energy guy
“Energy” isn’t one of the five tools commonly used to evaluate players. Maybe it should be. Billy Hamilton certainly has it, and it’s helped him stay in the game and make contributions with the Chicago White Sox this season. In Game 2 of the ChiSox’s sweep of Baltimore on Saturday, the Taylorsville High product hit his first home run of the season to break a scoreless tie in the fourth inning and sprinted around the bases, losing his helmet along the way. The guy one White Sox broadcaster called “Mr. Funsie” joyfully high-fived virtually every teammate in the dugout. Fans serenaded him as he took his position in center field at Guaranteed Rate Field. In the sixth, the speedy Hamilton made a diving catch with the bases loaded and no outs, preserving a 3-0 lead. The White Sox won 3-1, improving to 31-20. Hamilton has bounced all over the majors the last three years and made the White Sox as a non-roster invitee this spring. He is batting .208 with seven RBIs, nine runs and four steals in 29 games. Now 30 and in his ninth MLB season, Hamilton has his limitations, but he has found a way to fit in with a strong club, mainly with the energy he brings. “He’s the life of the party,” White Sox broadcaster Len Kasper said during Saturday’s game.