To say Josh Hamilton’s career has been full of up and downs is a dramatic understatement.
We all know the story now – Hamilton, a former first overall pick with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays who’s supreme talent was derailed by crippling addiction. He rose above his troubles to become one of the games most feared hitters with the Texas Rangers, where he was the AL MVP in 2010. After signing a huge $125 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, and struggling to stay healthy, he relapsed.
Angels owner Arte Moreno expressed his disappointment in Hamilton to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
Moreno said he was “disappointed” in Hamilton.
“More than anything, we look at accountability,” Moreno said. “With all of our players and all of our employees, we look for accountability.
“We understand he’s had troubles and he’s still having troubles. But the reality is, there is accountability when you make an agreement.”
It was clear Moreno wanted Hamilton gone. His gross public statements cemented that. He quickly removed every existing Hamilton connection to the Angels organization and shipped him back to the Texas Rangers – where Hamilton had the most success in his career.He wanted him gone so badly, he agreed to pay $63 million of the roughly $80 million still owed to him.
From all the sad stories we’ve seen about Hamilton over the years, his Rangers introduction press conference was something to marvel. He looked happy and healthy, and absolutely thrilled to be on a team that wanted him. It seemed like a fitting reunion.
“If I could change the past, I would not have left,” he said. “But you can only learn from it and I’ve learned a lot the last couple of years.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQGbgplvXhs
While Hamilton had to wait to make his season debut with the Rangers due to rehabbing from an injury, what he’s done so far in his short stint has been a breath of fresh air.
In his return to Arlington, he looked like vintage Josh Hamilton. In his fifth game with the club, he blasted two home runs in back-to-back at bats against the Red Sox. Two days later, entering a game against the Sox with a runner on first and third, down one run with two outs, Hamilton came to the plate and promptly won the game with one swing.
His Rangers teammates reactions were that of pure jubilation – as were the fans. With one swing, Hamilton went back in history.
The Rangers have gone on a big run since they acquired Hamilton. The team was 7-12 the day the deal was struck, and with Hamilton’s walk-off hit they’re now 26-25 and over .500 for the first time this season. While the Rangers run didn’t happen solely because of the teams Hamilton acquisition – as Prince Fielder has been raking for the team – he’s definitely going to play a big part going forward. In the seven games he’s appeared in, he’s hit 2 home runs and five RBIs while slashing a .273/.385/.636 line – a small but encouraging sample size. The Rangers are also 5-2 in games which Hamilton plays.
While early reviews suggest Hamilton will succeed in Texas, it’s still early too early to say if this is going to work out for both parties. Hamilton has said all of the right things and has backed it up with his performance at the plate, but to be truly successful, he needs to keep things right off the field.
If he can return to be anywhere close to the great baseball player he was before he left Texas, than it would be quite the coup for the Rangers. Heck, even if he’s just half of that, it will be a win.
While it might have seemed strange to think about Hamilton returning to Texas after it seemed fans turned their back on him once he left, I can’t think of a better place for him. It’s hard not to cheer Hamilton on.
