Pitcher Bats Eighth For Reds Billy Hamilton Dropped To Ninth

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Only if Billy Hamilton played softball would he be able to bat lower in the lineup.

Reds' manager Bryan Price put Jason Marquis in the eighth spot in the team's struggling lineup but there is more thought given to it than just a random shakeup.

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"We're taking a look at it," said Price, who dropped Hamilton from his leadoff spot because he wasn't getting on base and felt the stress was too much for the young player. "Until I hit him eighth and got to see how things unfold. If he gets on base, you bunt with the pitcher or if you use a pinch hitter and he gets thrown out stealing, you burn a pinch hitter."

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Marquis has been used as a pinch hitter in his career.  He is pretty good with a bat in his hands. Marquis hit .292 and .310 in successive seasons (2004 and 05) for St. Louis. He hit .281 with San Diego as lately as 2012.  The right-hander has five home runs in his career.

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It is the first time that a pitcher has batted in a spot other than ninth since Red Lucas batted seventh against Brooklyn on September 7, 1933.