Shawn Hill
Encyclopedia
Shawn Richard Hill (born April 28, 1981 in Mississauga, Ontario
) is a Canadian
Major League Baseball
pitcher
in the Florida Marlins
organization. He was part of Team Canada at the 2004 Summer Olympics
, which finished in fourth place.
in Milton, Ontario
, Canada.
in the 33rd round, 1,012nd overall, of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft
, but did not sign. He was drafted the next year by the Montreal Expos
in the sixth round, 165th overall. In 82 minor league games, Hill has a 32-24 record. He has a 3.16 ERA
in five minor league seasons, not including 2010. In 14 minor league at-bats, Hill has 4 hits, 1 double, 2 home runs, 7 RBI, and 4 runs. Hill participated in the 2003 All-Star Futures Game
, playing for the World team.
. Hill went 2⅔ innings, giving up 7 hits, 4 walks, and 8 earned runs in a 17-7 loss. On July 4, 2004, Hill was the winning pitcher in what was the final game between two Canadian Major League Baseball
teams, as the Expos defeated the Toronto Blue Jays
, 6-4. Ironically, the game was played at Hiram Bithorn Stadium
in San Juan
, Puerto Rico
, where 21 of Montreal's home games were played in 2004. His final start of 2004 came on July 9, in which he pitched only 1⅓ innings, giving up 7 hits and 7 earned runs in an 11-0 loss against the Pittsburgh Pirates
. Overall, Hill finished the season with a 1-2 record and an ERA of 16.00.
Hill missed all of 2005 with Tommy John surgery
, and was on Canada's provisional roster for the 2006 World Baseball Classic
, but he did not play. Hill returned to make a start for the Washington Nationals on May 27, 2006, against the Los Angeles Dodgers
. He pitched seven innings, allowing one earned run and five hits, striking out three batters and walking two. Hill made his last start of 2006 on June 28, following an injury which cut short his season.
In 2007, Hill started the season as the #2 pitcher for the Nationals, but emerged as the team's ace early on. In his first seven starts, he lasted six innings or more six times, and allowed two earned runs or less six times. On May 11, he threw five no-hit innings, then took himself out because of elbow soreness, ending up on the 15-day disabled list. He returned on August 14 in a start against the Phillies. He pitched 6 innings of one-hit ball, while striking out 7 and walking only one.
Hill's 2008 season was cut short due to injury. He was placed on the disabled list twice for arm problems before his season was ended on June 25, 2008. Hill underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs on his right elbow in September 2008.
During the 2008 offseason, he went to an arbitration
hearing with the Nationals; he won the case. Washington paid him $775,000 in 2009, instead of the $500,000 they had offered.
On March 18, 2009, Shawn Hill was released by the Washington Nationals
.
on March 23, 2009. On June 24, 2009, Hill had his second Tommy John surgery.
On October 8, 2009, Shawn Hill was released by the San Diego Padres
.
, with an invitation to spring training. Hill spent most of his 2010 season in the minor leagues with the Jays' organization, and pitched very well at all stops, the last of which was the Las Vegas 51s
, the Jays' Triple A team. Hill posted a 1.61 ERA in 11 minor league starts in 2010.
On Monday, 6 September 2010, Hill was called up to the Toronto Blue Jays
. He started on Thursday, September 9 against the Texas Rangers
, in his first major league action in more than 26 months. Hill lasted 5 innings, allowed 3 earned runs, and was tagged with the loss, as the Jays lost 4-2. Hill would go on to finish the season compiling a 1-2 record in 4 starts with a 2.61 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 20 innings pitched. On November 15, 2010, Hill was released by the Blue Jays.
with an invitation to Spring Training.
. He and his wife reside in Viera, Florida
in the off-season.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
organization. He was part of Team Canada at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, which finished in fourth place.
Amateur career
Hill played high-school baseball at Bishop Reding Catholic Secondary SchoolBishop Reding Catholic Secondary School
Bishop Paul Francis Reding Secondary School is a coeducational Catholic high school in Milton, Ontario, Canada. The school offers grades nine through twelve and is part of the Halton Catholic District School Board.-Athletics:*Badminton*Baseball*Basketball...
in Milton, Ontario
Milton, Ontario
Milton is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Milton received a tremendous amount of awareness following the release of the results of the 2006 Census, which indicated that Milton is the fastest growing municipality in the Greater Golden...
