Former MSU football signee Billy Hamilton

[Todd4State]

was named the third best second base prospect by MLB.com. He plays in the Reds organization and had a ton of stolen bases last year. Sounds to me like he will start in A ball, or possibly AA with a good spring.

 

[RobbieRandolph]

I think I recall him taking the MLB offer out of HS to get his family out of poverty, but I could be wrong so dont hold me to that.

Todd, how does his path to the majors look with Brandon Phillips currently on the Reds roster?

 

[Todd4State]

I don't know about poverty, but from what I had heard, they were certainly not well off.

Hamilton will have at least two years- at best, and probably more like 3-4 years before he even gets a serious look at the big leagues. He was in rookie ball last year, so he is way down the ladder- he was only 19 last year, so he has plenty of time to develop and the Reds will give him that time because there is no need to rush him.

For whatever it's worth, Brandon Phillips will be a free agent in 2012, and so I suspect that the Reds will probably try to re-sign him at that point, or go with a low price veteran for a couple for years if Phillips wants too much money with the idea that Hamilton will replace whoever in about four-five years.

 

[whitedog]

I would like to know who might have been better all around at all 3 sports in the last 20 years at the high school level in MS. I saw him play basketball I think against like McGee or something one night. Quick as ****, nice handle, decent looking stroke. His senior year, I thought basketball was his top sport but then I sawhis footage on football and baseball and was like damn!

 

[WhitHughes96]

FWIW, Hamilton played in the Pioneer League for the Billings Mustangs against fellow baseball signee Corey Dickerson. Dickerson and Hamilton were both named MVP's on their teams. Corey also put up great numbers for the Casper Ghosts. He led his team in almost every category and set club records for
doubles and homeruns for the Ghosts. The game I went to Corey went 2-3 with a 3 run shot and an RBI
single. Dickerson is one of the best pure hitters I have ever seen. Hamilton would be a nice addition to our basketball team. I witnessed him drop 54 in a south state playoff game but the next night at an MPSA game I heard fans say they could shut him down, their 3rd quarter score in a state tourney game was 23-17 to start the 4th quarter. If our baseball team had Hamilton and Dickerson, we would host a regional for sure this year