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Baton Hamilton stole 2d off Yadi Molina on the kickoff pitch.ÂÂ

Hamilton had entered the game in the 7th inning to compression run for Ryan Ludwick. Todd Frazier drove in Hamilton for the game’southward only score. Chris Heisey took Ludwick’southward place in left field. Homer Bailey, for the 2nd time in a calendar week, shut out the Cardinals for 7+ innings. Aroldis Chapman struck out the heart of the St. Louis club, several times registering 103 mph on the radar gun.

With that bang-bang moment, Baton Hamilton burst into our consciousness, if not Dusty Baker’southward everyday lineup. Hamilton’s major league debut that humid September Cincinnati night came a handful of days before his 23rd birthday.

During that memorable final month of the 2013 season, Baker used Hamilton as a pinch runner and defensive replacement for Shin-Soo Choo. The young centerfielder played in 13 games, attempting 14 stolen bases, succeeding in all merely one. Hamilton hit .368 and walked twice in his 22 plate appearances. He was 7-for-14 in the three games he started. He was fast.ÂÂ

None of us suspected it at the fourth dimension. How could we? Nosotros were watching pinnacle Billy Hamilton.

Amazing is a worn-out adjective. But not in Hamilton’s case. He did astonish united states of america. He did astonish us. Every Reds fan has easy recall of a favorite feat of Billy Hamilton'southward anxiety. Most of all, the wonder male child entertained u.s.. Hamilton became an in-the-flesh Flash in our small universe of Reds superheroes.

Meanwhile, he slid into our ready hearts.ÂÂ

Baton Hamilton was a phenom in the true sense of the word: a person of outstanding talent and great promise. In those early on, heady days, Reds fans believed Hamilton was transcendent, a actor who would revolutionize the sport of baseball. We spoke in delirious, otherworldly terms. We abandoned advisable skepticism.ÂÂ

In addition to producing marvel, the likable Baton Hamilton became a point of pride for united states of america. Hamilton’due south legs joined Chapman’southward arm and Joey Votto’south batting middle as qualities nosotros Reds fans could brag on. They made u.s. feel nosotros were nevertheless role of the major league highlight reel.ÂÂ

Photograph: David Jablonski/WHIO

Hamilton’due south stolen bases meant more than simply the Reds beingness ninety feet closer to scoring a run. They were a larger validation of our team.ÂÂ

The Reds speedy centerfielder likewise offered sweet respite from the exhaustion and drudgery of losing. It’s the same reason nosotros became fond to watching opponents flail at Chapman’s triple-digit fastball. Hamilton’s historic base of operations running and acrobatic catches triggered jolts of fan adrenaline. We needed the thrill to stomach seasons that otherwise dragged and dragged.

Billy Hamilton's exploits transformed our sports world. It was only for an instant, but those moments were glorious. Our hearts raced. The victory music in our heads throbbed. We granted ourselves permission to feel confidence in the Reds. The distant and implausible notion of success became real and present for a split second.

Billy Hamilton was exhilarant. When we watched Billy, we looked to score more than ways than one and sometimes both paid off. Nosotros ordered another round.ÂÂ

Ah, merely that stubborn aftertaste. We loved the euphoria, but the forenoon later nosotros ached for it to stick around. We wanted Hamilton to run and hitting and take hold of every dark. We yearned for Billy Hamilton to be a superstar, not a shooting star.

Information technology turned out he wasn't.

Our thirsty imagination had outstripped the facts on the ground. Those flush sensations we felt watching Billy Hamilton were thrilling simply the hopes were false. Hamilton’s speed was a powerful narcotic that blinded u.s. to his broader flaws as a player.

Our collective frenzy was understandable, if unjustified. We desperately wanted our idealized Billy Hamilton to make sense in our heads equally information technology did in our hearts.

Just buzz and brain didn't connect. Equally fast as Billy Hamilton runs, he couldn't keep up with our breakneck expectations.

Photograph (likewise headline photograph): United states Today Sports Images

Billy Hamilton is now the meliorate part of five seasons and 2400 plate appearances into his major league career. This September, he turns 28. His electrifying debut feels a lifetime ago in the Upside Downward.

The gap between our ideal and reality is measured. If y'all cartel look, you'll find Billy Hamilton at the bottom of the list of major league players in important offensive indicators – hard-striking balls, exit velocity, run cosmos, expected hitting. Out of 169 major league players with at least 200 plate appearances, Hamilton has the lowest xwOBA at .240. Player #166 is at .270.

