit rocks outside his home, outside the church, in an open field---he would hit rocks anywhere he could. At age seven, his brother Robert invited him to play baseball with the older, bigger, stronger, and more experienced boys age twelve. Though five years younger, he was hitting the ball better than the older boys. They couldn’t believe their eyes. At age nine, Ricky began playing in a Twilight League. He was in the starting line up as a pitcher or third baseman. He held all the batting records: most hits, highest batting average, most runs scored, and most homeruns. Ricky became the “homerun king” at ages eleven and twelve. In one game, as a twelve year-old, Ricky struck out 21 out of 21 batters---pitching a “perfect game”! Wow! Not bad for a twelve year old.

By now, the rhythm, the timing, and the bat speed of Ricky’s swing looked like poetry in motion. He was simply swinging the bat instinctively. In school, Ricky would daydream and fantasize about hitting “tape measure” homeruns.

By age sixteen. Ricky was diagnosed with a degenerative spine disease. At age seventeen, playing for the high school team, he tore his leg up on a sprinkler head playing in the outfield. Just before the surgery on his broken left ankle, the St. Louis Cardinals were scouting Ricky.

At age eighteen, Ricky attended a three-day baseball camp that attracted the top 700 teenage ball players from all over the country---literally, the “cream of the crop”.

There was one main field for the “top guns” and three other fields for the lesser talented players. Ricky was at the worst field because he was limping around the bases. Even at the worst field, he was ripping the cover off the ball. After two and a half days of frustration, Ricky went to the main field and tapped the #1 scout on the shoulder and said, “Sir, the hardest hitter is about to leave this camp.” The scout scoffed at Ricky’s statement and said, “Son, if your bat is in tune with your tongue, you’re one hell of a hitter.” Ricky continued, “How do I get to the main diamond, where all the top players are?” The scout said, “Come back tomorrow. I am going to give you the opportunity of a lifetime. The top eighteen players will be playing against each other as a finale to our camp. You’re going to hit clean-up and DH (designated hitter) for both teams.”

Ricky was so excited he couldn’t see straight. He called his dad and told him what was about to happen. Dad said, “Son, are you the hardest hitter?” Ricky said, “Undoubtedly.” Dad continued, “I’m not going to pray that the Lord swings the bat for you, but I will pray over the phone for God to allow you to use your full ability.”

Before the game, Ricky was pumped. He had an adrenaline rush like never before. Ricky put on a spectacular hitting display, going eleven for eleven---including two singles, five doubles, one triple, and three home runs.

Red Murff, the #1 scout, took the microphone and told the crowd of 3,000, “Ladies and gentlemen, I had a young man come to me and say he was the hardest hitter in the camp. And I’m here to tell you, he is!” The crowd gave Ricky a thunderous standing ovation. Ricky came in as a nobody and left as a somebody. Kids from everywhere surrounded Ricky, begging for his autograph.

Shortly after this game, the Montreal Expo’s signed Ricky. One day, when Ricky was hitting in the batting cage, something very special took place. Gene Mauch, was holding on to the back of the batting cage with both hands stretched out, intensely observing Ricky swinging the bat. Mr. Gene Mauch said, “That is the best swing I have ever seen.” Gene Mauch was a former manager of the Expo's Phillies and Angels.

Yes, dreams do come true. “The Hardest Hitter” is a story of an All-American Dream. Every kid in the ghetto, every kid living on the wrong side of the tracks, and every kid being raised by a single mom, will receive encouragement and renewed hope, that if Ricky can do it, I can do it! Young athletes everywhere---DARE TO DREAM! You too could be another Ricky, but you must have a relentless work ethic, if your dreams are to become a reality. How bad do you want it? How good do you want to be? The choice is yours---you can be good, or you can get better, or you can be the best. However, when you have a passion to be the best ever, that should be your ultimate goal.


http://thehardesthitter.com/index.html