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2011 SESSION
11104511DWHEREAS, John Preston Hill, a native son from Buena in Culpeper County, enjoyed a remarkable baseball career that included induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, born on October 12, probably in 1882, in the historic African-American community of Buena in Culpeper County, John “Pete” Hill moved with his family at a young age to Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, as a young man, Pete Hill developed a great love for the game of baseball and with a natural ability honed over the years through practice, began to play professionally in the Negro League in the late 1890s for the Pittsburgh Keystones; and
WHEREAS, over the course of his illustrious career, Pete Hill played for several teams, including the Philadelphia Giants, the Chicago American Giants, and the Detroit Stars as he gained a reputation as a star outfielder; and
WHEREAS, regarded as one of baseball’s greatest hitters by numerous baseball historians, Pete Hill, while playing for the Detroit Stars, hit 28 home runs in fewer games the same year that Babe Ruth hit 29 home runs; and
WHEREAS, Pete Hill ended his extraordinary career with a lifetime batting average of .326 and went on to manage several teams before his retirement; and
WHEREAS, in 2006 Pete Hill was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, as Joseph Preston Hill of Pittsburgh, which almost immediately sparked questions from baseball historians and his descendants; and
WHEREAS, one of Pete Hill’s descendants, Ron Hill, contacted Zann Nelson, the former director of the Museum of Culpeper History and a historian and columnist for Culpeper’s Star Exponent for assistance in researching Pete Hill’s connection to Virginia; and
WHEREAS, in 2009, after almost 400 hours of research, Zann Nelson wrote a three-part feature story that confirmed that Pete Hill was born in Buena; she also submitted her findings and documentation to officials at the National Baseball Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, after independently confirming Zann Nelson’s research, the National Baseball Hall of Fame updated Pete Hill’s plaque to reflect his true birthplace and name; and
WHEREAS, in honor of Virginia’s native son, the Department of Historic Resources will unveil a highway marker in 2011 at Pete Hill’s hometown of Buena that recognizes his extraordinary life and accomplishments; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly celebrate the life and accomplishments of native son, John Preston Hill, one of baseball’s greatest players; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of John Preston Hill as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory and appreciation of his remarkable baseball career.