Take Me Out To The Ballgame: MLB 2012 Thread

[Yorkshire Blue]

The Rays have got a pretty good one who can't seem to get off IR.

Eva Longoria might be a better bet.

Anyway, Brandon Phillips stepped up big time last night. Reds were trailling 6-0 in the bottom of the 6th before Phillips, batting in the three-hole in place of the injured Joey Votto, hit a 3 run HR and then followed it up in the 7th with a 2 run double as the Reds came from behind to win 7-6. Go Reds!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I'm not here to gloat about my Reds (although I can do that if you want- 2nd best record in baseball and even missing probably the best player in baseball they are 19-8 and are currently 1-0 up against the Mets) but draw your attention to one of the more remarkable records in baseball that is under serious threat.

The record in question is the Minor League record for stolen bases and stands at 145 by Vince Coleman in 1983 (the Major League record being 138 set in 1887).

Billy Hamilton is currently on 139 stolen bases with 19 games remaining and is on pace for 160 - which wouldn't just beat the record but obliterate it.

To put that in some sort of context, the leader in the majors is on 37 for the year so far - a mere 102 fewer - and they play more games in the majors. Billy Hamilton has not just stolen more bases this year than any team in the majors he's stolen more than the Pirates, Orioles and Tigers COMBINED. He's stolen more bases than the top 4 base stealers in the majors have COMBINED. And it's a similar story in the minor leagues where he's just streets ahead of the competition - having been promoted mid-season he's the top base stealer in two different divisions and I think the guy in second in all of the minor leagues has something like 50 fewer!

Quite simply he's a phenomenon. He's widely considered the fastest baseball player ever and creates havoc on the basepaths. The legend of his speed is forever growing - from stealing home; to catching fly-balls on the warning track whilst playing short-stop; to my favourite one of reaching on an infield single in a scoreless game in the bottom of the 9th, stealing second, stealing third and then scoring on a pop up to second base. He's an absolute game-changer and an once in a generation - maybe even history - player.

If ever someone can challenge Rickey Henderson's career stolen base record (a record which is like Don Bradman's in terms of being that much better than anyone else in history) then it's Billy Hamilton. Best of all, which makes it an even better story, the best base stealer in baseball history other than the aforementioned legendary Rickey Henderson and Lou Brock is a Hall of Famer from the 19th Century, who went by the name of Sliding Billy Hamilton! This is a great story.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Just as the Rays start to look like they can hit again, they run into King Felix pitching like THAT. Damn him! Damn him all to hell!

 

[Shrimper]

Pirates with a marathon 19th innings win last night. Great stuff and a great series against the St.Louis Cardinals.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Billy Hamilton has broken the MILB record for broken bases. He stole 4 on Tuesday night to get to get to 147.

The Miami Marlins lead the Major Leagues with 121. That's as a team.

 

[Napster]

Isn't minor league like the reserves? Even Barrington Belgrave was good in the reserves.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Isn't minor league like the reserves? Even Barrington Belgrave was good in the reserves.

It's more like being sent out on loan to firstly a League Two club (Bakersfield Blaze where he started the year are A+) and then a League One club (Pensacola Blue Wahoos are AA) and scoring 65 goals in a season.

I seem to remember Jermaine Defoe had a loan spell at Bournemouth when he went on a crazy goalscoring spell and scored in 10 successive matches which got him a fair bit of national coverage and marked him out as one to watch - well that's sort of what Hamilton has done but kept it going for the entire year.

The other reason it's exciting is he could revolutionise the way the game is played. He's harking back to an old style small-ball that has gone out of fashion since the long ball steriod era. Stolen bases fell out of fashion and he could single-handedly revive that.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I'm not here to gloat about my Reds (although I can do that if you want- 2nd best record in baseball and even missing probably the best player in baseball they are 19-8 and are currently 1-0 up against the Mets) but draw your attention to one of the more remarkable records in baseball that is under serious threat.

The record in question is the Minor League record for stolen bases and stands at 145 by Vince Coleman in 1983 (the Major League record being 138 set in 1887).

Billy Hamilton is currently on 139 stolen bases with 19 games remaining and is on pace for 160 - which wouldn't just beat the record but obliterate it.

To put that in some sort of context, the leader in the majors is on 37 for the year so far - a mere 102 fewer - and they play more games in the majors. Billy Hamilton has not just stolen more bases this year than any team in the majors he's stolen more than the Pirates, Orioles and Tigers COMBINED. He's stolen more bases than the top 4 base stealers in the majors have COMBINED. And it's a similar story in the minor leagues where he's just streets ahead of the competition - having been promoted mid-season he's the top base stealer in two different divisions and I think the guy in second in all of the minor leagues has something like 50 fewer!

Quite simply he's a phenomenon. He's widely considered the fastest baseball player ever and creates havoc on the basepaths. The legend of his speed is forever growing - from stealing home; to catching fly-balls on the warning track whilst playing short-stop; to my favourite one of reaching on an infield single in a scoreless game in the bottom of the 9th, stealing second, stealing third and then scoring on a pop up to second base. He's an absolute game-changer and an once in a generation - maybe even history - player.

If ever someone can challenge Rickey Henderson's career stolen base record (a record which is like Don Bradman's in terms of being that much better than anyone else in history) then it's Billy Hamilton. Best of all, which makes it an even better story, the best base stealer in baseball history other than the aforementioned legendary Rickey Henderson and Lou Brock is a Hall of Famer from the 19th Century, who went by the name of Sliding Billy Hamilton! This is a great story.

Billy Hamilton got called up to the big leagues in the September call-ups.

Made his debut against the Cardinals, who the Reds are locked in a three-way battle for the NL Central, as a pinch-runner in the bottom of the 7th when it was scoreless. He steals second base and then scores the only run of the game.

HE then makes his second appearance next night with the Reds trailing in the 14th, again as a pinch-runner. He steals second and scores on a single to even it all up.


His next two appearances are also as as pinch-runner, this time against the Dodgers, and again he steals a base both times. First man in ML history to steal a base in each of his first four appearances.

Anyway, eventually enough is enough and Dusty Baker gives him his first ML start. OK, it's against the Astros but he goes 3 from 4 at the plate with two walks and steals a further three bases.

In total now he's stolen 9 bases. This is already the 37th best in the National League. And he's done this in 8 appearances. Some of these other guys have played 150+ times this year and don't have that many steals. He's a phenomenon, there's no other word to describe it.

 

[shrimpersfan9]

Robinson Cano has been signed to Mariners a few days ago.