Let’s Mostly Watch Billy Burns Make a Run Happen, Also

Earlier this afternoon, celebrated and young Cincinnati outfielder Billy Hamilton produced a run entirely by means of his generational footspeed — which sequence of events Jeff Sullivan documented slightly later this afternoon for the pages of FanGraphs.

Yesterday, it would appear, less celebrated and slightly older Oakland outfield prospect Billy Burns — acquired from Washington this offseason for Jerry Blevins — performed an analogous act by means of his own, probably only quinquennial footspeed.

Because the author is currently writing this on a bus to the airport, he’s incapable of documenting Burns’ achievement in its entirety via Technicolor GIFs. That said, an excerpt from the relevant game log provides some indication as to the relevant events.

To wit:

What one finds here is that Burns has begun by singling “to the first baseman,” which is one of the less common types of singles. Next, he (i.e. Burns) has stolen second base. Finally, what Burns has done — in a contest featuring only professional ballplayers — what Burns has done is to score from second base on a sacrifice fly to center field.

Footage of that second-inning play — which almost, nearly captures Burns performing the improbable — has been brought to the author’s attention by concerned citizen Don Hammack and embedded above.