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@matthew01234

Жыл бұрын

This is a very interesting video and I've always wondered about how his career turned into this. You know what's even more interesting? At one point Billy Hamilton was considered far and away the best base stealer in all of active MLB. At the same time he still wasn't even the best ever MLB base stealer named Billy Hamilton. There is another former MLB Billy Hamilton who was actually even better at stealing bases than this Billy Hamilton. Pretty nuts, right? 2 players who made their careers on being the best base stealers in baseball and BOTH of their names are Billy Hamilton?

You can't steal 1st base...that's ALWAYS been his issue.

@Gemnist98

Жыл бұрын

Maybe he should join the Savannah Bananas then?

@SadBearsFan33

Жыл бұрын

Tell that to Tim Locastro

@Ascending11

Жыл бұрын

​@@SadBearsFan33 too many sleep on Tim.

@johnvogel3536

Жыл бұрын

Wild pitch/ Passed ball with 2 strikes on the count, wave the bat and run 😂

@user-ru9gf7ky2y

Жыл бұрын

Yes you can

Fun Fact: the player who holds the single game steal record was an outfielder. His name? Billy Hamilton. Set in 1894

@jessehammer123

Жыл бұрын

Slidin’ Billy Hamilton!

@rickatoni

Жыл бұрын

Billy is obviously a time traveler.

@unkledoda420

Жыл бұрын

​@@rickatoni That would mean he could change his race, on top of time traveling, since that Billy Hamilton was a white guy.

@pedro3131

Жыл бұрын

What if I told you that the Phillies that year had 4 outfielders hit over 400 and 3 of them (Billy included) were future hall of famers, and the team finished 26 games under 500 and in 4th place.

@DiminishingPepper

11 ай бұрын

Hamilton also has the single season run record with 192

I met him in an airport once. Super nice guy, as a Reds fan I always hoped he could elevate his game but still was one of the most electric players ive ever seen. I wish him the best of luck

Billy Hamilton is the real life Willie Mays Hayes.

@cityhawk

Жыл бұрын

Except Billy never did pushups at the batter’s box. 😂

@ryles1159

Жыл бұрын

This should win comments for this vid 😂

@refusetolose05

Жыл бұрын

​@@cityhawk yet

@yankees29

Жыл бұрын

Run like Mays….hit like Hayes

@riding4beers889

10 ай бұрын

minus the talent

With the extra inning rule, Hamilton could be a difference maker as a pinch runner.

Even if he never did and/or never does pan out as a hitter, he's still in contention for my favorite ballplayer of modern times. There might be no one else I have as much fun watching play than Hamilton.

@ToBeHonestWitchu

Жыл бұрын

Lol

@battle4truth701

Жыл бұрын

I mean at this point, he has had a long career

@andyzuleta5344

10 ай бұрын

Getting paid to be a ball player and having a long career isn’t that bad

Billy always puts on a show. A fan favorite everywhere he's gone, for his hustle, enthusiasm and infectious love of the game.

Hamilton also had a short spring training session with the Giants, but unfortunately, he didn't pan out. Wish him only the very best

Always rooted for Billy. As a speedster in little league and high school ball, I always loved the guys that stole bases (Jose Reyes was my guy growing up). It's sad that he never put in the time to be a walk machine or effective slap hitter. Could have been an all star. With the new rise in stolen bases, I hope speedsters make a comeback because it's one of the few things that connect us to the game of old.

He never won a gold glove. Always got snubbed each year he was nominated. Honestly one of the biggest gold glove snubs of all time. He was an elite defender with ground coverage and a surprising arm.

I loved his base running. I also caught my only ball at an MLB game from him.

Cedric Mullins was on track to be the next Hamilton, another quick switch hitter with no pop, but he decided to focus on batting left and improved his swing.

I went to a triple A game in Charlotte (the Knights) maybe a month ago. He got on base and stole second. He’s still incredibly fast. It was cool to see but sad at the same time.

@TheBlkgrffn

Жыл бұрын

Whats sad about that?

@TheHENpp

Жыл бұрын

People get older; it happens.

