Tag Archives: stolen bases

24 Oct

running on

Like the mechanical rabbit in those Energizer battery commercials, Billy Hamilton keeps on going and going … . The former Taylorsville High standout, now 33, is playing for Jalisco in the Mexican Pacific League — a winter league — and at last look was batting .342 with six steals and eight runs in 10 games. He now has 806 stolen bases in a pro career that dates to 2013. Hamilton played the last of his 951 MLB games with the Chicago White Sox in 2023, making just three appearances. He did not get an opportunity in the big leagues in 2024 but played in the regular Mexican League, stealing 37 bases while batting .256 in 63 games with Jalisco and Tabasco. With 326 steals (while playing for eight different teams) in MLB, Hamilton is the all-time leader among Mississippi natives. His 155 bags in 2012 remains a minor league record. … Also playing in the MPL are ex-Harrison Central star Bobby Bradley and Petal High product Anthony Alford, both ex-big leaguers who also played in the country’s summer league in 2024. Bradley is batting .167 for Monterrey, Alford .115 (with a homer) for Obregon.

03 Sep

ready, set, go …

Everybody in the Cincinnati ballpark knew what was coming. On Sept. 3, 2013, Billy Hamilton was inserted into a major league game for the first time, as a pinch runner in the seventh inning of a scoreless game between the host Reds and St. Louis. The former Taylorsville High star, who had swiped 395 bases in five minor league seasons to that point, promptly stole second — against Cardinals All-Star/Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina, no less. Todd Frazier then doubled, and Hamilton cruised home with what would be the game’s only run. That stolen base was the first of 326 big league steals by Hamilton, the all-time leader among Mississippi natives. The run was the first of 454 he would score in 951 MLB games in a career that ended in 2023. He was also a tremendous defensive center fielder. Hamilton got national attention when he stole a record 155 bases in the minors in 2012. His games were like a track meet: 410 steals in 572 minor league contests. In his first four full big league seasons (2014-17), he swiped 56, 57, 58 and 59. In 2018, his last season with Cincinnati, he got 34 bags. That was the last year he played regularly as he bounced from team to team, playing for seven all told from 2019-23. He played his last game on May 4 of last year for the Chicago White Sox. And yes, he did steal a base. Listed at 6 feet, 160 pounds in his prime, Hamilton hit just .239 (.292 on-base percentage) over his 11-year career. One can only wonder what kind of numbers “Bone” would have put up if he could only have gotten on base more often. Second on Mississippi’s all-time steals list is Cool Papa Bell, credited with 285 in his Negro Leagues career. Jarrod Dyson is third with 266, Gee Walker fourth with 223. Even with new rules now that favor base-stealing, it’s hard to imagine anyone topping Hamilton’s 326.

22 Jul

spotlight on …

After making a smooth transition to Mississippi State and the SEC a year ago, Colton Ledbetter has moved seamlessly into the High-Class A level of pro ball in 2024. Ledbetter, a second-round draft pick by Tampa Bay last summer, is batting .268 with 11 home runs, 44 RBIs, 44 runs and 25 stolen bases at Bowling Green. He jumped to the South Atlantic League after playing just 18 games in Low-A last year. The 22-year-old outfielder, who bats from the left side, is ranked No. 14 on the Rays’ prospect chart by MLB Pipeline. An Alabama native, Ledbetter spent his first two years of college ball at Samford, a mid-level NCAA Division I program. He transferred to MSU in 2023 and batted .320 with 12 homers, 52 RBIs and 17 bags for the Bulldogs. Tampa Bay, reportedly impressed with Ledbetter’s all-around athleticism as well as his hit tool, made him the 55th overall pick in the 2023 draft. It might not be long before he jumps to Double-A. … Ledbetter ranks 13th in the SAL with his 25 steals, including one on Sunday. Former Southern Miss star Matthew Etzel had 31 steals for Aberdeen (Baltimore system) in the SAL and has added nine more at Double-A Bowie, a total (40) that tops all Mississippi products in the minors. Cooper Pratt, ex-Magnolia Heights star, has 22 steals for Carolina (Milwaukee) in the Low-A Carolina League. P.S. Right-hander Drue Hackenberg, Atlanta’s No. 9 prospect, struck out a club-record 16 batters in seven innings Sunday for the Mississippi Braves, who won at Pensacola 5-1 in 11 innings. Hackenberg, a 2023 draftee, has a 3.43 ERA in four Double-A starts. Tyler Tolve’s 11th-inning homer, his 10th of the year, was the game-turning hit. Justin Dean stole three bases for the M-Braves and leads the Southern League with 40.

