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October 8, 2012
Monday Morning Ten Pack
October 8
by BP Prospect Staff
Billy Hamilton, CF, Reds (Double-A Pensacola/Peoria Javelinas)
Few players in the 20-year history of the Arizona Fall League have reported with as much buzz as Cincinnati Reds' prospect Billy Hamilton. Coming off a season where he broke a minor league record by stealing 155 bases and having posted an overall .319/.418/.431 line between High-A Bakersfield and Double-A Pensacola, Hamilton would have already been targeted as an exciting player to watch closely, but there is more on his plate than most of the other prospects this Fall.
After playing shortstop in the Reds' system since being drafted in the second round of the 2009 draft, Hamilton is listed as an outfielder on the Peoria Javalinas' roster. With shortstops Zack Cozart and Didi Gregorius already in their stable, Cincinnati is going to attempt to convert Hamilton into a center fielder in the AFL. This type of strategy is what Roland Hemond had in mind when he came up with the idea of the Arizona Fall League, because winter ball teams in Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Puerto Rico cannot afford to risk conversion projects in their highly competitive environment laden with roster limitations. The Reds' Arizona headquarters are a short ride from any of the AFL sites, so their instructors will spend a lot of time with Hamilton and observe every game.
With his exceptional speed (13.8 on an inside-the-park homer this year), slightly above-average arm, and high baseball IQ, Hamilton is a great candidate. Mickey Mantle, Robin Yount, Paul Blair, Chet Lemon,
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14 comments have been left for this article. 
Surprise Me!
As a Reds fan, I am not sure what excites me more, the fact that they are up 2-0 on the Giants or that Hamilton has (finally) been moved to CF.
Stay excited about both, as they might go a long way this October