@SamtheBravesFan

Жыл бұрын

​@@TheBlkgrffn Sad that he wasn't good enough in the majors to get on base to use his speed?

He was an absolute NIGHTMARE on MLB The Show!

@DarthJocan

Жыл бұрын

I played a lot of franchise with the Reds with Hamilton. He was almost an automatic steal if he was on.

@slicknikko65

Жыл бұрын

@@DarthJocan I strictly play DD ranked and he was an absolute guarantee to steal and get on with a bunt. My anxiety had never been so bad before 😂

He was one of the funnest players to watch during his time in Cinci. Always hoped he'd figure the bat out but maybe, like you said, he'll get some playtime with the recent changes.

Exclaimed "what!? really!?" when you said he won 3 gold gloves and immediately went to bref to see that wasn't even close to true

@dougfromsoanierana

Жыл бұрын

More like “he SHOULD have won three gold gloves.” He made plays in center that no one else could.

Great baseball name too. Billy Hamilton! And he played for the Reds, a classic team. Kid should've been born in the 50s and he would've been an all star!

Billy hamilton was my favorite 😢

One of my favorite “what if” players, he brought me a lot of excitement during a tough rebuild

Was in training in the military in 2012 and saw 3 games of his and got a signed ball hoping he was going to be THE GUY. He was very exciting and still hope for the best for the rest of his career.

Through high school, I was convinced that Billy Hamilton would become a perennial All Star once he came up to the Reds. I think I still have my Hamilton Reds shirt at my mom’s house. It’s probably with my Votto, Jay Bruce, Brandon Philips, and Aroldis Chapman shirts. Those Reds had so much potential, and they never lived up to it.

@RandyRhoadsRules3

9 ай бұрын

Well Votto and Chapman lived up to their potential for sure. Votto will be a HOFer and Chapman would be if they gave relievers any respect.

Man he is such a fun player to watch overall i thought in 2015 he had started to put everything together but it just didnt happen hopefully he'll turn it around soon love that guy

I was a younger reds fan when he was being great, but I really loved him

fun fact: i had a project on someone famous from Mississippi, and i did it on Billy Hamilton and it was the best project i did as a freshman and now i am starting as a sophomore

Wait, when did he win 3 gold gloves?

I’m sorry, but what Gold Glove awards? He was a finalist during a couple years for sure, but when did he ever win one?

Hamiliton tagged up from 2nd base on a deep fly ball to center nd made it home i really have never heard of anybody doing that ever in his prime he was the fastest ive ever seen

I remember seeing him in AAA and he hit two triples in a game. He was electric. Might be the most exciting player I’ve ever seen live

In all honesty, if Billy Hamilton worked on his hitting, he could have been the next Kenny Lofton. He (in his prime) had the wheels and glove to make that happen.

@bennybarbells7118

Жыл бұрын

do you really think he didn't work on his hitting?

@danshowlund

Жыл бұрын

What a bizarre thing to think. Why on earth would you assume he didn’t try? You seriously think it’s that simple to be a major league hitter?

@Dudeman9339

Жыл бұрын

@@danshowlund idiots believe these things, yes.

@travisp5747

Жыл бұрын

Kenny and Billy are completely different ball players. I’m kind of baffled by that suggestion tbh. I think it’s a bit disrespectful lol Lofton was a helluva player. Prototypical speedster lead off hitter who had the speed to steal 50-60 bases every year, score 100+ runs, power to the gaps, and play a gold glove center field. He needs to be in the hall.

If Billy Hamilton could get on base, he could be the second Billy Hamilton.

I feel like he’s like Buxton if Buxton never learned to hit with power lol

I traded Billy Hamilton to my AA Minor League Baseball Club “ ATL “ on my MLB 2K23 game He is hitting 278. Seldom does Interviews 🥃 Good Poker ♦️ player thou

Thinking he would be the next Lou Brock or Rickey Henderson.

Here in Dayton I was at a game where he stole 2nd and didn't even have to slide.

As a cincinnati native, he was valuable when on. But you always got the feeling he wished he was known for hitting dingers.

I still like using him as a pinch runner in MLB the Show since he still has 99 steal although his regular speed isn't quite as good anymore.

