Billy Hamilton

[dougdirt]

Exactly. Robinson is NOT able to do what Hamilton can do on the base paths alone. I also think he is probably the lesser defender and is not as fast. Robinson is fast. Hamilton is a laser beam. Saying Robinson can do the same thing is simply NOT true!

Robinson is nearly just as fast as Hamilton. Watching them run to first base, you probably can't tell the difference. Robinson though simply doesn't have the same instincts that Hamilton does and that is the real difference maker.

[Superdude]

Robinson is nearly just as fast as Hamilton. Watching them run to first base, you probably can't tell the difference. Robinson though simply doesn't have the same instincts that Hamilton does and that is the real difference maker.

For the sake of Billy Hamilton being a useful big league center fielder, I sure hope you're exaggering here.

[mace]

Robinson is nearly just as fast as Hamilton. Watching them run to first base, you probably can't tell the difference. Robinson though simply doesn't have the same instincts that Hamilton does and that is the real difference maker.

This. By all accounts, Hamilton's baseball speed is unmatched. But in pure, unqualified speed, I doubt he's more than a hair faster than Robinson, if that. When Robinson first signed with the Royals, it was written that "[his] 6.19 60-yard dash time is the fastest recorded in high school baseball history."

http://www.gatorsports.com/article/2.../NEWS/60606019

[dougdirt]

For the sake of Billy Hamilton being a useful big league center fielder, I sure hope you're exaggering here.

I think you have a complete misunderstanding of just how fast Derrick Robinson is.

[powersackers]

I think you have a complete misunderstanding of just how fast Derrick Robinson is.

Just cause someone had a tool that doesn't mean they know how to use it. Seems like the3 consensus here. But ya he's blazing quick.

[dougdirt]

Just cause someone had a tool that doesn't mean they know how to use it. Seems like the3 consensus here. But ya he's blazing quick.

That isn't what the poster quoted was saying though. Maybe he meant to say it that way, but it didn't read that way at all to me.

[Superdude]

I think you have a complete misunderstanding of just how fast Derrick Robinson is.

Not unlikely. I'm from an era of Reds baseball where Felipe Lopez is considered a burner. Not exactly well versed in speed.

But really though, that's the difference between herladed prospect Billy Hamilton and scrap heap pick up Derrick Robinson? Instincts? That sounds bad to me.

[757690]

Not unlikely. I'm from an era of Reds baseball where Felipe Lopez is considered a burner. Not exactly well versed in speed.

But really though, that's the difference between herladed prospect Billy Hamilton and scrap heap pick up Derrick Robinson? Instincts? That sounds bad to me.

Not to speak for Doug, but I think he was only referring to their speed on the basepaths. There is another huge difference between the two. Hamilton can hit, Robinson can't. Robinson was a .650 OPS guy at every level, while Hamilton was OPSing around .800 at most levels until this season at AAA.

[Superdude]

Not to speak for Doug, but I think he was only referring to their speed on the basepaths. There is another huge difference between the two. Hamilton can hit, Robinson can't. Robinson was a .650 OPS guy at every level, while Hamilton was OPSing around .800 at most levels until this season at AAA.

I'm probably way more skeptical about Hamilton's bat than most, so I'm counting on a large, large gap in baserunning and defense between the two.

[dougdirt]

Not unlikely. I'm from an era of Reds baseball where Felipe Lopez is considered a burner. Not exactly well versed in speed.

But really though, that's the difference between herladed prospect Billy Hamilton and scrap heap pick up Derrick Robinson? Instincts? That sounds bad to me.

Hamilton has a chance to be a much better hitter than Robinson. Defense will be similar (Robinson is well regarded as a center fielder), base running Hamilton is going to be much better.

[RedlegJake]

Doug, I guess I wasn't clear. The idea that Robinson is fast, yeah I agree. But he isn't able to use his speed the way Hamilton seems to. I did not know though that Robinson was so fast coming from HS - that blurb from Mace was an eye opener - but begs the question, why the heck doesn't he make better use of his speed? He has never been a huge stealer - his 69 steals in high A came at a 75% success rate - not good, imo, for a guy with barnburner speed, especially at a low level where pitchers and catchers aren't as skillful. Maybe Billy is quicker starting out? Maybe he simply reads pitchers better? Whatever, I still think there is no way Robinson can do the same things that Hamilton can. (Billy's success rate is around 85% even with the defense knowing he is going)

[dougdirt]

You do just realize that you said a guy who once stole 69 bases isn't a huge stealer, right? Pitchers/catchers have no surprises that Robinson is going to be running just like with Hamilton.

Hamilton is better at reading pitchers.

[RedlegJake]

Yeah he stole 69 with a fairly low success rate and so far is 3 of 8 with the Reds. My beef with Robinson is that he is fairly unaware of just how to use his speed successfully. Or he isn;t being put in a position to be successful. There is that possibility.

[dougdirt]

Yeah he stole 69 with a fairly low success rate and so far is 3 of 8 with the Reds. My beef with Robinson is that he is fairly unaware of just how to use his speed successfully. Or he isn;t being put in a position to be successful. There is that possibility.

No, he stole 69 bases at an average-ish success rate. And every pitcher and catcher in the league knew he could go on any pitch too.

In the Majors, he has been unable to get by on pure speed. He doesn't get good jumps at all.

[Brutus]

FWIW, Hamilton has hit safely in 14 of his last 16 games. In that time, he's had a line of:

.343/.375/.373/.748

In that time, it's mostly been singles and he's still not walking a ton. That said, if he just keeps hitting the ball hard, the gap shots will come. And on the bright side, he's only struck out eight times in that timeframe (70 PAs).

He's still got a long way to go, but he's showing signs of adjusting.