Gallagher: Movie about Expos minor leaguer popular on Netflix

An inspirational new movie about former Montreal Expos minor leaguer Rickey Hill is now streaming on Netflix.

January 31, 2024

By Danny Gallagher

Canadian Baseball Network

He was a member of the rookie-league Lethbridge Expos with Andre Dawson in 1975.

He overcame physical disabilities in Texas to convince Expos scout Red Murff that he should be allowed to continue tryouts in an attempt to obtain a minor-league contract.

Rickey Hill made Murff a believer in his talent. Murff had signed Balor Moore of Texas for the Expos years earlier. Hill spent four seasons in the Expos' organization before packing it in following the 1978 season due to spine problems.

"I just remember him as an outfielder who had power. Stocky build and solid defensively,'' Dawson told me in an interview.

Hill's uplifting story is featured in an excellent period-piece movie called The Hill. It was shown in theatres across North America for the last four-and-a-half months of 2023 and early January and has been streaming on Netflix since Jan. 22. At last word, it was No. 3 in popularity.

Hill, played by Jesse Berry as a kid and Colin Ford as a blooming prospect, even makes a cameo appearance in the movie as a scout. His father was a preacher, a very hard-nosed, hard-ass disciplinarian. He's played by Dennis Quaid.

Hill wore braces as a kid and was taunted by other players in a pick-up game. Later in life in the film, Hill was decked in the ribs by a pitch. Murff, who was standing behind the pitcher's mound to control the workout, came in to tersely tell Hill to take first base but Hill replied, "No, this is not a game, this is a tryout. I'm staying here to hit.''

Not long after that, he hit a home run for Hollywood, ending the movie, leaving Murff shaking his head in amazement. 

Murff, played by Scott Glenn, did his best to discourage Hill but the latter persevered. After Glenn left the makeup room before he headed to set, his face was made up terrifically to resemble a grizzled baseball glove.

After he was signed, Hill reported to Lethbridge with Dawson and other prospects. Hill also played for the Expos in the Texas towns of Rio Grande Valley and Texas City and Grays Harbor in the state of Washington.

Hill averaged .298 over four seasons in the Expos' chain. His best season was in 1978 when he hit 15 homers and drove in 51 runs while batting .286. With Lethbridge under manager Van Kelly, he had a homer and 11 RBI and batted .217 in his first pro season but he improved as his career continued.

At the end of the film, Hill is shown in a Lethbridge team photo with players wearing Expos uniforms and there is a picture showing he was married at home plate at a Lethbridge home game at Henderson Stadium. I asked Dawson if he remembered the wedding.

"Now that you mentioned it, I do recall that,'' Dawson said.

The most recognizable face in the movie might be former major leaguer John Smoltz, who plays a baseball commentator. 

The movie was shot in and around Augusta, Georgia. Screen time is 2:18.

Kudos to Angelo Pizzo and the late Scott Marshall Smith for writing such a potent screenplay and the same goes to Briarcliff Entertainment, Rescue Dog Films and Vitamin A Films for their production work.

What this movie does is keep the Expos' legacy alive. I must admit the movie was a real tearjerker. Some of the scenes are a bit off reality and somewhat fictional but the movie sure was enlightening.

Danny Gallagher's new Expos book Explosion is due out any day now on Amazon.