The Man With The Thirty-Hour Day (Written in 1968-35 Years Ago)

There was a time, not so very long ago, that Sonny Hill had to think hard to remember which uniform to put on to go to what game at which court. The years have passed, some of the spring has gone out of the legs, but the hustle-bustle world of Sonny Hill goes on.

Sonny, a family man now, packs into his day, a full time responsibility to his work as a business agent for the Warehouse Local No. 169 of the Teamsters Union, (Sonny is the first Negro to hold this elected position.) While planned around without interfering with his job, is the presidency of the Charles Baker League, the responsibility of acting as coach and player of and for the "Jimmie Bates B Bar" team in the league, while playing and taking a semi active part in coaching the "Binghamton Flyers" of the Eastern League. All this, and he still finds time to co-operate the Saturday Sports Clinics, sponsored by Schmidt's of Philadelphia.

My first meeting with Sonny was over thirteen years ago. I was ball player with the old North Penn team in the Philadelphia League. The coach, Bob Custer, met us in the locker room and introduced us to a short, slender black kid. "This is Sonny Hill, he announced, he's going to win us a championship!" I don't honestly recall if Sonny won us a championship or not, but from that first night, he made believers of us all.

I can recall the amazement on my part and most of the other players, who never having seen Sonny, watched in awe, as he put his game together and took care of his business. After firing in a few long jumpers, (Which didn't amaze anyone, since there were lots of little guys, Hal Lear, Tee Parham, etc. throwing in 25 footers.) Sonny shook up the place. After receiving the ball on a weave, he took his man to the right of the key. He put the ball down, giving It to his defender, then with a cross over, change hand dribble, he "took it back" left his man with nothing but air and in embarrassed look, and knifed to the hoop for an easy lay up. But, to everyone's amazement, he leaped high into the air, and with the ease of a man eight inches taller than his own five feet-nine inches, dunked the ball through the net with an authoritative "THWACK" The beginning of a Philadelphia legend.

Well, it is 2003 now. Behind are the days of the Philadelphia league, the years spent at Northeast High School, Central State College, and the words of the well known song "AND THE DAYS GROW SHORT, AS WE REACH SEPTEMBER" may well apply to many of us. But not so for Sonny Hill, for as we roll on towards January 2003, Sonny Hill is still "THE MAN WITH THE THIRTY HOUR DAY."

by Andy Musser

After working with Jimmie Dykes in baseball and Charley Gauer in football, Sonny Hill had a tough act to follow when he joined WCAU last fall to add commentary to the 76ers basketball broadcasts. But judging from listener response, in one season Sonny has gained a wide following with his concise analysis of the action. Sonny knows the game intimately, of course, but this isn't always the making of a good color man. An ability to impart your knowledge is essential, but a "feel" for when to talk and when to remain silent are the intangibles you can't teach, and Sonny picked it up immediately.

Sonny's interviews with Coach Jack Ramsey prior to the games were some of the best I ever heard - and for a first year broadcaster, that's quite a statement.

Believe me, I learned a lot of basketball just being associated with Sonny Hill - who, in the words of Wally Jones, is a "deep" basketball thinker, and in the words of Andy Musser, a great guy!

"A GOOD WORD, INVOLVED" by Bob Jones, Sonny Hill League

"A Sonny Hill - Jr. Basketball League? How can you find the time to get involved in another league?" This was the question I asked Sonny Hill, when he told me he would like to have a Jr. league. At the time, all Sonny had to do was provide a living for his family, amply accomplished as a Business Agent for the Teamsters, 169 Warehouse Local; perform as President of the Baker League; coach the Jimmie Bates's B- Bar Team, organize and conduct weekly basketball clinics for Schmidts Beer and organize, direct and summarize, a week of instruction by Pro-players at Camp Big Pocono. "Involved, Bob! That's the good word - INVOLVED", responded Sonny. "There is a need for more people to become involved in worthwhile projects and until more people do, I guess it's up to me to point the way !!" I shook my head, as I watched him leave, and promptly forgot the Sonny Hill League. Less than a week later I shook my head again, when Sonny called me very late one night, to tell me that he had contacted Mr. Nate Washington, who liked his proposal for a Jr. league, and had arranged for financial backing for the league by the Mayor's Council on Summer Opportunity. So there would be a Sonny Hill League….There IS a Sonny Hill League.

Coached by outstanding basketball and civic minded men, the Sonny Hill League is comprised of five teams, made up of boys,ages 15 to 19, from the five major divisions of Greater~ Philadelphia: North, South, and Wcst Philadelphia, Northeast and Germantown. Following the same schedule as the Baker League, utilizing the same sites, and playing just prior to Baker League gamcs, the players are given a chance to meet, mingle with and identify with, the successful professional basketball players from the Baker League. Many of the Baker League ballplayers come from similar backgrounds as their schoolboy counter-parts. The opportunity- to rub elbows with such men of stature, along with the able coaching afforded them by the Sonny Hill Staff, such as coaches like Herb Janey-North Philadelphia, Vince Miller-West Philadelphia, Jay Norman-Germantown, Claude Gross-South Philadelphia, and Ray Washington- Northeast, is a unique situation. Sonny and the staff feel that the chance to participate may keep a potential dropout in school and may secure an opportunity for a college education. by showcasing the channeled talent for the collegiate world to see.

And see they do.....Jay Norman, Assistant Coach at Temple University who by coaching a club, gets a close up look at all of the talent, is quoted as sayirig, "You could stock an entire conference with the talent in this league". Tom Gola, LaSalle Coach and league advisor is looking the league over with an approving eye. Dan Patterson, Coach at the University of Delaware has been a frequent spectator at games. Dr. Jack Ramsey, 76er head coach and General Manager, who along with Gola, Bob Custer - coach and Athletic Director at St. Emmas Military School, Richmond, Va., John Chaney - Coach at Simon Gratz and Elder Sol Murphy, form the Sonny Hill League advisory board, and are all very enthused over the league and the caliber of play.

So rewarding is the response to the league, two very successful Baker League coaches, Herb Janey--Gaddie and Vince Miller-Willard, have turned over the guidance of their Baker League teams to assistant coaches, so that they can devote full time to the Jr. teams. Attorney, Mike Richman, Financial and Legal advisor to the Baker League, says "This is a fantastic operation".... "Should have been done years ago." The kids perform so well it makes me proud to wear my league shirt around.."

Another hard working Sonny Hill Leaguer, Dr. John Waldon, agrees with Mike. "It should have been done long ago, and maybe if there had been a few more men like Sonny Hill, a few years back, a lot of pick and shovel men could be white collar workers today! " Well, unfortunately, Sonny Hill didn't come along in time for those men to gain by his efforts, but to be sure, the current crop of Sonny Hill Leaguers will have a direction, with Sonny Hill standing at the door, pointing the way!

So, reading this some thirty-four years later, you can see that there have been some changes that have occurred, but what about Sonny Hill, the man? What more could he possibly do, you might ask? Well, he has surrounded himself with more very talented and dedicated people, and he has enlarged the number of leagues, the teams, kids involved, the clinics, the "special events". The demands on his personal time is enormous. "There aren't enough hours in a day to get all the things done, that have to get done!" This was a recent response to an invitation to just attend a concert, where he could just sit down for an hour or two, relax and enjoy anonymity. Unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in any day.