Why Is 'Dick Mountain' MLB Pitcher Rich Hill's Nickname?

Getty Rich Hill

After former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill and his wife Caitlin McClellan were arrested while trying to attend a New England Patriots game on Saturday, the MLB free agent’s seemingly sexually charged nickname, “Dick Mountain,” started trending on Twitter, which left many users online confused. However, Dick Mountain has actually been the pitcher’s nickname since 2011.

Nearly a decade ago, when Hill was a starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, former teammate Brock Holt thought it would be hilarious to switch up the name “Rich Hill” to “Dick Mountain,” and much to Hill’s dismay, the moniker stuck with him throughout his career. Over time, Hill, 39, started to embrace it. In 2018, he even had “D. Mountain” emblazoned on the back of his jersey.

The story of Rich Hill’s “Dick Mountain” nickname:

It originated in Boston in 2011, when Brock Holt thought it would be funny to just call him “Dick” and “Mountain” for Rich and Hill. Soon, it became just “Dick Mountain.” Hill said he still gets regularly called Dick Mountain. https://t.co/Oh03Q7krx7

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) August 25, 2018

On December 31, Hill inked a deal with the Minnesota Twins. As reported by ESPN, he signed a one-year $3 million deal.

Why Were Hill & His Wife Caitlin Arrested?

Caitlin McClellan and Rich Hill

Foxborough Police reported to the Boston Globe that Hill’s wife Caitlin tried to enter Gillette Stadium for the Patriots game against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday with an oversized purse. She was turned away numerous times by security and when Caitlin refused to leave the area, police arrested her, which is when Hill got involved in the situation.

Robert Bolger, chief administrator for Foxborough police told the Globe, “He saw her as they were trying to get her into a van to bring to the police station, and he started to interfere with the officers. He was told several times to back up and he would not. And he ended up getting arrested.”

On Monday, Hill was charged with resisting arrest, which was later dismissed. He received a $500 fine fo disorderly conduct. Caitlin was charge with disorderly conduct and trespassing, which was converted from criminal charge to civil infractions. She was also charged a $500 fine.

Hill spoke to TMZ about his arrest on Monday. He said while he respects law enforcement, he couldn’t stand by and watch while his wife was arrested for wanting to wear a fanny pack into the stadium. “This was all overblown and we are glad to have it behind us,” Hill said.

The pitcher’s attorney, Francis T. O’Brien of O’Brien Law Boston, said things never should’ve escalated to the point they did, but the outcome turned out to be a “fair and proper resolution.”

The Reactions To Seeing ‘Dick Mountain’ Trending On Twitter Were Hilarious

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While Hill is a 15-year MLB veteran who started his career with the Chicago Cubs in 2005, and played for five other teams before landing with the Los Angeles Dodgers after a trade in 2016, many users online had never heard of his nickname. Numerous people shared their confusion on Twitter, trying to figure out why such a possibly wildly inappropriate name would be trending nationally.

While most people believed it had to do with a porn site, it couldn’t have been further from the truth. For those who knew where the nickname originated, they assumed it meant Dick Mountain had been signed to a new team before learning of his arrest. Hill’s $48 million 3-year contract with the Dodgers expired in the off-season, which is why he’s currently a free agent.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕦𝕕𝕖

@Christraint · Follow

I don’t know about anyone else, but on my ‘trends for you’, ‘Dick Mountain’ and #WhatWomenDontWantFromMen are trending alongside each other, and I think that’s pretty much a wrap on the day.

I’m gonna go die from laughter now.