Aahana Swrup
Within the biographical narrative of ‘The Hill,’ the audience goes on a journey through Rickey Hill’s life story as his hard work and talent take him to inspiring success even when the odds remain stacked against him. As a young boy with a degenerative spine disease born into a poor family, Rickey faces many challenges in his childhood due to his medical limitations. As such, once he starts dreaming of becoming a baseball player, everyone questions his chances. Even his own father, Paster James Hill, believes it would be better for his son to give up on his athletic ambitions and pursue a pastoral career.
Nevertheless, Rickey refuses to back down, seeking recognition for his talent and skills, attempting to get scouted by the right baseball agent at the right time. The sports film follows Rickey’s storyline from the boy’s childhood to the day he makes his aspirations come true. Therefore, viewers must be curious to know what became of Rickey’s life after the film events, particularly regarding his family life and whether or not the man passed his legacy down to any kids.
Rickey Hill Has Multiple Kids and Grandkids
The film ends with the moment in Rickey Hill’s baseball career when popular baseball player-turned-scout Red Murff discovers the man after witnessing Rickey’s impressive skills as a hitter. Although the incident unfolded a little differently in reality, with the real-life Hill taking an even bolder approach than Colin Ford’s Rickey, the baseball player found his rise to fame in much the same way.
Furthermore, as asserted in the film, Hill went on to get married on August 5, 1975, at the age of 18, in a ceremony officiated by his father on a home plate at Expo’s Stadium. The player’s wife, Sherran, is depicted in the film under the fictionalized name Gracie Shanz. Although Sherran and Hill stayed together for almost a decade, the couple ended up getting a divorce in 1986. Nevertheless, according to sources, the couple gave birth to two children in the course of their marriage.
However, in a 2023 interview with Senior Planet, Hill confirmed having had three daughters with Sherran. “[But] It was very hard for her [Sherran] being married to a baseball player,” said Hill in conversation with Gill Pringle. “We had three wonderful daughters, but we’re no longer together. I can’t say I blame her. It was tough for her.”
Furthermore, the former baseball player also discussed his next-generation successors and said, “[No, but] My grandkids are all baseball nuts. They’re little mini-me’s. And they’re very good, very talented.” As such, it would appear that even though Rickey Hill might have taken an exit from the world of professional baseball after his medical condition compelled him to, the sport continues to be a part of the man’s life, offering a bonding activity for him and his kids’ children.
Nonetheless, apart from these tidbits of information, Hill or anyone else hasn’t made any specifics about his family public knowledge. The man and his former wife seem to prefer to keep their private lives out of the limelight, with the former offering only relevant information about his personal life when the opportunity presents itself. In fact, unlike Hill, Sherran has been entirely out of the media outside of her past relationship with the baseball player. For the same reason, little to no information is available about Hill’s daughters, from their current whereabouts, careers, or marriages to even their names. Still, we can conclude that Rickey Hill has three daughters and multiple grandkids.
Read More: The Hill: Is James Hill Inspired by an Actual Pastor? How Did He Die
