There are minor leaguers that have created buzz. There are minor leaguers who have created a lot of buzz. Then there are minor leaguers (very, very few) who have created a legend. Such is the case for Billy Hamilton in the Cincinnati Reds‘ organization. The base stealing king has only seen his legend grow as the AA season comes to an end. Consequently, the MLB Rumors have swirled and swirled around Hamilton all season as to if and when the Reds will call him up. Now it appears that the MLB Rumors has Hamilton saying put.
Reds GM Walt Jocketty has stated that Hamilton will “probably not” be called up to the extended roster in September. He didn’t quite shut the door as he is planning a personal visit down to Pensacola this weekend to watch Hamilton play. Rumors in the organization have leaked that they feel Hamilton needs more “seasoning”, if you will, in the minors this year and next.
For someone like me (wishing the MLB Rumors were not true), who has been a big fan and gotten to see the legend play, it is a big disappointment. Speed close to his comes along once every 30 or so years in the game of baseball. The problem is that Hamilton is still learning to be a switch hitter – something he has only recently begun to do in games. In addition to the switch hitting (and let’s be honest, he’s getting very comfortable at that), his defense at short needs work. He can and does make amazing plays on balls that no one else can, but he makes errors on routine plays. So that does need work too.
For all of those reasons, I can clearly see why they want Hamilton to stay in them minors for now. BUT, I really want to see him pinch running on the base paths for the Reds. If I really, really want it, can I have it?
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