Rich Hill
He became baseball's beloved itinerant ace, a crafty left-hander whose devastating curveball earned him cult status across 14 teams.
Born 1980 (age 46)·American baseball player·Birthday: March 11·Generation X
Biography
Rich Hill's career is a testament to stubbornness and adaptation. For years, he was a journeyman lefty with a good curveball but inconsistent command, bouncing between teams and the minors. Then, in his mid-30s, he engineered one of the most remarkable second acts in modern baseball. He reinvented himself not with velocity, but with guile, mastering a big, looping curveball and pinpoint control. This transformation turned him into a reliable and often brilliant starting pitcher, a late-blooming ace who was in demand by contenders every season. His path was uniquely nomadic; he tied the record for playing with 14 different MLB teams, earning the affectionate nickname 'Dick Mountain' for his gritty demeanor. From playoff starts for the Dodgers to throwing a no-hitter into the 10th inning for the Pirates at age 41, Hill's longevity and resilience made him a fan favorite everywhere he went, a reminder that baseball genius can arrive on its own schedule.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Rich was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rich Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Rich's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Tied the MLB record by playing for 14 different major league franchises over his career.
- Pitched 9 no-hit innings for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023 before allowing a hit in the 10th.
- Finished 8th in Cy Young Award voting in 2017 after posting a 2.12 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- Was the oldest active player in Major League Baseball for the final seasons of his career.
Did You Know?
His nickname, 'Dick Mountain,' is a play on his name, Richard, and his tenacious pitching style.
He famously threw a bullpen session off a makeshift mound in a public park during free agency to stay sharp.
He and pitcher Edwin Jackson are tied for the record of most MLB teams played for.
He struck out the first batter he faced in the majors, Craig Counsell, in 2005.
“You have to be stubborn in this game, but you also have to be willing to adapt.”
