The Boston Red Sox and their fans were all too happy to ship David Hamilton to the Milwaukee Brewers just before spring training as a small part of the Caleb Durbin-Kyle Harrison trade. The Brewers were just as happy to have him.
"He's got so much ability in there, and he's got experience, and he might be a utility player but I think he can be really good for us. I think he can take his offensive game to a whole other level," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said of Hamilton in March.
The "other level" of offense didn't materialize in the regular season, but Hamilton has been an answer in the playoffs, when it matters most. In Game 4 of the NLCS on October 15, Hamilton crushed a ninth-inning homer to give the Brewers their sixth run, just the insurance they needed to bury the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-4. The small-market Brewers stopped a superteam seeking a three-peat with plenty of help from Hamilton.
Hamilton has logged five hits and five runs over four postseason games for a .455/.500/.727 slash line. He's stolen three bases, his speciality carried by his 95th percentile sprint speed. He contributed two hits, three runs and two stolen bases to Milwaukee's Game 2 win and went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI in the series finale.
Former Red Sox infielder David Hamilton delivers for Brewers with NLCS insurance run to bury Dodgers in four games
Given his regular-season play, Hamilton's heroism in the postseason is unexpected. The former Red Sox utility infielder batted .245/.314/.336 in his first season with the Brewers and hit just four home runs all year. Massive moments have seemingly brought the best out of Hamilton.
The Durbin trade has gone too well for Boston to be upset about Hamilton's playoff turnaround. Durbin turned the ugly start to his season on its head to become a key offensive contributor during the Sox's hot streak and he's expected to win his first Gold Glove award for his excellent defense at third base. Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler also had their moments for Boston this season and earned plenty of playing time during its historic winning streak.
Still, it's frustrating to see former Red Sox go to new teams and dominate. Dustin May, Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan haven't had the same degree of success as Hamilton in the postseason, but they'll get their chance to win a ring with the Brewers next week.
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