Texas Rangers power hitter Josh Hamilton has reportedly signed a five-year $125 million deal with division rival Los Angeles Angels.
Hamilton is big on God so maybe he would rather be an Angel than a Ranger.
Who knows? The guy’s flakier than a bowl of Post Toasties.
Hamilton is great hitter and a gutsy outfielder, and he gave a lot during his five years in Texas.
But he was a major injury/hissy fit/relapse/psychotic breakdown waiting to happen.
His hardcore drug abuse early in his career seems to be taking a toll on his body. He gets moody and strange in addition to injurious. (Remember when he broke a bone while sliding into home plate and then blamed the third base coach for telling him to run?)
His contract was ending after last season, and most players in that position play with all their heart. Not Hamilton. He failed to hit .300 and had costly errors, including a crucial one in the playoff loss to the Oakland A’s. Dropping an easy fly ball is bad enough, but being lazy in the process is unforgivable.
He’d already been getting on my nerves. During previous contract negotiations with the Rangers he made it clear that he felt no allegiance to Texas or its fans who overlooked his shenanigans and mental trips and loved him unconditionally.
True to form, he blew one last raspberry at the Rangers by signing with the Angels before allowing his old team a chance to match the offer.
Now that I think about it, that was probably the nicest thing Hamilton did — snub his old team. Otherwise, somebody in the Rangers organization might have convinced themselves that Hamilton was worth a longterm contract.
He’s not.
His stats will continue to decline in Los Angeles, and he’ll be out of baseball before his five-year contract is done.
But, hey, he’ll have a biographical movie out about his drug addiction and ultimate redemption. He’ll be a Hollywood celebrity. Rich and famous. Surrounded by hot women, gorgeous beaches, celebrity parties, and all the recreational drugs and sex a man could ever want.
I’m sensing a movie sequel will need to be made.
I get so tired of the sports media’s whining when an athlete goes to another team for the top money. If the OKC daily paper offered you a job writing the same basic things you do now for $1 million a year for five years, you’d jump on that. Same if it was in Tyler TX or Las Vegas or Wash DC or a new S-T Arlington paper or anywhere else. You might ask the FW Weekly if they might match the $1 mill, but they would probably say no, and off you’d go. I know you aren’t typical sports media as such, but isn’t it funny how the guy who signs with the other team is suddenly a locker room cancer and has “low mental wattage” (to quote Chow Baby) even though the media has known this stuff all along. Leave this for what it is: Athletes have limited earning years, and you have to take advantage of getting what you can when you can. Because, like it or not, money is the way we keep score.
Hamilton annoys people because he finds Jesus only at the most convenient times for PR purposes (ditto for Ms. Hamilton).