Getting to watch Khaleesi take a bath was all worth it…
April 9, 2014…
After a worrisome start to the season the Cincinnati Reds’ Billy Hamilton broke out in a huge way on Wednesday, notching his first steals of the young season: two bases off of Yadier Molina.
In addition, Hamilton stole Joey Votto’s iPhone, Jay Bruce’s laptop, and Tony Cingrani’s lunch. ESPN’s Peter Gammons reports that it was half of a leftover eggplant parm sandwich. [Ed. note: Mmmm eggplant parm…]
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“I guess I should be mad,” remarked Votto after the game, “but this is why he’s with the team. He’s a base-stealing specialist. It’s not like anyone actually thought he was going to hit the ball.”
Hamilton has been caught stealing twice this season: once by the New York Mets’ Anthony Recker stealing second, and once by the Reds’ Devin Mesoraco as he was attempting to take a DVD set of Game of Thrones Season 3 from Mesoraco’s locker.
So far Billy Hamilton’s 2014 is reminiscent of Dee Gordon’s 2012, when despite stealing 30 bases and over $400 in office supplies, he was sent to the minors after posting a mere .229 batting average. The Reds, however, continue to profess faith in their young speedster, noting his energy, prospect pedigree, and uncanny ability to hotwire a car.
Hamilton entered Wednesday’s matinee batting .091 (2-22 with seven strikeouts) and is now hitting a slightly less embarrassing .192 on the season. After the travel day the Reds will — I swear I parked right here…
No eggplant parm is safe…
Okay, but seriously…
When I sat down to write this post Hamilton had zero steals, and now he has two. This goes to show you two things:
1) I’m a very slow writer.
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2) Billy Hamilton is a very fast man.
As my editor and the fantasy baseball community could tell you, neither of these facts come as a huge surprise. One thing, however, that is still highly in doubt, is Hamilton’s bat. His three hits on Wednesday were a single, a bunt single, and a triple — which was the direct result of Matt Holliday hilariously missing on an ill-advised leap. This could have very, very easily been another 0’fer.
I spent the entire draft season preaching caution on Billy Hamilton but I still saw him going for $15+ or as early as the sixth round. I will once again beat the same old drum:
If you have Billy Hamilton in a redraft league, then trade him. Trade him now.
He looked mismatched at the plate in Triple-A (.308 OBP) and he’s looked mismatched so far in the majors. He’s Rajai Davis with 25% more steals — the very definition of a one category player. Are you going to base your ranking in an entire category on one dude with a month of major league experience?
Heed my advice and find someone still enamored with those crazy wheels and ship him off for a Ben Revere/Brett Gardner type and a good No. 2-3 starter to replace that pitcher you lost. And if you haven’t lost a starting pitcher yet then you’re obviously superhumanly lucky. You may as well hang onto Hamilton, because that’s what it’ll take for him to end the year in Cincinnati’s leadoff role: speed and lots of luck.
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