Barring injury, Billy Hamilton should smash the 29-year-old record for stolen bases in a single professional baseball season in the next few weeks.

With 20 games left in the season, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos’ shortstop needs just seven steals to top Vince Coleman’s mark of 145, set in 1983.

Hamilton is hitting .288 in 31 games for the Blue Wahoos with an on-base percentage of .410, an inside-the-park homerun, 24 runs scored, 11 runs-batted-in, and 35 stolen bases. The 6-foot, 160-pound Hamilton started the season at Class A Bakersfield, where he hit .323 with a .413 on-base percentage, a homerun, 30 RBIs, 79 runs scored and 104 stolen bases in 82 games for the Blaze.

Dusty Baker, manager of the Blaze’s and Blue Wahoos’ parent club, the Cincinnati Reds, told the Chillicothe (Ohio) Gazette that Hamilton could be promoted to “the show” in September, when Major League Baseball teams are allowed to expand their rosters.

“Speed’s always an asset. Speed kills. I remember the Cardinals with Willie McGee, Vince Coleman and Ozzie (Smith). That was their slogan, speed kills.”

The Blue Wahoos’ star isn’t the only Billy Hamilton making a mark on the base paths. On Aug. 31, 1894, William Robert “Sliding Billy” Hamilton stole seven bases in a single game for the Philadelphia Phillies, tying the record set 13 years earlier by George Gore of the Chicago White Stockings.

Former Florida State linebacker Sam Cowart was among the 12 former Atlantic Coast Conference players selected to the Class of 2012 Dr. Pepper ACC Football Championship Legends.

Cowart played on four ACC Championship teams for coach Bobby Bowden at Florida State from 1993-1995 and was a key reserve on the Seminoles 1993 National Championship squad. He led FSU in tackles as a junior in 1995 (115) and as a senior in 1997 (116) after sitting out the 1996 season with a knee injury. In 1997, he was named a consensus first-team All-America, was a finalist for both the Butkus Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and was named National Defensive Player of the Year by the Football News.

The 1997 Florida State defense set a school record in rushing defense, allowing just 1.5 yards per rush. That year, Cowart was also honored as the winner of the ACC’s Brian Piccolo Award for Courage. The 39th selection in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, Cowart went on to an eight-year NFL career with Buffalo, the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings. He started 87 NFL games, playing in 100, and made 715 career tackles. He was named All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl after the 2000 season. He was inducted into the Florida State Hall of Fame in 2011. A native of Jacksonville, he currently lives in his hometown.

Other members of the 2012 ACC Legends class are College Football Hall of Fame members Ted Hendricks (Miami defensive end, 1966-1968) and Mike McGee (Duke guard, 1957-1959); former ACC Players of the Year Frank Quayle (Virginia running back, 1966-68) and Torry Holt (North Carolina State wide receiver, 1995-1998); Bob Hyland (Boston College guard, 1964-1966); Bennie Cunningham (Clemson tight end, 1973-1975); Ken Swilling (Georgia Tech safety, 1988-1991); Chet Hanulak (Maryland running back, 1951-1953); Dre Bly (North Carolina cornerback, 1996-1998); Pierson Prioleau (Virginia Tech defensive back, 1995-1998); and Ed Stetz (Wake Forest linebacker, 1969-1971)

The Legends will be honored at this year’s Dr. Pepper ACC Football Championship Game weekend. They will be honored at the ACC Night of Legends sponsored by the Belk Bowl on Friday, Nov. 30, and on Dec. 1, during ceremonies at Bank of America Stadium for the Eighth Annual Dr. Pepper ACC Football Championship.

According to RedCupRebellion.com, a University of Mississippi sports website, athletes from the Southeastern Conference won 59 medals at the London Olympics. That's more than all but four nations, including Germany, Australia and France!

Derrick “Smoke” Gainer, a Pensacola native and former World Boxing Association featherweight champion, will headline a night of boxing and mixed martial arts matches Aug. 25 at Community Maritime Park in Pensacola.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to put on a spectacular event, the first of its kind at the Community Maritime Park, and to give Pensacola a chance to see me fight,” the 39-year-old Gainer said. “I have fought a number of times in Pensacola, but not since 1999.”

Gainer, 42-7-1 with 24 knockouts, will fight Robert “Red Hot” Frankel, 30-12-1 (6 KOs), a 32-year-old light welterweight from Denver, Colo.

Proceeds from the fight will benefit the Fit Nation Childhood Obesity Program, creating physical fitness programs for children 8-19 years of age, promoting physical fitness and combating obesity.
“Childhood obesity is a serious issue facing our nation,” Gainer said. “It is something that strikes every community, including ours. This is a good opportunity to step up and make a difference.”

Fights start at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $30 for general admission, $75 for VIP seats and $500 for a ringside VIP table seating eight. The VIP table cost also includes bottle service and VIP access to a party after the fights at Vinyl Music Hall on Palafox Street.

Tickets are available at the Blue Wahoos’ ticket office at Community Maritime Park or online at lionheadpromotions.net. The fight also will be available on pay-per-view at www.ustream.tv/fightcamp.

Two-time World Boxing Council featherweight champion Kevin Kelly will provide blow-by-blow commentary and Linda “Sunshine” Moorer, a local personality with MAGIC 106.1 radio, will be the ring announcer.

Events leading up to fight night include:

n Aug. 19 – Gainer will throw out the first pitch before the Pensacola Blue Wahoos play the Montgomery Biscuits at 2 p.m. at Community Maritime Park and will sign autographs during the game.

n Aug. 22 – Gainer and Frankel will hold a press conference at Buffalo Wild Wings, 5153 Bayou Boulevard in Pensacola.

n Aug. 22 – Gainer will stage a photo opportunity at the Pensacola Boxing Academy at 1621 Dogtrack Road in Pensacola.
n Aug. 22 – Gainer will serve dinner at Ronald McDonald House, 5200 Bayou Boulevard, Pensacola.

n Aug. 24 – Weigh-in is scheduled at 3 p.m. at Buffalo Wild Wings.