The One-Hit Wonder That Was a Bomb

The Cardinal Chronicle
This Day in Cardinals History
The One-Hit Wonder That Was a Bomb
St. Louis, MO — By Ray Mileur

Baseball history is often told through the legends — the Musials, Gibsons, Brock and Pujols. But the story of the game is also written by the many players who reached the Major Leagues, even if only briefly.

And make no mistake about it: reaching the Major Leagues is an accomplishment that only a small fraction of professional players ever achieve.

Steven Hill, born on this date, earned that opportunity with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2010.

Hill made his Major League debut on August 15, 2010, at Busch Stadium against the Chicago Cubs. Entering the game in the sixth inning as a replacement catcher for Yadier Molina, Hill waited patiently for his moment at the plate.

It came in the ninth inning.

Facing Cubs reliever Marcos Mateo, Hill connected for his only hit that season, the first hit of his Major League career — and it left the ballpark for a home run.

For any player, a first Major League hit is unforgettable. For Hill, that memory came with the added joy of circling the bases at Busch Stadium.

Hill would appear in a limited number of games with the Cardinals over parts of three seasons, collecting only a handful of hits during his time in the majors. Yet like every player who reaches that level, he accomplished something that can never be taken away.

He became a Major Leaguer.

And on that August evening in St. Louis, he added a moment that will forever remain part of Cardinals history:

His first hit.

A home run.

Against the Cubs.

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