Billy Hamilton

[liveforoctober]

I mentioned this is another thread somewhere but I want the baseball Gods to start hearing chatter about it so they can start making it happen.

 

The 26th man on the roster provides a unique opportunity for a club to stash a specialty threat on their bench if they have the depth to do so. I think Milwaukee has reached the point with their roster where they can afford to have a specialist on the club.

 

Signing Holt makes Gamel expendable I think and Hamilton could be a game changing threat on most nights when we are in a close game and need speed on the bases. There will be plenty of Narvaez/Pina/Smoak/Gyorko, etc lead off singles in the 7th or later where Hamilton would come in incredibly handy.

 

He is currently on a minor league deal with SF and their outfield seems set so I'm not sure if he will make their roster. As long as he is not getting at bats I think he would be an incredible asset as a late game defensive spell and a pinch running base thief.

 

Thoughts?

[JohnBriggs12]

I don't see it. Why get nothing with the bat from a 26th man? That extra man allows Counsell to pinch hit earlier in the game than he might have. I'd rather keep a 3rd catcher than a pure pinch runner.

[MrTPlush]

I think MLB teams are well aware of the 26th man and clever ways to use it...zero teams wanted to use it on Billy Hamilton. I think that explains a lot.

 

His stolen base ability is also a bit overrated. He success rate was 79% last year and 77% in 2018. That is good, but really nothing special. Certainly far from elite. That would be special if he could hit a bit with it, but he can't.

[liveforoctober]

I don't see it. Why get nothing with the bat from a 26th man? That extra man allows Counsell to pinch hit earlier in the game than he might have. I'd rather keep a 3rd catcher than a pure pinch runner.

 

I don't necessarily disagree with you. If we can find a good bat as the 26th it would be beneficial, but in this example if we are comparing Gamel to Hamilton. What Gamel provides defensively is equaled by someone like Hamilton. Does the small bump in offensive output from Hamilton to Gamel in ~100 at bats over the course of a season outweigh a possible late inning advantage of having Hamilton on your bench every night?

 

I don't know the answer. I just think it is an interesting way to possibly utilize the extra roster spot and give your roster an additional element.

[liveforoctober]

I think MLB teams are well aware of the 26th man and clever ways to use it...zero teams wanted to use it on Billy Hamilton. I think that explains a lot.

 

His stolen base ability is also a bit overrated. He success rate was 79% last year and 77% in 2018. That is good, but really nothing special. Certainly far from elite. That would be special if he could hit a bit with it, but he can't.

 

Just as a counterpoint, how many MLB rosters have the flexibility/versatility to be able to use the 26th roster spot in the fashion where Hamilton might become an asset?

[Roderick]

Assuming Usain Bolt is in the olympics again, how about we sign him to a deal for September. He should be able to steal bases quite well. He could even drop the extra good vitamins for the month

[SeaBass]

We have Keon Broxton back in the minors this season, correct? I think he'd be first up to fill the Billy Hamilton defense first/pinch runner role being suggested here. I wasn't sure about his base running but did a quick google search and apparently he's plenty fast enough, was rated 5th in MLB in 2017 and 20th in MLB in 2016.

[AKCheesehead]

Re: the Usain Bolt comment.

 

That’s something I’ve daydreamt about during expanded roster times in years past. Not Bolt specifically, but some world class sprinter who is not a baseball player but studied and practiced base running to be a pinch runner. Would it work? No idea but it’d be interesting.

[brewcrewdue80]

Re: the Usain Bolt comment.

 

That’s something I’ve daydreamt about during expanded roster times in years past. Not Bolt specifically, but some world class sprinter who is not a baseball player but studied and practiced base running to be a pinch runner. Would it work? No idea but it’d be interesting.

 

 

You know if the Brewers were the first to try it, MLB would immediately find a way to change the rules so that the rules aren't being exposed by a small market team first.

[JosephC]

It is my hope that the 26th man spot evolves into a late-inning baserunning specialist who will come in and really slow the game down in the late innings. Just to make Manfred even more stupid. Even though Manfred no longer needs any help looking stupid.

[liveforoctober]

It is my hope that the 26th man spot evolves into a late-inning baserunning specialist who will come in and really slow the game down in the late innings. Just to make Manfred even more stupid. Even though Manfred no longer needs any help looking stupid.

