Chicago White Sox outfielder Billy Hamilton enjoys visiting ‘where it all started’ while with the Cincinnati Reds
Billy Hamilton stood near third base before Friday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.
“Billy!” a fan yelled from the stands.
More cheers came while Hamilton took some swings during batting practice.
“Let’s go, Billy!” another fan said.
He later tossed a couple of baseballs to kids.
The Chicago White Sox reserve outfielder enjoyed visiting where his career began.
“I know we came back here in ‘21, but every time I come here it’s the same feeling, it’s great,” Hamilton told the Tribune before the Sox beat the Reds 5-4 in the opener of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park. “You hear fans say ‘Welcome home,’ that’s always a good feeling. It’s always good to be back here every single time.”
Hamilton, in his 11th season, played six seasons with the Reds (2013-18), hitting .245 with 277 stolen bases in 690 games.
Reflecting on his favorite moments with the Reds, the 32-year-old said, “All of them. This is where it all started.”
He then thought back to his debut on Sept. 3, 2013 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
“My first day, my first steal,” he said.
Manager Dusty Baker told him to be prepared to enter if Ryan Ludwick got on base late in the game.
“I’m down in the tunnel a little nervous, hoping he’d hit a home run,” Hamilton said. “I look up and he’s on first. ... Here we go. And I end up getting a bag, that made it even better.”
And he’s been going every since. Hamilton entered Friday with 326 stolen bases.
Hamilton spent 2021 with the Sox. He returned to the organization this offseason, signing a minor-league deal. Hamilton hit .188 (11-for-48) with two doubles, one triple, two RBIs, 11 runs and three stolen bases in 17 games with Triple-A Charlotte before joining the Sox on Tuesday.
“No one wants to be in Triple A, but I couldn’t just go down there and pout and not do what I had to do because I knew there’s always going to be chances, that guys can get the chance to come back up and do things that need to be done,” Hamilton told reporters earlier this week at Guaranteed Rate Field. “So I was excited just to get the call. I thought about going home for a little while, but I was like, ‘Nah, I want to continue to play baseball and see what happens.’ It worked out for me.”
He wants to aid in any way, including continuing his positive role in the clubhouse.
“It always helps to have a good presence around the clubhouse,” he said in the earlier interview. “When one person is down, everybody’s down. So my job is to keep everybody above being down.”
He largely has been used as a pinch runner and entering Friday had two stolen bases and two runs in his first three games. He was hitless in two at-bats, which both came late in Thursday’s 7-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins in extra innings.
“I was with the guys in spring training the whole time and I knew my role then,” Hamilton said. “It’s going to be pretty much the same thing nowadays, come in the late innings and run, play defense and whatever they need me to do.”
On Wednesday, that meant providing an insurance run with a play that led manager Pedro Grifol to say, “It’s speed, it’s instinct — he’s electric.”
Hamilton entered in the eighth, running for Yasmani Grandal. He moved to second on a bunt and used his legs to score from there when Elvis Andrus grounded out to second baseman Jorge Polanco, who ranged to the shortstop side of the bag to field the ball and make an off-balance throw to first.
“It’s more instincts, but it’s being aggressive on the base and not worrying about getting out in that position,” Hamilton said Friday. “Even if I got thrown out, which I didn’t, I’m glad I took that chance trying to attempt to make it.
“That’s what I’ve been doing my whole career on the bases, not being afraid to fail and it helps me out a lot.”
Reliever Joe Kelly returns from the paternity list
The Sox reinstated the reliever and optioned left-hander Sammy Peralta to Triple-A Charlotte before Friday’s game. Kelly’s wife, Ashley, gave birth to a son, Kai, on Monday.
