He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1972 to 1980, and won three World Series championships as a member of the Oakland Athletics.

He faced just one batter, Joe Morgan in game five, and got a double play on a fly ball to Matty Alou in right field in which Pete Rose tried to score from third.

On November 28, 1977, he and Silvio Martinez were sent to the St. Louis Cardinals to complete an August 31 deal in which the Chisox sent two players to be named later to the Cards for Clay Carroll.

When Ken Boyer replaced Rapp at the helm, Hamilton was given the opportunity to redeem himself, but after blowing a save against the San Diego Padres on back-to-back home runs by Gene Tenace and Rick Sweet,[8] found himself again in the mop-up role.

He currently lives in California with his wife, Lynn, and has three grown children Jonathan, Brian and Christy as well as his grandchildren, Austin, Matthew, Briley, Cole, Joshua, Ellie, and Jake.