Search Film, Company, People...

CURVEBALL - THE RICH HILL STORY

By John Beaton HILL

SENSITIVE JOHNSON PRODUCTIONS - as PROD

Documentary - Development 2025

A documentary film about the incredibly inspiring life of MLB pitcher Rich Hill, an athlete who still believed in himself long after everyone else gave up on him.

- Year of production
- 2025
- Genres
- Documentary, Sport, True Story
- Countries
- USA
- Director(s)
- John Beaton HILL
- Writer(s)
- Chris VALENTI, John Beaton HILL
- Cast
- Rich HILL
- Producer(s)
- John Beaton HILL, Chris VALENTI, Glendon RUSCH, Rich HILL
- Synopsis
- Rich Hill has become one of the most sought after veteran starting pitchers in baseball. Rich helped the Los Angeles Dodgers reach the World Series twice as a cornerstone of their starting pitcher rotation. His accomplishments include a multi-year contract with the Dodgers, as well as contracts with the Oakland A’s, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, and Boston Red Sox - all AFTER his 36th birthday, an age well past the average retirement time for professional athletes.
  
  To say Rich’s younger years were wrought with challenges would be to disrespect the magnitude of the obstacles he faced. Though he was a promising young star, multiple injuries and surgeries to his elbow, shoulder, back, and muscles tore him away from the competition on the field. Rich was relegated to rehabilitation every year and ultimately dropped from each team that took a chance on him. But perhaps his greatest challenge came when he was 35 years old and in the middle of another comeback attempt when his infant son suddenly died.
  
  Stunned, devastated, and wrought with guilt, it would have been understandable for Rich to give up. Though sad, it would have made sense for him to walk away from the game and from his life’s purpose and the truth of the drive that pushed him through all those years of difficulty and defeat. What could possibly be more difficult than losing your child?
  
  But Rich did not give up on his truth; even though every major league team had passed on him and at this point he was out of baseball. He had no job. He had no opportunities. He did not give up on himself. He took a pause. He reflected. While his former compatriots were battling it out in the MLB, Rich went inward. And somewhere, somehow, found the strength to fight on. He started training again, first alone throwing a ball against his old high school wall. Then with a team of 17 year olds. When he had built up strength and confidence, he joined a semi-pro independent league. And with his fierce glare down the lane to his catcher, he struck out virtually every batter he faced.
  
  Rich made it back to Major League Baseball. Stronger and better than he ever was. At age 36 and beyond, while most of his contemporaries were retired and watching him on TV, HE played in two World Series. HE was named MLB pitcher of the month three times. HE pitched a 9 inning no-hitter and a 7 inning perfect game. HE never gave up on himself. And he, RICH HILL, has so much he can teach us.