Reds' Billy Hamilton: 'This last month is big for me'

PITTSBURGH — Reds rookie Billy Hamilton may just be 23, but he says he spends as much time in the training room as any veteran. Before the game, he'll hit the hot tub and then have a trainer stretch him out. After the game, it's the same thing.

"I hear it every day — 'you're 23 years old and you're in the training room,' " Hamilton said recently. "They're being funny, it's what they do."

Just then, Ramon Santiago walks into the interview and says Hamilton is lying, before smiling and laughing as he walks away.

But it's true, Hamilton spends more time in the training room than most young players, not because he's hurt, but more for preventive measures.

Baseball is a daily physical grind. While it lacks the big hits of football, it is a daily physical test of pounding, and few bodies take more of a pounding in the game than Hamilton's 165-pound frame.

No player in the game relies more on his legs — the two spindly things that he hides under the pants he constantly adjusts — pulling, tugging and fiddling through the billowing fabric. Those legs are always moving, and then they come to sudden stops, usually aided by a combination of gravity and friction created by his chest sliding across the ground, whether it's the dirt of the base paths or the grass of the outfield. No Reds player causes more work for the clubhouse crew that Hamilton, who leads the team in stolen bases and diving outfield catches.

That's precisely why many look at his 165-pound frame and wonder if it's possible for him to make it through an entire season without wearing down. This is nothing new. He's heard it his entire life, whether it was about his ability to play football, or deal with the physical pounding that comes with stealing 100 bases in a season, finishing each with a high-speed slide.

Those doubts, like most other things, bring a smile to Hamilton's face.

"That's one thing, I'm very competitive. I love when people tell me I can't do something -- I've proved this, I've proved that," Hamilton said. "That's how I've always been competitive, it doesn't matter what the situation is, I'm going to compete."

Hamilton goes into September, his first full season in the big leagues, with 131 games under his belt. Last year Hamilton played in 123 games at Triple-A Louisville and 13 more with the Reds, a total of 136 games. That's the most he's ever played in a single season as a professional.

Entering Tuesday's game with the Orioles, the Reds have 25 games remaining, meaning it's likely Hamilton will play more games in a single season than he ever has before.

"A full baseball season will challenge anybody, especially someone doing something for the first time. Billy is in a full six-month season of playing every day," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "This isn't coming in for September and being a pinch-runner and getting three or four starts. This is an everyday player for a six-month season. I'm very pleased with how he's handled it physically. I'm even more impressed with how he's handed it mentally."

On the field is where Hamilton enters the final month of the season as the favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year. He leads all National League rookies in runs (70), hits (133), total bases (190), doubles (25), steals (54) and RBI (46) and is second among all players in steals. Overall, he's hitting .267/.302/.382 on the season. Hardly eye-popping numbers, but they are aided by the steals and Gold Glove-level defense in center field.

But the final month of the season can do in a rookie, precisely because he is a rookie. Two years ago, Todd Frazier entered September as the odds-on favorite to win the Rookie of the Year, but hit .176 over the last month, dragging his average down 20 points and finishing third in the voting behind eventual winner Bryce Harper of the Nationals and Diamondbacks starter Wade Miley.

"It's a lot tougher your first time," Frazier said of the rookie year. "I'm still asking guys how they work out in the offseason, when they take breaks? I think he'll be fine, he just has to keep working, keep thinking about keeping his stats up and helping the team."

July was actually Hamilton's worst month of his rookie season thus far. After hitting .240/.267/.410 during the month, he bounced back some in August, hitting .256/.310/.308 and stealing 12 bases, the second-best month of his season after June (14).

At least one observer expects Hamilton to finish strong. Reds coach Billy Hatcher, who works closely with Hamilton in the outfield and base running, said September should be his best month of the year.

"This is where everyone else is getting tired, he's going to pick it up," Hatcher said. "The only problem I have with Billy is I have to slow him down, I have to slow him down defensively, I have to slow him down before the game. He has a routine and I have to slow him down. He's only 165 pounds, I have to try to keep him strong."

And that's where the hot tub and stretching come in.

"You've got to keep your body. I'm going full speed all the time. I'm going after everything," Hamilton said. "I give 100 percent every single day, that's one thing I've always been taught. If you're going to do something, you've got to do it 100 percent. That's sliding, diving. My body takes a pounding, but you've got to stay with it.

"It's a grind, I'm going to go into this last month like I do every other month, keep girding. I can't stop now. This last month is big for me, I have to finish the season strong. I'm looking forward to this month."

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CANDIDATES

Billy Hamilton, CF Reds — The Reds speedster tied a team record for most steals in a season with 54 on Sunday. That record was established in 1909 and barring injury will be broken easily by Hamilton. While his base stealing gets most of the attention, Hamilton's defense has been outstanding. In just his second year as an outfielder, Hamilton's been one of the game's best. WAR 3.6

Jacob deGrom, RHP Mets — Probably Hamilton's biggest competition, the Mets starter is 7-6 with a 2.94 ERA this season. The lone knock against deGrom is that he's had two disabled list stints, limiting him to 18 starts with a month to go. The last two starters to win Rookie of the Year, Miami's Jose Fernandez and Tampa Bay's Jeremy Hellickson had 28 and 29 starts, respectively, as rookies. WAR 1.8

Kolten Wong, 2B Cardinals — The Hawaii native has had two stints in Triple-A, once as a demotion and another time as on a rehab start. Since his rehab start, he's hit .270/.299/.472 with nine home runs, but he's hitting just .250/.291/.393 with 10 home runs overall. WAR 1.5

Jesse Hahn, RHP Padres — Part of the seven-player trade between the Rays and Padres, Hahn is 7-3 with a 3.00 ERA. The Padres aren't worried about awards, limiting Hahn's progress. They didn't call him up until June and then after 12 starts, they sent him to Double-A, despite dominating big-league batters. Hahn was recalled recently and will be used out of the bullpen the rest of the season. WAR 0.9

Ender Inciarte, Chris Owings, David Peralta, Diamondbacks — The three Diamondbacks will likely cancel each other out in voting, but each have put together impressive seasons on their own. Iciarte, the team's center fielder, has been outstanding in the field and is hitting .267/.307/.440, but lacks Hamilton's stolen bases. Shortstop Chris Owings started hot, but struggled and has also been on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. He's hitting .277/.313/.458. Peralta, a former pitcher converted to the outfield, is hitting .289/.322/.461. He was called up in June, limiting the number of games he's played. WAR — Inciarte 2.0, Owings 1.8, Peralta 1.1