Marc Hill, the MLB catcher, who played a total of 14 seasons from 1973 to 1986, has died aged 73.
Booker, aka Marc Hill, was born on February 18, 1952, in Elsberry, Missouri. He grew up playing both baseball and basketball, as he was inspired by his father, Ed Hill, who was a member of the St. Louis Browns, a minor league baseball team. His mother was also a great Standout softball pitcher.
Marc Hill Had Over 700 MLB Appearances
After playing baseball with Elsberry High School, he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 10th round of the 1970 MLB draft. For the next couple of years, he played in the Rookie, A, and Double A leagues before making it to the NFL.
He also met his wife, Cherki Hill, in 1972 while playing for the St. Petersburg Cardinals. Their connection was reportedly initiated by Cherki’s younger brother, who saw Marc wear his favorite number, 9.
The couple officially married in 1973, the same year Marc made his MLB debut. Marc played for four different MLB teams in his career: St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and Chicago White Sox.
His best spell was with the Giants, where he served for six years. He was a primary starter for them in 1977 and 1978, behind the plate.
After serving quite a term for the Cardinals, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners in Midseason, and played just under 30 games.
His final team in his MLB career was with the Chicago White Sox, where he played 312 games, primarily as a backup to Carlton Fisk.
During his long career, he didn’t get any notable achievements, but was regarded for his toughness and catching ability. He retired after playing against the Kansas City Royals on May 25, 2986, marking his MLB appearances to 737.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Marc Hill had a batting average of .223 in his career and scored a total of 34 home runs.
- He stood at 6’3″ tall and weighed around 205 pounds in his playing career and was primarily a righty.
- Late Willie McCovey gave him the nickname, Booter by combining Boot Hill and Bunker Hill.