, Canada.
Minor league career
Hill was drafted by the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
in the 33rd round, 1,012nd overall, of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft
1999 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1999...
, but did not sign. He was drafted the next year by the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
in the sixth round, 165th overall. In 82 minor league games, Hill has a 32-24 record. He has a 3.16 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in five minor league seasons, not including 2010. In 14 minor league at-bats, Hill has 4 hits, 1 double, 2 home runs, 7 RBI, and 4 runs. Hill participated in the 2003 All-Star Futures Game
All-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game between a team of top minor league prospects from the United States and a team of prospects from other parts of the World...
, playing for the World team.
Montreal Expos / Washington Nationals
Hill made his major-league debut on June 29, 2004 against the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. Hill went 2⅔ innings, giving up 7 hits, 4 walks, and 8 earned runs in a 17-7 loss. On July 4, 2004, Hill was the winning pitcher in what was the final game between two Canadian Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
teams, as the Expos defeated the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, 6-4. Ironically, the game was played at Hiram Bithorn Stadium
Hiram Bithorn Stadium
Hiram Bithorn Stadium is a baseball park in San Juan, Puerto Rico, operated by the municipal government of the city of San Juan. Its name honors the first Puerto Rican to play in the major leagues, Hiram Bithorn, who first played with the Chicago Cubs in 1942...
in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, where 21 of Montreal's home games were played in 2004. His final start of 2004 came on July 9, in which he pitched only 1⅓ innings, giving up 7 hits and 7 earned runs in an 11-0 loss against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. Overall, Hill finished the season with a 1-2 record and an ERA of 16.00.
Hill missed all of 2005 with Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
, and was on Canada's provisional roster for the 2006 World Baseball Classic
2006 World Baseball Classic
---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:...
, but he did not play. Hill returned to make a start for the Washington Nationals on May 27, 2006, against the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. He pitched seven innings, allowing one earned run and five hits, striking out three batters and walking two. Hill made his last start of 2006 on June 28, following an injury which cut short his season.
In 2007, Hill started the season as the #2 pitcher for the Nationals, but emerged as the team's ace early on. In his first seven starts, he lasted six innings or more six times, and allowed two earned runs or less six times. On May 11, he threw five no-hit innings, then took himself out because of elbow soreness, ending up on the 15-day disabled list. He returned on August 14 in a start against the Phillies. He pitched 6 innings of one-hit ball, while striking out 7 and walking only one.
Hill's 2008 season was cut short due to injury. He was placed on the disabled list twice for arm problems before his season was ended on June 25, 2008. Hill underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs on his right elbow in September 2008.
During the 2008 offseason, he went to an arbitration
Arbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
hearing with the Nationals; he won the case. Washington paid him $775,000 in 2009, instead of the $500,000 they had offered.
On March 18, 2009, Shawn Hill was released by the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
.
San Diego Padres
He signed a minor league contract with the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
on March 23, 2009. On June 24, 2009, Hill had his second Tommy John surgery.
On October 8, 2009, Shawn Hill was released by the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
.
Toronto Blue Jays
On January 22, 2010, Hill signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, with an invitation to spring training. Hill spent most of his 2010 season in the minor leagues with the Jays' organization, and pitched very well at all stops, the last of which was the Las Vegas 51s
Las Vegas 51s
The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...
, the Jays' Triple A team. Hill posted a 1.61 ERA in 11 minor league starts in 2010.
On Monday, 6 September 2010, Hill was called up to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. He started on Thursday, September 9 against the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, in his first major league action in more than 26 months. Hill lasted 5 innings, allowed 3 earned runs, and was tagged with the loss, as the Jays lost 4-2. Hill would go on to finish the season compiling a 1-2 record in 4 starts with a 2.61 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 20 innings pitched. On November 15, 2010, Hill was released by the Blue Jays.
Florida Marlins
On January 29, 2011, Hill signed a minor league contract with the Florida MarlinsFlorida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
with an invitation to Spring Training.
Personal life
He is married to the former Ashley Jenne of Melbourne, FloridaMelbourne, Florida
Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...
. He and his wife reside in Viera, Florida
Viera, Florida
Viera is a master planned community located in the central coastal region of Brevard County, Florida. It is part of an unincorporated section adjacent to the Melbourne, Florida area.-Geography:...
in the off-season.