Herman Hill

[William Malone]

Herman Alexander Hill was born on October 12, 1945 in Tuskegee, Alabama.

The Minnesota Twins signed him as an amateur free agent in 1966. He reached the Major Leagues on September 2, 1969. Hill played 43 games for the Twins between the 1969 and 1970 seasons. He was mostly deployed as a pinch runner of defensive replacement, accumulating 25 plate appearances in those games. They traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals on October 20, 1970.

Hill tragically died on December 14, 1970 while playing winter ball in Venezuela. While enjoying an off-day at the beach with teammates, he was swept out to sea by a large wave and drowned. His body was found by Venezuelan marines three days later.

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[David HK]

Such a tragic loss. I remember as a kid, hearing Herb raving about his speed, and Halsey chiming in about what fun it would be to watch him hit a triple.