Slight error as Hamilton won 0 gold gloves. MLB history is full of players that had potential but could not put it all together. You could probably make an entire series based on players like this.

@thatdude1528

Жыл бұрын

You could literally do that with every sport my man

@ag3nt_green

Жыл бұрын

@@thatdude1528 Well when this channel and video covers every sport I guess you'll have your moment to shine.

@thatdude1528

Жыл бұрын

@@ag3nt_green makes zero sense but okay

@ag3nt_green

Жыл бұрын

@@thatdude1528 I'm sure not much ever makes sense to you.

When I played, I was a fast, little contact hitter. Billy Hamilton will always be my champion haha

As a Reds fan, I loved Billy. He was so fun to watch. But you highlighted EXACTLY why he didn’t pan out: not getting on base enough to really be able to utilize his speed on the bases. He just could not hit in the majors. I wonder if transitioning from SS to CF affected his development?

@areguapiri

Жыл бұрын

No

@antonioreconquistador

Жыл бұрын

They probably thought that he would have a better chance at making it in the majors in center 'cause at the time they thought zack cozart would develop in the way todd frazier had begun to. Although theres more range necessary to be a centerfielder- perhaps they thought itd be less taxing on his arm and less likely for him to get into a collision with runners. Never saw him play short but if he was a super-utility sorta guy im sure he would get a little more playing time.

Loved him when he played for the reds. He seemed like a really nice guy too.

billy will always be my favourite player.

Why are you deleting your old compilation videos? I can't find the one you made about Angel Hernandez among others I liked watching.

@AstroGGBaseball

Жыл бұрын

Copyright issues I think

@woodside4life

Жыл бұрын

Angel Hernandez deleted the Angel Hernandez video…

As a Phillies fan, he reminds me vaguely of Juan Samuel, who played from 83-98. From 83-89, Sammy was our mainstay at 2B, and then for a bit in the OF. Sammy had some pop, and could hit maybe 15 homers a year. He stole 72 bases in his rookie season, and stole around 400 in his career. Thing was, he could hit o.k. (.270 range), but he didn't draw a lot of walks. He had some pop, but he wasn't a masher you could stick in the clean-up spot. He was average at second, and that was his best spot on the field. Basically, he had all the tools, but not enough to fit in one area. He had a 15 year career that right now is slightly better than Hamilton's. He reminds me a lot of Hamilton (unreal flashes of brilliance, and a lot of confusion in between).

@areguapiri

Жыл бұрын

Juan Samuel was "much" better than Billy Hamilton.

@jimschwandt8089

Жыл бұрын

@@areguapiri Right now you can say that Sammy is better than Hamilton. Hamilton still has some wheels under him, and if the new rules benefit him, he could be a late bloomer.

I love Billy Hamilton but he just never took the advice of management and learned to bunt. It could have been a huge weapon for him. Toward the end of his tenure with Cincinnati, he wasn't even attempting to steal bases much. It's no wonder they gave up on him, but I wish him the best.

Comparing him to Juan Pierre is an insult to Pierre.

@louisminati

10 ай бұрын

Pierre was a poor man's Kenny Lofton

@AceManning18

10 ай бұрын

@@louisminati I'll take that all day over Billy Hamilton. That being said I don't really agree with your comparison. Lofton had way more all around ability than Pierre.. decent pop and not just a slap hitting base stealer.

Wow. I never realized that Hamilton was that great of a defender. He's a terror on the basepaths, but just can't get on base consistently enough to justify having him the lineup

@DarthJocan

Жыл бұрын

Oh yeah. He was fantastic in centerfield. Should have one at least one or two gold gloves

I wonder if he would've fared had he just batted exclusively left handed and take the Ichiro approach to the plate by beating ball into the ground and already having a step towards 1st base. Not saying he is like Ichiro, but that kind of speed it should've been looked at as an option more

As a Sox fan I love Billy idgaf

I feel like he could get a bigger role again if he spent an off season working with Ichiro