Over his career, Hamilton has slap-striking .243/.297/.329. His contribution to scoring runs (wRC+) has been xxx percent below league average. His Win Probability Added (WPA) has been negative every year except 2013. Nosotros're non talking about a single bad month by a 24-twelvemonth-old rookie.

The odds are confronting Hamilton getting amend. Crumbling curves slope downwards for a reason. In fact, Hamilton’s functioning this year has been well below his career average. He’s not stealing bases. Since May one, Hamilton has swiped but five to get with three times caught stealing. He’southward seemed mortal in centerfield. When Hamilton bats in key situations, it feels surprising when he hits the ball in play.

Can we say Billy Hamilton’s game has improved since 2013? Does he hit more line drives and fewer fly balls? Does he bunt amend? Does he swing less ofttimes at bad pitches? Nope. Every spring we’ve been handed breathless reporting of a new mentor and point of emphasis for Hamilton — all ineffective.ÂÂ

Was Billy transcendent? Eric Davis stole lxxx bases in 1986 while striking 27 home runs. Rickey Henderson stole 100+ bases three times and at age 39 swiped 66. Henderson too maintained a .401 on-base percent over 24 seasons. Hamilton has earned 7.7 bWAR. Henderson earned 111 bWAR.

Our outsized hopes have been unfair to Billy Hamilton. Merely no more and then than his handling past the same forepart function that signed cautionary tale Willy Taveras to a 2-year contract. They installed a raw actor as the Reds centerfielder and leadoff hitter in 2014 with no competition and wouldn’t take a serious second look. They didn’t hesitate giving Hamilton 1700 plate appearances at the top of the club.ÂÂ

Reds officials still enable our misplaced faith. Through indifferent force of habit, the team's broadcasters express ongoing wonderment over every non-routine play Hamilton makes in the outfield. The latest manager all the same mumbles about â€Å"havoc” Hamilton creates on the base paths. They betoken to the faintest signs that Hamilton is getting it together, as if evidence of progress must be believed to be seen.

Photo: David Kohl

It’southward fourth dimension to move beyond Billy the phenom.ÂÂ

We’ve spent nearly 5 years patiently lowering the standard of acceptability for Billy Hamilton. If he could but be league average on offense … forget power, if he could simply get on base … no, if he could simply manage a league-average on-base percentage … concur on, if he could raise his OPB to a mere .300 … only wait and see what happens when he gives up switch-hit … why, he'd exist the league MVP, you know.ÂÂ

We’ve laid a big stack of hope on Baton Hamilton. We’ve mistakenly alleged permanent improvement based on a few practiced months, a couple solid weeks, back-to-back overnice days or, lately, decent at bats. Hamilton’south career has turned more corners than a beat cop.

It’south time to requite centerfield to Scott Schebler for the residual of the flavor and evaluate how his overall game plays there. Shin-Soo Choo proved Olympic sprinter speed isn’t a necessary quality for a Reds centerfielder to provide value. Choo nigh earned more WAR in his one season with the Reds than Hamilton has in a career.

It’s time to play Jesse Winker every night. For the third outfield spot, a instance can be made for Scooter Gennett, Adam Duvall, Nick Senzel or Jose Peraza. Any of those make more sense than playing Hamilton every night.ÂÂ

Given the flat costless agent market, the Reds were unlikely to become plenty in return for Hamilton in a trade final winter to satisfy the owner. But the front office should be able to merchandise Hamilton in the next few weeks if they don’t ask for much. No contending team will give Hamilton'southward bat a full-time gig. Only Billy could aid a deep veteran team, similar the 2013 Reds, by reprising his first major league role.ÂÂ

If the Reds can’t find a merchandise partner, they should understand what that means and release Hamilton at the end of the season. He’s due a third year of arbitration and already makes $iv.half dozen million. If Schebler can’t hack it in center, the Reds can build the bridge to Taylor Trammell or a major trade conquering past signing a cheap free agent for 2019.

It’southward fourth dimension to move on from Billy Hamilton. It won’t be a sudden good-cheerio, nor should it be. In a sense, the Reds have already cached him. You can’t get lower than batting after the pitcher. Merely Hamilton will go on to take the field in a Cincinnati uniform for a while. He'll still brand wonderful plays, go large hits, peradventure even string together a couple proficient games.

And like that bag he pilfered five years agone off the Cardinals’ villainous catcher, Baton Hamilton volition steal our hearts again, for another phenomenal moment.

Photograph: Charles LeClaire/United states Today

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Source: https://www.redlegnation.com/2018/06/13/requiem-steve-mancuso/

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