ST. LOUIS – Cincinnati Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton is undeniably the fastest runner in baseball. Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals, he may have scored the fastest run that didn’t involve the ball leaving the field of play.
The entire sequence happened in the span of three pitches to start the top of the seventh. The Reds led 6-0 when Hamilton stepped to the plate against Cardinals right-hander Miguel Socolovich. Hamilton shot an 0-2 fastball into right, dropping it in front of right fielder Randal Grichuk.
It would have been a single for most hitters, but Hamilton steamed around first and slid headfirst into second for a double.