Name: Michael Hill

Age: 34

Company: The Florida Marlins

Company Headquarters: Miami, Fla.

Tidbit: Michael Hill is vice president and assistant general manager of the Florida Marlins, baseball's 2-time world champions. Once a professional baseball player himself, Hill moved from the outfield to front office in 1995. His baseball career, spanning about 13 years on and off the diamond, began after he graduated from Harvard, where he played football and baseball. Now rising through the ranks of pro-sports management, Hill's focus is set on making career homeruns. About the next Marlins' championship? "Stay tuned," he promises.

Why You Should Care:

Hill is on the path to becoming general manager of a major league club. Meanwhile, he’s fused his love of baseball, education and professional sports to create a comprehensive approach to sports management – one that considers the players’ needs as well as the demands of the business of baseball. His work includes finding and developing the best mix of talent to build a winning team, managing millions in budget and payroll and ensuring club compliance with the league’s regulations. “There is no typical day”, says Hill. “You’re a jack of all trades in major league operation.”

A 1993 draft pick, Hill spent two seasons as an outfielder and 1st baseman for the Texas Rangers and one year as an outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds. In 1995, he retired from pro-baseball and took his first administrative position as the Scouting and Player Development assistant for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. After two years of evaluating all levels of baseball talent and learning the basics of operations management, the Devil Rays promoted Hill to assistant scouting director. Then, he moved even farther up the management ladder in 1999 when he joined the Colorado Rockies as director of player development. There, he oversaw all aspects of the club’s minor leagues and guided players through their transition into the majors.

Hill became assistant general manager of the Florida Marlins in 2002, and was promoted to vice president and assistant general manager of the team this March. He sees his promotion as a vote of confidence in his ability to act in the general manager’s stead, if necessary. "[When I started in operations] I was eager to learn and be exposed to as much as possible. My work is a blending of everything I've experienced. I love what I do and I am blessed to be able to grow."

About the Author
Ayeko Vinton is a teacher, Web developer and freelance writer living in Boston.