Reds Night Bytes: Hamilton is Rookie of Month, Jair Jurrjens Traded
By Adam Hughes
Jul 2, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Cincinnati Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton (6) dives but cannot get catch a ball off the bat of San Diego Padres catcher Rene Rivera (not pictured) during the first inning at Petco Park. Three runs would score on the play. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
A couple of noteworthy Reds news items came across the wire this evening …
The Mark Sheldon at MLB.com announced that center fielder Billy Hamilton has been named National League Rookie of the Month for June. From Reds.com:
"For the month, Hamilton led all NL rookies in steals (14), runs (18), hits (36), doubles (10), home runs (three) and was second in RBIs (18), average (.327) and OPS (.848)."
This award reaffirms the idea that Hamilton is the current frontrunner NL Rookie of the Year, which is handed out in November. The last Red to win the monthly award was Todd Frazier in August of 2012. Frazier finished third on ROY balloting that year.
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In that same piece, Sheldon reported that the Reds had traded Jair Jurrjens to the Colorado Rockies for minor league first baseman Harold Riggins. Jurrjens has spent the season at Triple-A Louisville and was blocked by the Reds strong starting corps in his path back to the majors. Riggins has accumulated seven homers and 25 RBI this year for Tulsa (Double-A), but has been considered one of the Rockies better prospects at various points in recent years.