Since the start of the 2014 spring training, when Billy Hamilton was installed as the Reds center fielder and leadoff hitter, he has generated as much excitement and frustration as any player in a Cincinnati Reds uniform. Thanks to Hamilton’s 0-for-13 start at the plate in the team’s opening series against the Cardinals, Hamilton’s role as a polarizing figure for Reds fans was evident from the beginning. The ink on the scorecards from those games had barely dried when calls began to take pressure off Hamilton by moving him down in the lineup.
Diagnosing Billy Hamilton’s problems at the plate and prescribing remedies have become Cincinnati pastimes.