Reds' Billy Hamilton gets refresher from DeShields

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Sometimes a player and a manager just click. That is the case with Billy Hamilton and Delino DeShields.

"I've been with Billy since he started playing professionally," DeShields said. "We have that kind of relationship. He's like my son almost."

DeShields was Hamilton's manager in 2010 at Billings, in 2011 at Dayton and in 2012 at Pensacola. So when Hamilton was looking for ways to elevate his game this offseason, he turned to DeShields, who is now the manager at Triple-A Louisville.

"I can always go to him and be straightforward with him," Hamilton said. "He's helped me out for a long time."

Hamilton's season was a mixed bag last year. He finished as the runner-up in the National League Rookie of the Year vote. He hit .250 with 25 doubles, eight triples, six home runs, 48 RBI and 56 steals.

The downside was he got caught stealing a major league-high 23 times. And his first half/second half splits were stark. Hamilton hit .285/.319/.423 in the first half and .200/.254/.257 in the second half.

"I did some good things last year," Hamilton said. "But I also did some bad things. With the past you can always look back to it, but you can't go back and change things. I try to move forward and not think about it. I'm trying to prepare myself for this season.

"I'm better prepared than last year. I'm looking forward to a good season."

Part of the reason behind his struggles last year, Hamilton says, is he got away from what DeShields had worked with him on in spring training.

"He helped me out last year in spring," Hamilton said. "I ended up getting away from what he taught me during season. That's my fault. I told him: 'I got away from what you taught me in the spring training.' Not intentionally. It happened."

It happens to a lot of players when they're breaking into the big leagues at 23 as Hamilton was.

So Hamilton went to Atlanta to get refresher course from DeShields.

"We talked about a lot of things," DeShields said. "I don't want to get into specifics. Just getting him out of Mississippi and to get his mind back around baseball to get going was good. The main thing from the left side is to keep the ball out of the air so much. We went over some tape and looked at some things. That I think that is going to help him moving forward."

The numbers show how important keeping the ball out of the air is for Hamilton. He hit .061 on fly balls and .304 on ground balls.

Hamilton can relate to DeShields so well because DeShields spent 13 years in the big leagues mostly as a leadoff hitter. DeShields, by the way, got caught stealing 22 times his rookie year. But DeShields was a career .268 hitter with a career .352 on-base percentage. The Reds would take that from Hamilton.

"It's always good to get back with Delino," Hamilton said. "His game is what I want my game to be. We're similar. We talk about it everyday. He's trying to get me to exactly like he was. It's a process. I'm learning. Every day I take what he tells me to the field.

"It's gone pretty well. I've seen the difference in spring training. We haven't played in games yet. But I still feel good in (batting practice) already."

This camp is very different for Hamilton. Last year, he was the speed sensation. The Reds didn't know what they would get from him at plate or in center field. He showed the potential to hit well and was sensational in center.

"There's a lot of us who are feeling better having a year under our belt," Reds manager Bryan Price joked.

Price, like Hamilton, was a rookie last year. But more was expected of Hamilton.

"I think being Billy Hamilton meant 1) high profile, 2) speedster, epic speed guy put that on display as frequently as possible," Price said. "It's hard to live up to your billing. It's a lot easier to play when you don't worry about living up to what everybody expects and you just go out and play and have fun."

Hamilton has noticed the difference in camp this spring.

"It's more relaxing," he said. "Not that my work ethic has changed. It always will be the same. I know I've got the job. But it's more relaxing. I've come out here and not put too much pressure on myself. I'm not trying to do too much.

"I put a lot of pressure on myself last year."

The expectations for Hamilton are as great this year, but a year's experience with the ups and downs should help.

"When you know what's in front of you, when you know what to expect, it seems like the game is easier to play," Price said. "We all know it's not an easy game to play. At times, he makes it look real easy.

"He's a gifted natural athlete. He's an instinctive player. He wants to be great. I think we'll see him take another step toward being the type of player we think he can be, which I think is an All-Star center fielder, both offensively and defensively."

That refresher course with DeShields should help.

"He picks things up fast," DeShields said. "He's going to have a good summer."