Billy Hamilton made another unreal catch and couldn't help cracking a smile afterward
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If it's a day ending in "y," you can probably assume Billy Hamilton is out there on the field doing things others dream about.
The speedburning Reds center fielder has a knack for the unbelievable, whether running the bases or making sprawling, diving catches that make more sense in video games than they do in real life.
Well, Tuesday's Rangers-Reds game might as well have been a video game simulation considering the thievery Hamilton pulled in order to rob Carlos Beltrán of extra bases on a drive to left-center:
Here's how good that catch was, per Statcast™:
How would you react after doing something like this? Well, Hamilton couldn't help but shrug and crack a smile:
After the game, Hamilton broke down the play while speaking with MLB.com's Mark Sheldon:
"I knew it was in the gap and (Adam) Duvall, where he was playing, we talk about it every day. Duvall is pretty slow over there so I knew he had no chance. When I caught the ball, he was like 'if you didn't catch it, I would have been there.' I said 'Duvall, no chance you catch that.' It's just something that we talk about every single day. I can bash him a little bit because that's how tight of friends we are. He knows exactly what I'm talking about. I didn't think I made a false step. I didn't go as quick as I should have but it's something I made up for."
In a fun twist, Hamilton's play benefited Reds starter Dan Straily -- the same pitcher who was on the mound the last time Hamilton did something to this effect. This was Straily's reaction then:
And this was Straily's reaction on Tuesday:
So, has Hamilton received any special gifts from Straily yet, now that this has become a trend?
"No, not yet. Like I said, it seems like every time I make one of those plays, it comes when Dan's pitching because the guy comes out, throws strikes. He's not one of those guys, we want to strike you out every single time, he's going to put the ball in play, he trusts the defense and everything. That's one thing, that's why we like him, because he throws a lot of strikes and he works quick and for us to make plays like that, it's pretty good. But he hasn't bought me anything. I've been waiting on like a gift card, get some dinner or something."
As always, it has to be pretty fun having Hamilton out there behind you on the field. Straily and the Reds won the game, 3-0, too.