30 Apr

see how they run

The Mississippi Braves, back home tonight for the first time in 16 days, have not been winning consistently, but Angel Flores’ club has been consistently aggressive on the basepaths. The M-Braves (7-14) have stolen 47 bases, tied for most in the Southern League, and have six players in the top 15 on the individual steals list. Maybe this approach will start to pay dividends for a team that has shown little power at the plate. Cody Milligan, in his third year with the Double-A M-Braves, has 10 steals, as does newcomer Geraldo Quintero. M-Braves veteran Justin Dean, who is batting .308, has swiped nine bags. Nacho Alvarez, the highly regarded shortstop prospect batting .292, has seven, Cal Conley six and Keshawn Ogans five. However, all this thievery has not translated into a bunch of runs thus far. The team is seventh in the eight-team league with 65. The M-Braves’ pitching has been solid enough: 3.64 ERA. Left-hander Luis De Avila (0-3, 5.82) will start tonight’s opener at Trustmark Park against Pensacola, a Miami affiliate which features former Mississippi State star Tanner Allen, hitting .273 with a homer and eight RBIs. Milligan comes in hot for the M-Braves, having hit .360 last week. … Of note: Southern Miss alum Hurston Waldrep (0-3, 5.68), Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect, is slated to start Game 3 on Thursday, and J.J. Niekro (1-2, 3.92), son of former big leaguer Joe, is set for Friday.

13 Mar

steal this base

There’s a whole lot of thievery going on in Mississippi. Jackson State, which stole six bases in a win over Grambling State on Tuesday, leads NCAA Division I in stolen bases with 59 (in 63 attempts) in its 17 games, of which the Tigers have won 13. Belhaven University has swiped 63 bags (in 16 games), which is second-most in NCAA Division III. Rust College has 86 steals, ranking No. 3 in NAIA, and Blue Mountain Christian has 79 bags, fifth in NAIA. (Not sure what this says about the quality of catching at the NAIA or D-III levels.) At JSU, there is a team-wide emphasis on stealing bags, with three regulars having nine or more and two others bagging four each. Jordan McCladdie leads the Tigers with 13, followed by Rodney Hibler Jr. with 12 and Joseph Eichelberger — the .483 hitter — with nine. Rust is running with even more abandon, having attempted 105 steals in 25 games (7-18 record). Malik Berrien ranks second in NAIA with 24. Hayden Redding has 17 and Bryland Skinner (used most often as a pinch runner) 14 for Blue Mountain, which has bolted to an 18-5 start. Cole Fletcher leads Belhaven with 12. At NAIA William Carey, which has swiped 37 bases, Jerod Williams has 11. … The state’s Big 3 D-I schools haven’t caught the running bug. Southern Miss has just 12 steals, Ole Miss 22 and Mississippi State 23. No individual has more than six bags at any of the three. P.S. Blue Mountain’s Arderrius “Peeko” Townsend has been named the NAIA national player of the week after batting .500 with five homers and 12 RBIs last week. Note: Townsend, more slugger (15 homers in 2024) than sprinter, has swiped eight bases for the Toppers.

