What does anyone think about a Kenny Lofton comp for Billy? that would be a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Billy's already got similar minors (perhaps better) numbers to him, except more steals and more k's.
What does anyone think about a Kenny Lofton comp for Billy? that would be a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Billy's already got similar minors (perhaps better) numbers to him, except more steals and more k's.
So lets say Hamilton is facing a lefty, is he techincally allowed to drag bunt to the 3rd base line? I mean are you allowed to start that way, then cut across the plate towards 1b? I'll assume the answer is no, but then again there's never been a player fast enough to execute that manuver, so its not like it would matter if its legal or not. If legal, is Billy fast enough to do so? I don't know if a drag bunt is any easier than a "normal" bunt; just something that crossed my mind as a potential "hamilton legend" like the time he picked off a flyball on the warning track in left-center.
I like that thinking. I haven't seen him play since he was in Dayton, but I've got assume at this point he never just "assumes" any grounder is an "easy out" and he's hustling to 1st on just about every grounder b/c he knows there's a chance he gets there safe w/ just the slightest hesitation or bobble.
They were different ages at different levels in the minors, so it isn't an easy comparison, but Lofton made a decent amount of more contact than Hamilton has in the minors. Hamilton struck out 19% of the time he stepped to the plate last year and is at 20.4% for his career. Lofton, in the minors, was at 16.4% for his career (that is roughly 20% better than Hamilton has been thus far) and in the Majors was at just 11%. If Hamilton could get his K rate down below 15%, I would be thrilled. If it got to 11%, we may all be dancing in the streets. I just don't know that he has that kind of change in him. We will see, but for now, I don't know that the comp to Lofton works.
Be careful with that comp. Hamilton's skill set isn't all that different from Taveras'. He's got better plate discipline, but I'm not sure we can expect him to show the 10-15 HR power than Lofton. Given that pitcher's will be very wary to walk him, if he doesn't show he can handle hard stuff in the zone, his actual walk rate in the majors may not reflect his willingness to take a walk.
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
I don't think it's possible to bunt your way out of a slump, is it? Yeah, Billy will need to show some fight at the plate for sure. What I love is that he's shown how savvy he is.
I would love to see Hamilton become a proficient bunter before becoming a Red so that:
A) He gets on base more.
B) I don't have to hear about how he needs to become a proficient bunter.
Joe Morgan was fast, but he wasn't "Billy Hamilton" fast. But I remember some of those pre-game interviews between Joe Nuxhall and Sparky Anderson, where Sparky waxed eloquent about the advantages Joe Morgan created for the next few hitters in the line-up when Morgan was standing at first base. Between distracting the pitchers, and causing the defending infielders to play out of position in order cut down possible steal attempts, Morgan created a lot of havoc on the basepaths.
Foster, Bench, and Perez hammered a LOT of mistake pitches from distracted pitchers. And they got a few cheap hits through holes created by out of position, and drawn in defenders.
Deion Sanders was fast, but he did not have the baseball instincts, nor the mind games that truly great baserunners have. If Hamilton can learn the mind games, and learn some good baseball smarts, he will be a lot of fun to watch.
Last edited by MikeS21; 01-25-2013 at 04:21 PM.
“I think I throw the ball as hard as anyone. The ball just doesn't get there as fast.” — Eddie Bane
“We know we're better than this ... but we can't prove it.” — Tony Gwynn
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A lot of people say that Hamilton's speed will force extra errors by defenders. Not to be contrary, because it makes a lot of sense, but does anyone have stats to support this?
I don't know that it would really be possible to prove. By nature, errors are mistakes made. You can't just say "oh, that was because they rushed". Maybe they did and maybe that is what happened. But maybe the ball just had funny spin. Maybe they just held onto the ball a tad too much and the throw went in the dirt. Maybe they didn't hold onto the ball enough and it sailed. Maybe the foot slipped. I just don't know where you could prove it, without asking the guys exactly what happened on every error, and attribute it to the guy running. It is just something we assume because guys "rush" things when a fast guy is running versus a catcher.
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