2002 Male Player: Scott Hill
/Scott Hill
When Scott Hill started playing softball in the early-80s, Hall of Fame honors were the furthest thing from his mind. Back then, it was all about the tasks at hand – winning softball games and tournament championships.
The All-Conference high school football, basketball and baseball player brought his well-honed athletic skills and discipline to the game of softball.
“If there are tangible goals to be reached, I’m driven by that,” Hill said. “I never dreamed of it being a Hall of Fame thing.”
A .600 lifetime hitter who could drive the ball to all fields as well as pop home runs, Hill primarily played left field, as well as some pitcher and catcher. Over a 17-year USSSA career with the Boyz, Bank of Westmont, Illusions and Tron Piping, Hill won five State Championships and two World titles, as well as a national title in another association. Along the way, he was named MVP of four events, including two State Tournaments, and was All-Tournament ten times.
“I’m a guy who leads by my actions,” Hill said. “I’m always thinking about what it takes to win the game.”
“He was the best athlete who ever played for me,” Hill’s old coach John Sturgill said. “And I’ve been around for 33 years.”
Sturgill calls Hill a force on both offense and defense. He recalls one State Championship game in which Hill made three outstanding outfield catches to single-handedly save the game.
“He was the best athlete who ever played for me, and I’ve been around for 33 years.”
“If the game was on the line and you needed an RBI with two outs in the bottom of the month, Scott was the guy I wanted at the plate,” Sturgill said.
In a career filled with trophies and accomplishments as his biggest thrills, and they’re both team accomplishments – winning two Master’s 35 & Over World Championships back-to-back, and the five State Championships he’s been a part of.
Like so many softball players, Hill also enjoyed the time spent with teammates and their families at countless league and tournament games.
In 1994, Hill faced a decision. Following the birth of his daughter, Ciara, who was born with special needs, he chose to cut back on traveling softball.
“My daughter’s health was more important,” Hill said. “[Cutting back] was best for my family.”
That did not stop him from continuing to play at a high level for more than five years, though. In the late-90s, Hill was a fixture on the USSSA Master’s scene, as well as an integral part of several top finishing B and C State Champions before retiring in 1999.
“It probably won’t set in until March 2nd,” Hill said of his Hall of Fame selection. “I look at the people who are in there [and] there’s times I don’t feel I’m at that level. I’m probably my own worst critic, so it’s good to know there are people who think I am talented.”
The Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame has no such doubts about Scott Hill’s qualifications as it welcomes him into its ranks.