Billy Hamilton, possibly the fastest man in baseball, needed to slow things down a bit after his first regular-season game as a member of the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
After 10 years with the Cincinnati Reds, the organization that drafted him, Hamilton embraced the new beginning afforded to him by switching teams and leagues this offseason. He’d spent spring training focusing on becoming a complete hitter instead of a baseball novelty act based on speed alone.
But his desire to make a strong first impression on his new fan base combined with a hit-less debut might’ve threatened to chip away at the confidence he’d spent all spring training building up with the help of KC hitting coach Terry Bradshaw and quality control coach Pedro Grifol.