 

I don't think that is that far fetched, especially given the 3 batter rule. It is a real advantage having a Broxton/Hamilton type available to you in a close game. If a new pitcher starts an inning and is historically slow to the plate or has a bad throwing catcher to work with, etc - then Smoak/Narvaez/Gyorko, etc leads off with a single - you now have (insert basestealer here) on first with a high percentage chance of taking 2nd and the pitcher can't be removed.

 

In a close game, that is valuable no?

 

I get your point about slowing the game down though. Because the pitcher WILL throw over to 1st six straight times when this happens.

[clancyphile]

It is my hope that the 26th man spot evolves into a late-inning baserunning specialist who will come in and really slow the game down in the late innings. Just to make Manfred even more stupid. Even though Manfred no longer needs any help looking stupid.

 

I don't think that is that far fetched, especially given the 3 batter rule. It is a real advantage having a Broxton/Hamilton type available to you in a close game. If a new pitcher starts an inning and is historically slow to the plate or has a bad throwing catcher to work with, etc - then Smoak/Narvaez/Gyorko, etc leads off with a single - you now have (insert basestealer here) on first with a high percentage chance of taking 2nd and the pitcher can't be removed.

 

In a close game, that is valuable no?

 

I get your point about slowing the game down though. Because the pitcher WILL throw over to 1st six straight times when this happens.

 

I'd want more than a specialist. Could be justified at a 40-man expanded roster, but not 26 or even 28. Lots of speed, yes, but someone who can provide plus defense at multiple positions, who has good OBP skills, or who can hit for average.

[mtrebs]

Apparently this guy really hates this idea...

 

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Apparently this guy really hates this idea...

 

 

He's not the only one. The idea of having Billy Hamilton anywhere near this roster sounds pretty terrible to me, too. Especially when Keon Broxton is already here.

[mtrebs]

Apparently this guy really hates this idea...

 

 

He's not the only one. The idea of having Billy Hamilton anywhere near this roster sounds pretty terrible to me, too. Especially when Keon Broxton is already here.

 

I know. I was more surprised that he needed to stay away from Brewerfan.net for a while because of this. Because Twitter is such a wealth of quality takes... lol.

[MrTPlush]

Look at his banner and his bio. Sounds like we could trade Ben Gamel for Mike Trout and he would cry. Also he has a pinned tweet...probably his only relevant tweet ever...that is really just a scam of a joke done way before he ever posted it.

 

The idea is terrible, in my opinion...but I am not impressed by the BrewerFan hater either.

[JosephC]

People need to revisit the stat sheet when it comes to Keon Broxton. Last year he had a .517 OPS and over the last two seasons he's posted a .170 batting average and .253 OBP in over 300 major league plate appearances. He went to the plate 228 times last year and struck out 104 times. His OPS has dropped each of the last three years.

 

Hamilton is no superstar but he can also play plus-plus centerfield defense and would likely get on base at a ~.290 clip which, IMO, makes him much better than Broxton.

 

ZiPS is the only projection service to credit Broxton with enough at-bats to get a meaningful WAR projection for 2020. Broxton projected as a -0.3 WAR player, Hamilton projected as a +0.6 WAR player. Those numbers look pretty reasonable to me when viewing the recent history of each of these players.

 

I'd be all over Hamilton if he could be signed to a minor league deal. And I'm not interested in him as a pinch-runner. I'm interested in him as a centerfield defense insurance policy in case Cain gets injured. I have no interest in seeing Yelich, Garcia, Gamel logging a serious number of innings in centerfield and making the outfield defense potentially as bad a the infield and catcher defense could be this season. I also have no interest in seeing Broxton logging large amounts of innings either because that means we will be subjected to watching his sub-Chris Davis bat continuously at the plate. Again, while Hamilton is a black hole offensively, he will get on base at a better clip than Broxton and is a plus-plus centerfielder.

[gebc1997]

Billy Hamilton signed with the Giants a few weeks ago

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Billy Hamilton signed with the Giants a few weeks ago

 

That was pointed out in the initial post. He's on a minor league deal, and the Giants have a pretty crowded OF picture. He's likely one of those guys that has an early opt-out.

[TURBO]

Lock this thread, the simple sight of his name makes me feel bad inside.

[Underachiever]

Am I the only one old enough to remember Herb Washington?

[reillymcshane]

Lock this thread, the simple sight of his name makes me feel bad inside.

Done.