Hamilton to start in AAA....

[_Sir_Charles_]

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/201...r-in-triple-a/

Not exactly unexpected, but news nonetheless.

[mdccclxix]

Ugh, comment got deleted after showing as a doublepost.


What's this mean for the AAA OF? Is Lamarre in RF then or back to AA?

[mdccclxix]

Can't wait to see the Bats in LOU and/or IND.

[mdccclxix]

“He’ll be playing center field and working on his offense and his overall game,” Jocketty said. “He’s going to probably end up bunting a lot, with his speed. Bunting and running are his two key tools.”

What are the possibilities that he can be effective bunting over the long haul while also keeping a mid .300's OBP? I think of Ichiro's ability to run out infield hits, but he's a generational talent with the bat. Can Hamilton really "steal first" for a long time against MLB competition? How does he compare with Campana in Chicago?

[Steve4192]

Originally Posted by mdccclxix

What's this mean for the AAA OF? Is Lamarre in RF then or back to AA?

I don't think it would hurt Lamarre to have him learn the corner OF positions. His future is probably as a reserve OF anyway. Having experience playing all three positions will only bolster his chances of sticking on a MLB roster some day.

[Steve4192]

Originally Posted by mdccclxix

What are the possibilities that he can be effective bunting over the long haul while also keeping a mid .300's OBP? I think of Ichiro's ability to run out infield hits, but he's a generational talent with the bat. Can Hamilton really "steal first" for a long time against MLB competition? How does he compare with Campana in Chicago?

I don't think you need to be a generational talent to be effective bunting for base hits. The best I ever saw at that particular skill, better than Ichiro even, was Brett Butler, and I don't consider him anywhere near a generational talent. Billy just needs to judiciously pick his spots.

Anytime he catches the infield napping by not adjusting their depth when he comes to the plate, he can drop a bunt. Anytime he is facing a pitcher who is notorious for pounding the strikezone with fastballs to get ahead in the count, he can drop the bunt. Anytime he is a facing a team that has a lead glove or a suspect arm playing in the infield, he can drop the bunt. That is what Butler did and was a big part of why he was so successful with it.

[mdccclxix]

Butler had a very nice career indeed. Out of 9545 PA's he had a 5% bunt rate and batted .462 on those attempts. This is a lofty goal for Hamilton, but he could reach it. Perhaps it would be the right path to have him bunt.

[mdccclxix]

Ichiro isn't the bunter I thought. Nor is he the infield hitter. Bunts 1.7% of the time for a .621 average. Bats .151 on infield balls. I think Butler batted .212 when I looked on infield balls, I'm sure due to the larger volume of excellent bunting.

[mdccclxix]

here's a neat break down on bunting with nobody on base:

http://uzrillusion2.blogspot.com/201...g-for-hit.html


There's even a Juan Pierre discussion. And Willie T shows up for his 3 for 22 performance bunting in 2009!

[Steve4192]

Originally Posted by mdccclxix

here's a neat break down on bunting with nobody on base:

http://uzrillusion2.blogspot.com/201...g-for-hit.html


There's even a Juan Pierre discussion. And Willie T shows up for his 3 for 22 performance bunting in 2009!

It's awesome seeing the Commerce Comet in the all-time top ten. I wish more of the speedy sluggers in the game today would do the same when they come up with the bases empty. If nothing else, it would force infields to play them farther in and open up more opportunities base hits when they don't bunt.

[JaxRed]

Originally Posted by mdccclxix

Ugh, comment got deleted after showing as a doublepost.


What's this mean for the AAA OF? Is Lamarre in RF then or back to AA?

I'd be surprised if Lamarre didn't start in AA

[MikeS21]

Billy Hamilton's success will hinge on learning the Jedi mind tricks that good runners use on pitchers and defenders.

On simple ground balls, if Billy runs them out, even the best defenders will want to rush throws to first base. That will lead to fielding and/or throwing errors, and perhaps a few infield hits. And once Billy gets on first base, he can learn to dance around and distract the pitcher into committing balks and making mistakes to the hitters. Defenses will tend to play in and fielders will cheat toward the second and third base bags, which will create holes in the infield.

I want to see Hamilton work on the mental part of the game, where just the threat of him running can disrupt the pitching and defense. That part of his game won't show up in box scores, but it ought to be sweet for the 2-3-4 hitters in the line-up.

[RedsManRick]

Here's to hoping Hamilton actually is the player Dusty desperately (and stubbornly) wanted Stubbs to be.

[Scrap Irony]

Hamilton's speed, if times can be believed, means an extra half-step over the course of 90 feet over fast runners and a quarter step over the fastest runners in mlb. (He's a quarter-step to a half-step faster than Mike Trout, for example, and a little more than that over Drew Stubbs, if you can dig it.) In short, he doesn't have to bunt remarkably well in order to be successful at it. He does, however, need to be better than anyone the Reds have had as a bunter since Norris Hopper.

Stubbs and Heisey are both technically abysmal bunters. Hamilton's already better than either of them.

He still needs to get better, though. And should. Guys that really focus on bunting tend to get better at it. (Butler's a prime example, as is Hopper, for that matter.) If Hamilton can learn the drag bunt to the 2B area and drop near-perfect bunts down both lines, he'll end up with a career batting average around .300. This ability should also affect his obp, as pitchers will nibble more often for fear of allowing that bunt. This could lead to more walks. (As his patience at the plate is already apparent.)

[mdccclxix]

Originally Posted by Steve4192

It's awesome seeing the Commerce Comet in the all-time top ten. I wish more of the speedy sluggers in the game today would do the same when they come up with the bases empty. If nothing else, it would force infields to play them farther in and open up more opportunities base hits when they don't bunt.

I remember Griffey doing some of that to the 3b side, likewise recently with Bruce, but nowhere near the amount of Mantle. Pretty cool.