Michael L. Hill is the president of baseball operations for the Miami Marlins baseball club. Hill served as the General Manager from 2007 to 2013. Born to a Cuban mother, Hill is the only Cuban-American president of baseball operations in Major League Baseball.
Early life and career
He went to Harvard University and was drafted in 1993 by the Texas Rangers in the 31st round. He made his Minor League debut in 1993 with Class A Short-Season Erie and remained with the club when it relocated to Hudson Valley in 1994. He played two seasons in the Rangers system and one year in the Reds organization before joining the Tampa Bay Devil Rays front office in 1995.
Major League Baseball
Hill has 14 seasons experience in various front office capacities following his retirement from minor league baseball. He commenced his front office career spending five seasons as an assistant in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' scouting and player development departments. In 1999, Baseball America named Hill as one of 10 people in baseball whose prominence will increase significantly in the first decade of the new century. It quoted strong sources who said he would turn into a successful general manager before the 2010 season. That year, he began working for the Colorado Rockies, serving as their Director of Player Development until leaving to join the Florida Marlins' front office. Hill has been a part of the Marlins organization for over a decade, having joined their front office in 2002. At the age of 32, Hill was named to the "Hot List" by the Black Enterprise magazine in their December 2003 issue, a list that represents the best and brightest African American executives under the age of 40. Over time, Hill has served positions such as VP, Assistant General Manager, and General Manager. Hill worked closely in the past with former President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest, focusing on roster management, payroll and contract research and negotiation, and waiver and rule compliance. Hill signed an extension through the 2015 season on September 29, 2007, and was promoted to president of baseball operations of the Miami Marlins in September 2013.
Personal
Hill was born to an African-American father and a Cuban mother. He is the only Cuban-American President of Baseball Operations in Major League Baseball. A 1993 graduate of Harvard University, Hill was elected senior class marshal while starring as the Crimson football team's top rusher and the baseball team's captain. Hill was born and raised in Cincinnati, where he played football, baseball and basketball at the city's Country Day School. Hill, has three sons, Donovan, Xavier and Baron. In January, 2008, Hill completed his first marathon, finishing the Miami Marathon.
