Billy Hamilton stood close to third base earlier than Friday’s recreation in opposition to the Cincinnati Reds.
“Billy!” a fan yelled from the stands.
More cheers got here whereas Hamilton took some swings throughout batting observe.
“Let’s go, Billy!” one other fan mentioned.
He later tossed a few baseballs to youngsters.
The Chicago White Sox reserve outfielder loved visiting the place his profession started.
“I know we came back here in ‘21, but every time I come here it’s the same feeling, it’s great,” Hamilton instructed the Tribune earlier than the opener of a three-game sequence 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 eleventh season, performed six seasons with the Reds (2013-18), hitting .245 with 277 stolen bases in 690 video games.
Reflecting on his favourite moments with the Reds, the 32-year-old mentioned, “All of them. This is where it all started.”
He then thought again to his debut on Sept. 3, 2013 in opposition to the St. Louis Cardinals.
“My first day, my first steal,” he mentioned.
Manager Dusty Baker instructed him to be ready to enter if Ryan Ludwick acquired on base late within the recreation.
“I’m down in the tunnel a little nervous, hoping he’d hit a home run,” Hamilton mentioned. “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 each since. Hamilton entered Friday with 326 stolen bases.
Hamilton spent 2021 with the Sox. He returned to the group 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 video games with Triple-A Charlotte earlier than becoming a member of 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 instructed 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 desires to help in any manner, together with persevering with his constructive position within the clubhouse.
“It always helps to have a good presence around the clubhouse,” he mentioned within 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 coming into Friday had two stolen bases and two runs in his first three video games. He was hitless in two at-bats, which each got here late in Thursday’s 7-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins in further innings.
“I was with the guys in spring training the whole time and I knew my role then,” Hamilton mentioned. “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 offering an insurance coverage run with a play that led supervisor Pedro Grifol to say, “It’s speed, it’s instinct — he’s electric.”
Hamilton entered within the eighth, working for Yasmani Grandal. He moved to second on a bunt and used his legs to attain from there when Elvis Andrus grounded out to second baseman Jorge Polanco, who ranged to the shortstop facet of the bag to discipline 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 mentioned Friday. “Even if I acquired thrown out, which I didn’t, I’m glad I took that likelihood attempting to aim 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 listing
The Sox reinstated the reliever and optioned left-hander Sammy Peralta to Triple-A Charlotte earlier than Friday’s recreation. Kelly’s spouse, Ashley, gave delivery to a son, Kai, on Monday.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com