Coleman respects Hamilton for swiping record

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Reds top prospect Billy Hamilton electrified the Minor Leagues last season when he stole a professional record 155 bases. The man who previously held the record, Vince Coleman, doesn't know Hamilton, but respects the feat.

Coleman, now a Minor League baserunning coach for the Astros, swiped 145 bases in 1983, a record that stood nearly three decades.

"All I know is he broke my record," Coleman told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. "He did it with hard work. He showed he went out every day. You had to run every day to do that, to steal that amount of bases. We'll see where he goes from there."

Coleman played in the Majors from 1985-97 and stole 752 career bases. His single-season high was 110 in 1985, his rookie year with the Cardinals.