HARREL HILL: Regarded as one of the most talented athletes to come out of New Hope, he hopes his real legacy is being a dad
Prior to telling the details of the history of Harrel Hill, let’s go ahead and answer the question most will want to know as Hill played baseball for both Alabama and Auburn. Which school does he cheer for today? “Auburn. No hesitation,” said Hill.
Now that’s out of the way, the history of Hill, now 51, goes back many years on his large 110-acre estate of family land located in Madison County in the town of New Hope backed up against the Paint Rock River. His older brother of six years, Craig, who is a Madison County Commissioner for District 3, lives next door on the Hill land where Hill and his wife, Ashley, of 19 years, live with their three daughters, Ella Kate, 15-, and 12-year-old twins Harper and Hattie. Hill’s father passed away in 2000 after being diagnosed eight years earlier with ALS. Hill’s mother, now 80, lives across the street from her two sons, each of whom live on 20-acre plots within the estate.
“I know I have a rather unusual past in athletics, but I hope my real legacy is being a dad,” said Hill, who currently works for the Madison County Water Department. In his 25th year of public work, Hill has become the Water Quality and Distribution Manager. He also owns his own residential building inspector business.
When not working, Hill is busy being a coach for his daughters’ travel softball teams of the Sparks Elite with Ella Kate and the Powerhouse for Harper and Hattie. He also assists the Whitesburg Christian School’s softball team where all of three of his children will attend next year. Hill also loves to hunt and play golf, when the opportunity arises away from his duties as a youth softball coach.
As an athlete, Hill has the distinction of having three rings indicating his success on the baseball diamond. He was a two-sport athlete in basketball and baseball at New Hope High graduating in 1994. His 1993 baseball team at New Hope won the AHSAA State Championship where he was named the team’s Most Valuable Player amongst seven juniors on the team. During the off-season, his brother was named head coach of the basketball team at Madison County High located in the nearby town of Gurley. In his senior season at New Hope, Hill was named the Most Valuable Player in Madison County basketball while Craig took his team to the AHSAA State Tournament.
During his senior campaign on the baseball team playing some catcher, but mostly at shortstop, Hill was dealt a severe blow to his possible future in athletics when he suffered a broken right leg on a play at second base. “It was April 1 in the Madison County Tournament against of all teams, Madison County,” said Hill. “One of their players was trying to take me out on a double-play situation and I broke my leg. I missed the remainder of my senior season.”
Hill left high school with that 1993 Championship Ring and headed to college at Calhoun College in Decatur where he played for the legendary head coach Fred Frickie, who coached at the community college from its inception in 1967 until his retirement in 1995. Hill said, “It took me some time to recover from my injury as I played there for two seasons and then transferred to Alabama, which was a thrill since I grew up an Alabama fan and the fact there were a few other players from this immediate area on the 1996 squad.”
Hill added about his stay at the Capstone, “I was basically told by the coaches I put them in a tough situation as they knew I could play, but I was not in their plans for that spring season. They offered to help me go somewhere else, but I said I wanted to stay with the Crimson Tide.”
While he saw little playing time that season, the Crimson Tide won the SEC Championship and advanced to the College World Series gaining a World Series ring in the process. When the season was complete he requested his release so he could transfer to Auburn, which had a standout program of its own. So determined to make his final year of eligibility a successful one even his mother took matters in her own hands as she called the Southeastern Conference office and spoke with the SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer asking for the release of Hill from Alabama.
“I knew I could play and the next logical place to play was at Auburn,” added Hill, who played in 24 games with a batting average of .263 with 10 hits 8 RBIs and 6 runs scored. The Tigers made its way to the 1997 College World Series giving Hill another ring to his collection.
“It is interesting to know how many players have baseball rings from both Alabama and Auburn as I believe I’m one of maybe three,” said Hill, who played as a 6-foot-1, 180-pound infielder. “I am humbled by the success in both programs and very fortunate to have those rings. I believe I was at the right place at the right time.”
Hill remained at Auburn to complete his studies in pre-med dentistry and graduated in 1998. He carried a 3.0 grade point average and applied for dental school twice, but was not accepted. “Things just didn’t work out,” said Hill, as he returned home in 1998 and worked at Space City Dental Lab for three years before accepting a job with Madison County in 2001.
Ashley teaches sixth grade math at Whitesburg Christian and both she and Hill make their way to softball practices and games for their three young athletic children.
For Hill, he proudly displays his three rings when asked to do so and speaks of his years as an athlete being regarded as one of the most talented to come out of New Hope. The hard-working family man is also quick to say, “War Eagle.”
