Hamilton reaches milestone 50th stolen base
Center fielder also notches steal No. 51; Price appreciates his value
CINCINNATI -- Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton claimed his 50th and 51st stolen bases of the season in the third inning of Saturday's 4-3 victory over the Pirates at Great American Ball Park.
With Joey Votto at the plate and the Reds up, 1-0, Hamilton was able to just beat out the throw from catcher Chris Stewart to steal second base and reach the milestone No. 50. Hamilton then followed that up with his 51st stolen base when Todd Frazier was batting, again beating out the throw from Stewart.
Video: PIT@CIN: Hamilton swipes third base
It only took Hamilton 93 games to reach the milestone number, and he is now 51-for-58 in stolen-base opportunities. This is the second time Hamilton has reached the 50 stolen-base plateau, swiping 56 bags last season.
Reds manager Bryan Price recognized the milestone achievement after Saturday's victory over the Pirates, and he also pointed to his defensive ability as another plus in Hamilton's game.
"That's a big mark, and he's making the most of those opportunities," Price said. "His success rate is way up, caught-stealing rate is way down, and he's playing really tremendous center field for us too. You can't under-appreciate the value of what he does for us as a defensive player, too."
The Reds' single-season stolen-base record is 81 in the modern era set by Bob Bescher in 1911. Rickey Henderson currently holds the modern era Major League record for stolen bases in a single season with 130 in 1982.