When he puts the ball in play, there aren’t many players in Major League Baseball as exciting as Cincinnati Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton.
Hamilton’s biggest asset is his speed, which has helped him steal 37 bases so far this season, good for third in the majors. During Friday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Hamilton put his also impressive agility on display.
In the bottom of the first inning, Hamilton dropped a bunt towards first base that was fielded by Gaby Sanchez. For all the world, it looked like an easy play as all Sanchez had to do was tag Hamilton for the out. However, it wasn’t that simple. Hamilton put on the brakes and jumped to avoid the tag as Sanchez ran by, allowing the speedster to safely dive into first base.
I have no idea how Billy Hamilton did that, but it was definitely impressive. First base umpire Manny Gonzalez was in good position to make the call and you can clearly see space between Sanchez’s glove and Hamilton during the swipe attempt.
Considering Hamilton is just 23-years-old, there are plenty of years remaining for him to dazzle us, which is good news for baseball fans everywhere.