It's a shame that he wasn't a good hitter. If he had been a hitter in the 280 range we likely could have seen home challenge Rickey Henderson stolen base record. He should have done nothing but slap the ball and do a pull swing like ichiro. Bunt slap w.e. needed. do the furcal push bunt where the first or third baseman gets drawn in and he pushes it over their head or past them. With speed like that, who knows what could have happened if he had just been a better hitter

@Grievous_

Жыл бұрын

Stop! NOBODY in the history of the world will NEVER come close to Rickey Henderson’s steal records! Even if Hamilton panned out to become what people thought he was gonna become he’d probably only have like 600 stolen bases right now

Billy Hamilton used to be my favorite player

He was a PHENOMENAL athlete with amazing speed. He could get to any fly ball in the field! He was a top notch defender and base runner! His issue was the lumber! If he could’ve hit at all, he would’ve been a top 5 all time player.

Billy hamilton literally stole 59 bases with a *.299 OBP!!* if he was JUST a below league avg hitter he literally wouldve been the most dangerous player in the league

I went to a White Sox game a couple weeks ago and he swung the bat like Clark from Benchwarmers

It’s would be nice to see him as a utility player back in Cincinnati

I have a hitting drill I'm pretty sure could help him but it seems more like a game then training. I would like to know what drills he has tried in an effort to get his bat good. Soo many teams and non have got him right makes you wonder if he can be taught better batting skills. I've always been a fan and hope he turns things around.

bro where we grew up billy is fine man he had no parents in his life our coach bought him clothes and shoes school started 10 grade year he had been barefoot that summer besides cleats or flip flops so coach lott had to buy him some and started letting him stay at his house the last few years of high school when you come from nothing i promise he is beyond blessed with his accomplishments and not worried at all about youtube videos of his decline

It's amazing that he still managed to steal over 50 bases in seasons where he reached base like around 150 or fewer times total. Rickey Henderson was on base well over 200 times per season. He reached base over 250 times in his 130 stolen base season. Hamilton would have certainly been capable of stolen base totals in that range if he could get on base like Rickey.

@yankees29

Жыл бұрын

Hard to believe Henderson stole 130 in a season. I remember that season. Henderson was one of the most talented baseball players I’ve ever seen play.

Id still. Love to have him back in a reds uni... Imagine if he just got a smidge better at hitting ground balls etc. And having speedsters like him, McLain, and de la cruz on the base paths? Nightmare...

Man this guy could’ve been a real wide receiver threat with Prescott

If he played in the 40s or 50s he'd be a hall of famer today. Back then he would have been bunting for hits, his skill set would have been much more appreciated. Look at Phil Rizzuto. 273 lifetime hitter with 39 career home runs, an MVP award and a hall of famer.

With the current rules in place on pitch clock and throw overs we will start to see a lot more stolen bases and MAYBE even see records start being broken if the rules remain in place.

Personally, I think it's incredible that a man born in 1866 could still play in MLB at all in the 21st century!

Dude has played ten seasons in the major leagues with 8 years of service time is still a pro player and made more $ in that time than 99% of folks will make in their whole career….jokes on anyone who calls him a failure.

@BBonez24

Жыл бұрын

It’s relative, no one’s calling him a failure compared to a beer league softball player. They’re comparing him to what he could’ve been

@slicknikko65

Жыл бұрын

@@BBonez24 Exactly

I remember when he was on the Braves, and pinch ran on first, I was like he’s about to steal 2nd and 3rd and he did, and the Braves won!

Better to have love and lost them never love at all. Bro should be proud he was a name in the MLB and made his money. Good luck to him

Not a Reds fan, but Billy was one of the few prospects I was hyped up about the most. I knew he wasn't going to be the next Rickey, but I would have loved to see him steal 100+ bags in a single season in the big leagues. Not all hope is lost for Billy considering Michael A. Taylor is still in the big leagues and the only value that he brings to the team is fielding. I just hope I get to see another speed demon who is just as good as Rickey was on the basepaths and capable of stealing 120+ bags.

my favorite player of all time😔

Slidin' Billy will probably be a 5th outfielder for a few more years. He can still run and play defensive at an above average level. So he still has value as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement. You just need to keep him out of the batters box.

