OUR FOUNDERS
The Yankees added him to their Major League roster in September 2019, and he made his major league debut on September 27, 2019, pitching two innings in relief against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, TX. Michael spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons as both a starter and reliever for the Yankees, then opened the 2022 season in the Yankees bullpen. He suffered a right elbow fracture on July 22, 2022, against the Baltimore Orioles, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.
He started the 2023 season in the bullpen, but ultimately transitioned back to a starter for the Yankees in August. He pitched to a 2.75 ERA in 49 appearances for the season, with a 1.88 ERA in eight games started. Michael was traded to the San Diego Padres on December 6, 2023 and currently serves as a starting pitcher on the Padres roster.
Michael has always admired teammates and friends who have used their platforms to start their own foundations and help their communities. When he started dating Sheila, he immediately became passionate about finding a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. He often quips that Dexcom Clarity is his most-used iPhone app, as he can check Sheila’s blood sugars 24/7 (much to his wife’s dismay). He remains very passionate about this cause, as well as children’s health and wellness more broadly.
Michael resides in Tampa, FL with his wife, but is currently in San Diego, CA for the baseball season. Michael King
Michael was born in Rochester, NY in 1995, before his family ultimately settled in Warwick, RI. He has one older sister. He attended Bishop Hendricken High School where he played baseball as a pitcher and outfielder, and helped them win the RI Division I State Championship in 2012 and 2013. In 2013, Michael was named a Louisville Slugger All-American, and Rhode Island Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year. Michael then attended Boston College where he pitched for the Eagles, having recorded a career 3.14 ERA (ranked second in BC record books), and set single-season records with 104.0 innings pitched and 16 games started in 2016. Following his junior year, Michael was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 12th round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
In November 2017, the Marlins traded Michael to the New York Yankees in exchange for Garrett Cooper and Caleb Smith. He pitched to a 1.79 ERA across three minor league levels that year, and was named the New York Yankees 2018 Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Sheila King
Sheila was born and raised in Northern New Jersey, where much of her immediate and extended family still resides. She is the youngest of four siblings. Sheila graduated from the Academy of the Holy Angels in 2013 where she played soccer and lacrosse, as well as ran track. Sheila went on to attend Boston College, where she walked on to the Division I Women’s Lacrosse team. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 2017, with a Major in Communications.
Upon graduation, Sheila took a job at NFL HQ in NYC, where she worked as a Public Relations Assistant. She also spent time at the NY Football Giants and NBC Sports in their Communications/PR departments before pivoting from sports to technology at
Daversa Partners in New York City. She spent four years there as an Executive Recruiter, specifically focused on building out the Engineering and Product C-Suites for venture-backed technology companies across the country. Sheila rose through the ranks from Consultant to Senior Associate before ultimately leaving Daversa Partners in 2023.
Sheila was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in August of 2019. Sheila’s mother, aunt, and cousin are all Type 1 and her father currently serves as the Board President of the NYC/LI Chapter of Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF). Sheila and her father ran the NYC Marathon for the JDRF team in 2018 (prior to her diagnosis), having raised $15,000 for the cause. She was diagnosed several months post-race, which doctors think was a result of two cortisone injections that she received for a hip injury she suffered while training. Thanks to her mom, aunt, and cousin, Sheila was well-equipped for this life-changing diagnosis, and she remains steadfast in her mission to continue to help fund research (and ultimately, a cure) for the disease she combats day in and day out to help others from experiencing the burdens of T1D.
Sheila and Michael reside in Tampa, FL in the baseball offseason, but currently spend the baseball season in San Diego, CA. In addition to starting the King of the Hill Foundation, Sheila works as a Certified Travel Advisor for Fora in her spare time.