Knuckleball Gives Hamilton A Day Off

http://donatelifeohio.org/

Billy Hamilton is getting a day off from manager Bryan Price for two very good reasons.

Hamilton has never seen a knuckleball like R.A. Dickey the Toronto starter throws and Ryan Ludwick and Skip Schumaker have.

Ludwick is 3-for-11 against Dickey and Schumaker is 3-for-8.

http://www.wiedemannbeer.com/

"Ludwick is 2-for-6 (actually 3-for-11) and Schumaker is 3-for-8 against Dickey.  Its nice to have someone with experience against the knuckleball. “But yes a day off for Billy isn’t the worst thing,” said Price.


“My concern isn’t that he can’t do it, but we know there will be a lot of wear-and-tear on a young center fielder who plays with energy, steals bases, covers a lot of ground in center field who is 160 pounds. He will play into the late months that he hasn’t done, playing into September — and maybe October.” There is the residual effect. The way Billy plays there is some wear and tear.  At 160 pounds and he'll be playing longer into the season than he's ever played," Price said.

The knuckleball is rare and a novelty in baseball.

Price was asked what his advice on how to hit the knuckleball.

"I said a long time ago that I don't get into hitting.  I must have the world's longest slump.  I guess it is like a catcher, you have to wait for the ball you can't go out an get it.  So i think you want  to stay back.  Then again I could be talking out my ass.."

"When I was in Arizona we had Tom Candiotti on our radio team.  We played an interleague game against Tim Wakefield.  Candiotti threw batting practice and we didn't hit him or Wakefield."