Josh Hamilton began a rehab assignment with the Texas Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock, Texas this week. In his debut with the Express on Sunday, the former AL MVP went 1-for-3 facing Barry Zito, pitching for Oakland’s Triple-A Nashville club. Hamilton followed that up with an 0-for-4 effort. (Kendall Graveman started that game for Nashville.)
While Rangers and baseball fans surely want to know how Hamilton fared playing in left field and getting his timing back at the plate, perhaps the most interesting moment for the outfielder came before the game when he was asked to autograph a baby’s butt. Seriously. Here’s a photo.
AP Photo
“That’s happened before,” Hamilton told the Associated Press. “When you play long enough, you’re going to see a lot of crazy stuff.”
Well, at least Hamilton wasn’t asked to go the Ricky Bobby route and sign a baby’s head. Actually, signing a baby’s butt might be worse. Or better? It probably depends on your view. Of course, there are diaper considerations with babies that Hamilton fortunately didn’t have to deal with here. Plenty of other major leaguers have likely been asked to sign babies. Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen told me in an interview that he once did so, though he signed the kid’s shirt.
Given Hamilton’s 0-for-4 following the baby butt signing, however, this might be the last time he puts marker to an infant tush for quite some time. Hopefully, the media covering Hamilton’s rehab assignment monitors this closely.