23 Aug

playing the numbers

Billy Hamilton, the former Taylorsville High standout, has piled up a lot of numbers in his major league career — and it seems highly uncertain that he’ll be adding to the totals. The skinny outfielder, just released from Triple-A by the Chicago White Sox, has played in 951 games and gotten 2,988 at-bats over an 11-year MLB career. Originally drafted by Cincinnati, he has played for eight different big league clubs, five in the last three years. He has just 22 MLB at-bats the last two years and only one hit; his career average sits at .239. But his 326 stolen bases are the most ever by Mississippi native, and he has scored 454 runs. And there are a couple of other numbers that might entice a big league team to bring Hamilton aboard when rosters expand from 26 to 28 in September. Though he has never won a Gold Glove, Hamilton has 73 defensive runs saved and 58 outs above average as a center fielder, both very good numbers according to MLB Trade Rumors. His career highlight reel is impressive. He has spent a good chunk of this season on the injured list, most recently with a shoulder problem. But he can still run and catch, even at 32. Here’s hoping he gets another shot.

13 Jun

speed demon

The highest grade scouts give prospects for a specific tool is 80. Emaarion Boyd got a 70 for his “run” tool, and the ex-South Panola High standout is showing it off in his first full pro season. An 11th-round draft pick last summer by Philadelphia, Boyd leads the Low-Class A Florida State League in stolen bases with 33. He swiped six in one game last week. The 5-foot-11, 177-pound center fielder also has produced with his bat, hitting .268 with five extra-base hits and 14 RBIs for Clearwater. Boyd has scored 31 runs in 40 games for the Threshers, who stand 40-16 and already have clinched a first-half division title. Boyd is rated as the Phillies’ No. 12 prospect. The mlb.com scouting report highlights his ability to put the ball in play — he hit .345 in rookie ball in 2022 — and projects that he’ll get stronger and add power to his game. The speed will always be there. P.S. Magee’s Brennon McNair, an 11th-round pick in 2021 by Kansas City, also has flashed eye-catching speed this season. Playing at Low-A Columbia in the Carolina League, McNair has 15 steals in 16 attempts. The third baseman is batting just .209 but has a homer, four doubles and four triples. … James Beard, considered one of the fastest players in the 2019 draft coming out of Loyd Star, has been stalled by injuries in the Chicago White Sox’s system. He swiped 28 bags in A-ball in 2022 but hasn’t played yet this season. … Billy Hamilton, probably the fastest player to come out of the Magnolia State, is on a rehab assignment for the White Sox at Triple-A Charlotte. The former Taylorsville High star, 32, is Mississippi’s all-time MLB steals leader with 326, two this year. He has 405 in the minors, three this year.

09 Mar

steal this bag

To no one’s surprise, stolen bases are up significantly in spring training games this year. With a pitch clock, new pickoff rules and bigger bases, this was bound to happen. And this is great news for players whose main tool is speed. A shining example: former Taylorsville High star Billy Hamilton. Hamilton, 32 and several years removed from being a big league regular, is in the Chicago White Sox’s camp as a non-roster invitee. Thanks to the MLB changes for 2023, he stands a good chance of making the club out of spring training as a pinch runner and defensive replacement. If Hamilton isn’t the fastest player in baseball, he’s in the top five. He famously swiped 155 bases in a minor league season and is the all-time MLB steals leader among Mississippi natives with 324. He has an 82 percent career success rate. He stole 10 bases in 11 attempts last season, when he got just one hit in 20 at-bats while with Miami and Minnesota. He is 1-for-10 as a hitter this spring but is 2-for-2 in steals and has scored four runs in eight games. When he gets on, he can get over and get in — and have a major impact this season in a limited role. … Tim Anderson, the White Sox shortstop and former East Central Community College star, also figures to see a jump in his stolen base numbers this season. Anderson went 13-for-13 last year, when he played in just 79 games because of injuries, and has 104 steals in his seven big league seasons. His season-high is 26, which he could certainly threaten in 2023.