As a Vikings fan, Hamilton is to MLB what Troy Williamson was to the NFL. You can be fast as shit but, it don't matter if you can't hit or catch.

Billy Hamilton slander will not be tolerated he is the nicest guy on the field at all times I was just in AZ for spring training and he was the ONLY player to stay and interact with almost every fan he could

Hope he has a Terrance Gore like role on some teams as just a baserunner

If there was ever a player that needed to learn to be an expert bunted.

Just shy of 3000 MLB AB's and only 19 GIDPs.

Nah prime Billy with the new bases would be insane

no joke my fav baseball player just simply because one i went to a reds game and seen him hit a homerun and he runs faster than a jamal

In summary: You can't steal first base!

Could as save a spot for a pitch runner

Speed only matters when you can get on base...thats why Hamilton is a journeyman and Tim locastro is still playing

@jackblasbalg7936

Жыл бұрын

locastro is becoming a bit of a journeyman himself at this point. point still stands

Royals legend Billy Hamilton

Great baserunner, but that alone hasn't been able to get him work because he can't hit major league pitching anymore, and he has such poor power hitting that you can throw the ball right down the middle of the plate and there's not much he can do to hurt you. If he could get on 35% of the time, or even 30% of the time, he'd be a starter somewhere, but those days are long behind him and all he has is speed that he can't utilize. What we notice is that players who have sub-.400 SLG% tend to struggle with getting on base because they get attacked in the zone so aggressively and don't draw as many walks. Hamilton had plate discipline, he just didn't barrel up very many balls so he couldn't punish pitchers' aggression. Even at his peak in his rookie season he was a relatively easy out compared to a lot of other starters.

Are you saying Mickey Henderson? Lol

I'm a Twins fan and i didn't even know he was Twin

Decline from what exactly?

He's the modern day Omar Moreno, a leadoff hitter that can't get on base.

When I saw the title I was curious when he was ever good enough to have a decline. Turns out he didn't, dude couldn't get on base to save his life.

If me made contact on a regular basis he'd be on any teams everyday roster.

I really can’t say he ever had a peak. He was essentially a faster Drew Stubbs. Couldn’t hit at all, was a good fielder and was fast as hell. He’s an athlete who should’ve ran track instead of play baseball. He had talents meant for being a pure athlete. Not so much as a baseball player. He was literally one of the most depressing players to watch when games mattered it was pretty much guaranteed if he didn’t bunt his way on the first to attempts he was probably striking out. I hoped he could figure out slap hitting like Ichiro but he never really seemed to want to work like that on his game. People with say he was an good player. All I see is wasted potential.

@RoundingThird

Жыл бұрын

Injuring his hands and wrists repeatedly in his first couple of years and being rushed to the Reds didn't really help him learn to be a better hitter. I'm sure he worked on it.

So many guys luke this. Joey Gaithright was another

I played against him on 2k in the first month it was out this year, he was alr a 99

He can be the next Terrance Gore

@MikeNapoli1989

11 ай бұрын

He was decent with the cubs in 2018 but was a total flunk before and after that year

Leave Billy alone 😭😭

As someone that’s basically seen his whole career, he could never make solid contact regularly. There you go

@Donnendet

Жыл бұрын

Confirmed - consistently got him out in highschool by serving up meatballs. Dude just didn't have that set of skills. lol

@thesprock5270

Жыл бұрын

@@Donnendet nice lol

Speed only lasts for so long and is the first thing to go after an injury.

They should’ve made him watch Major League. Every time you put a ball in the air you owe me pushups.

A very fun player to watch just couldn’t hit enough to take advantage of the speed

Didn’t need to watch the video, as a lifelong reds fan. It has always been his K rate and inability to keep the ball on the ground. A Japanese swing approach would’ve helped, in my opinion.

@evanpruitt5844

Жыл бұрын

A fantastic human being, as well. You won’t meet a better person.

if the guy could just get on base, he was getting to second base. even if he only batted .240 but was able to get walks, oh man, we looking at a player that would be second all time in SB.

We love billy on the south side I don’t really care if he isn’t that good lol.