Speed

If you haven't heard the name Billy Hamilton yet, you soon will.  In the Minor Leagues in 2012, Billy Hamilton stole 155 bases in 132 games.   Billy Hamilton then stole 75 bases in Triple A Ball in 123 games.  Then the Cincinnati Reds called Billy up to the Major Leagues, and Billy promptly stole 13 bases in 13 games.  Billy Hamilton is fast.

Fast guys like Billy Hamilton draw crowds.  People fill baseball stadiums to watch fast guys like Billy Hamilton.  People tune in their TV sets to watch the Billy Hamiltons of the world.  Speed sells.  And Baseball is a business.  So don't think the owners of Major League Baseball Teams haven't noticed; they will all want a piece of the action.

Jacoby Ellsbury, now of the NY Yankees, and previously with the Boston Red Sox, led the Major Leagues in stolen bases last year with 52.  Five of those 52 stolen bases came in one game.  If we discount that one game, no one in the Major Leagues stole more than 50 bases last year.

Well, you can kiss that era good-bye.  I saw Billy Hamilton being interviewed.  He said he enjoys watching Dee Gordon run the basepaths.  Dee Gordon is another speedster.  Dee is with the L.A. Dodgers.  In 2013 Dee Gordon stole 10 bases for the Dodgers in 106 at-bats.  In 2012 in Triple-A Ball Dee Gordon stole 51 bases.

I am sure the Dodger's owners can hear the cha-ching of the cash registers already.  In 2014 you can expect to see a lot more of Dee Gordon.  I say Dee Gordon steals 40 bases or more.

Rajai Davis has been under-utilized the past few years by the Toronto Blue Jays.  Nevertheless, Rajai Davis stole 45 bases in 2013, and he stole 46 bases in 2012.  The main reason that Rajai Davis didn't play more is that although he could catch fly balls in the outfield fairly well, he had an unfortunate tendency of throwing the ball about 15 rows deep into the box seats behind the first-base dugout when trying to catch a runner trying to score from second base.

Rajai Davis now plays for the Detroit Tigers.  Do the Owners hear the cha-ching?  I think they do.  They may even introduce Rajai Davis to the cutoff man, and suggest to Rajai that he'd be better off  throwing the baseball to the cutoff man, rather than throwing it to the fans in the box seats behind first base.

Jerry Blevins, a pitcher for the Oakland A's went 5-0 last year, and had a 3.15 ERA.  The Oakland A's traded Jerry Blevins to the Washington Nationals for a kid in the Minor Leagues named Billy Burns.  What does Billy Burns do?  Well, in 2013 he stole 74 bases in the Minors.  In spring training Billy Burns led all base-stealers. including Billy Hamilton, in stolen bases.  Billy batted .315 in the Minors; but he's not ready for the big leagues yet.  I expect to see him playing for Oakland maybe in August or September...cha-ching!

Get yourself ready for a fun year on the basepaths.  Did I mention that Eric Young stole 38 bases for the Mets last year?  Cha-ching!

At this rate, catchers as well as pitchers in the Major Leagues may need Tommy John surgery, just to play the game.  It should be a fun year.