PRESS RELEASE – The Springfield Sliders announced this weekend that Bill Hill has been named the new General Manager of the Sliders. Owner Shane Martin made the official announcement this weekend at the Prospect League’s directors meeting which was held in Indianapolis, IN.
Hill served as the team’s Director of Community Relations this past season and was promoted to General Manager after the team’s former General Manager, Dennis Martin, retired after the season.
“There was no hesitation on our part to name Mr. Hill as the new General Manager of the Sliders. Bill did a tremendous job for us this past season. He really helped us establish some great relationships with the business community and he really focused on getting the Sliders involved in the community on a much larger scale than we had done before. The blood drive we did this year, working with Operation Kids Safe and all of that, those were a result of Bill’s efforts. We were very fortunate to find Bill this last spring and bring him on board and we are even more fortunate to have him step into his new role as General Manager,” said Shane Martin.
“I am very excited to have this opportunity and honored that Mr. Martin has put his trust in me to lead the Sliders,” said Bill Hill. “It has been my privilege to work as the Director of Community Relations this past season under Denny Martin, who allowed me to work closer with the Springfield Community and surrounding area.”
“I want to continue to work with the community to bring more community events to the stadium, assist with youth and community programs, and educational programs as well as bring a winning team to Springfield,” Hill said.
Hill is a native of Springfield and stated he remembers as a child and teenager how exciting it was to come to Robin Roberts Stadium to see a ball game as well as to get a chance to play on the field. “It is still exciting for me to walk on the field or watch the Sliders play from the stands. I want everyone to have a chance to feel that excitement, by making sure the Sliders are a part of Springfield for a long time,” Hill said.
The vacancy in the general manager’s position was created with the retirement of Dennis Martin who served as the team’s Vice President of Operations in 2012 before taking over the GM’s position at the end of the 2012 season.
“It was sort of the plan all along. When we purchased the team shortly before the beginning of the season in 2012 my dad agreed to come to Springfield and help us get ourselves established and organized. He was already semi-retired and we pulled him out of that and out of Minneapolis (his home) to come to Springfield. He agreed to stay on for as long as we felt we needed him and I’m eternally thankful to him for his efforts here. He really went above and beyond the call of duty for me,” said Shane Martin.
The Sliders have not made any announcements or decisions regarding future front office additions.
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