His story is a Netflix hit: Fort Worth’s Rickey Hill on The Hill’s inspiring message

His true story of overcoming debilitating injuries and personal roadblocks to reach professional baseball is nothing short of a miracle.

Still, Rickey Hill says he’s shocked that “The Hill” movie has become a hit on Netflix.

“I don’t know a whole lot about Netflix,” Hill, who is 67 years old, tells the Star-Telegram. “But what I do know is I was told that if you have a [top] movie over three days, it’s a miracle.”

Hill, who was born in Fort Worth and went to Haltom High School, said he is ecstatic that a movie celebrating faith and the power of the human spirit could climb the Netflix charts.

Doctors initially doubted whether Hill would be able to walk normally due to degenerative spinal disease. “The Hill” is a movie about his journey to play professional baseball.

The movie took more than a year to make and went through multiple casts, but Hill knew they had something special with the signing of actors Dennis Quaid and Jesse Berry.

“Well, this is when we knew, you know, we knew that it wasn’t our timing, it was God’s timing,” said Hill. “Look what he came up with this cast. It was beautiful, perfect cast.”

Hill’s faith and that of his family, especially his pastor father played by Quaid, is a constant theme throughout the movie. Hill believes that played a major role in the movie’s success.

“People today want Christian movies, real life, good Christian content and I think that speaks to something, too — the type that the movie just wasn’t Christian, but then it was also good. It was well made,” he said.

Released by Briarcliff Entertainment to U.S. theaters on Aug. 25, the film grossed $7.7 million on a $44 million budget, according to bestmoviecast.com. The movie got a second life when it premiered on Netflix in January.

Another reason for the movie’s success was its feel-good nature and underdog story, especially during the film’s climax when Hill attends a professional tryout in front of legendary scout Red Murff.

While the depiction of the tryout stayed largely true to the real-life events — Hill batted a perfect 11-for-11 in the tryout — there was one real-life moment that Hill wishes would’ve been in the film.

“I wasn’t allowed on the field, that main field. I had to climb the wall, a 10-foot wall,” said Hill. “I climbed the wall even with a bad leg. I landed on the good leg, you know, but I went all the way out straight to the pitcher’s mound and [Murff] asked me, he said, ‘Do you know where you’re standing?... He said you’re standing on the hill.”

Despite Murff’s gruff depiction in the movie, the scout softened on him by the end of the tryout, Hill said. He said the two developed a lifelong friendship until Murff’s death in 2008.

Another departure from real life comes in one of the film’s final scenes when Hill’s father goes to see his son play baseball for the first time. In real life, Hill’s father never saw him play.

“Everyone complained about my dad never seeing me play all the time, but he had a job to do,” said Hill. “My dad would knock doors, he would knock doors every night to win somebody to the Lord that he doesn’t even know.”

He recalled that he would call his dad to see how he was doing.

“Then he tells me, ‘How did you do tonight?’ I said not as good as you, I hit two out tonight dad, and he was just so thrilled we had this great relationship,” Hill said.

Hill spent four years (1975-78) in the minor leagues and roomed for a time with future Hall of Famer Andre Dawson. He said the experiences were some of the best in his life.

Hill’s career ended when he sustained spinal injury in the 1978 season.

Hill said he was proud of everything he accomplished.

He said Fort Worth helped forge him.

“Fort Worth is my home, my baby,” said Hill.

Hill still lives in Fort Worth and works as an employee benefits specialist. He said he is starting a foundation called The Hill,” to help impoverished children play sports.