Josh Hamilton is done for the season. The Texas Rangers announced on Monday that the veteran outfielder would need knee surgery, and would miss the remainder of the season. The news in itself is no surprise, as Josh had been struggling to get his rehab assignment into full swing. The Rangers are lucky, however. Aside from losing him for the season, they are only on the hook for a small portion of his contract, leaving the Los Angeles Angels paying for most of his salary. Yet, his latest development has to make one wonder, is Josh Hamilton’s career ending?
Hamilton has had an up and down journey in the major leagues. Once the number one draft pick in the 1999 draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Hamilton was poised to be the next big thing in major league baseball. Putting up huge stats in the minors, Hamilton was well on his way to becoming the star that everyone was anticipating. The only problem was that he had a secret. He was starting to develop a drug and alcohol addiction that would haunt him in the years to come, in the form of suspensions and personal demons.
After almost three years away from baseball, Hamilton was finally clean, and had gotten the opportunity that he had coveted for so long. The Chicago Cubs drafted Hamilton in the 2006 Rule 5 draft, and traded him to the Cincinnati Reds. It was an injury plagued first season in the bigs for Hamilton, but it was his shot. The Reds went on to trade Hamilton to the Rangers in December of 2007.
It wasn’t until he came to the Texas Rangers that fans really started to take notice of the big left-hander. He had the speed and the arm, and the bat to match. The truth is that he had always been that good, he had just been getting in his own way. The Rangers and their fans embraced Hamilton, and his tormented history. Hamilton would go on to be a leader in the Rangers locker room for many years. It wasn’t that he necessarily was vocal as a leader. It was more about the way he played the game. He may have not always made the play, but he was always the example of hustle, whether he was committing and diving for a ball, or sprinting to stretch a single into a double. That kind of leadership helped lead the Rangers to their first two consecutive World Series berths. Even though they fell short in both of them, Hamilton was a key player in expanding the Rangers popularity.
Then, something happened during the 2012 season. His numbers started declining. What fans didn’t know then was that it would be the beginning of the end for Hamilton. It was evident that people thought he would bounce back. The Los Angeles Angels signed Hamilton to an absurd five-year, $125 million contract. The deal paired him back up with another former Ranger, one who also helped lead them to the 2010 and 2011 World Series, in pitcher C.J. Wilson. The Angels were obviously trying to piggy back off the success that both had with the Texas Rangers.
The way Hamilton parted from the Rangers in free agency left some bad blood. His now ex-wife Katie Hamilton made some comments about the Rangers that angered many fans, who then wished the couple nothing but the worst in L.A. It must have worked because Hamilton was horrible in his time with the Angels, eventually leading to the Angels essentially trading him back to the Rangers while still paying most of his contract. Hamilton was welcomed back with open arms by the fans and organization.
One of the lasting memories that this writer, and so many, others will retain of Hamilton comes from the 2008 Home Run Derby in Old Yankee Stadium’s final season. Moonshot after moonshot, Hamilton just crushed the ball. It was a display that will probably never be matched in terms of power and numbers. He didn’t win, but it was fun to watch. As a Yankee fan in Texas, it was all I heard about for many weeks after. It was special for sure, but at that point I just wanted him to go away. Truth is, I was jealous that a Yankee that wasn’t able to pull that kind of display off. Looking back now, that was a special night for him and for baseball fans. Well, with the exception of having to listen to Chris Berman say his home run catch phrase over and over again. Nobody wins with that.
As many fans know, Josh Hamilton credits his getting clean and sober to God. He is very strong in his faith, and that is to be admired. He makes no secret of where he stands when it comes to the subject of religion, and how it helped him turn his life around. Does he claim that because of it his is perfect? Short answer is no. Josh has had his faults and slip-ups. He is a man, he isn’t perfect, but he was ridiculed and roasted for those faults. I was one of those people, and I openly admit it was wrong for me to judge him at the time. I was the one of the first people to cast stones at him. That was wrong for anybody to do. No one, except those who are also in recovery, understands what he really struggles with on a daily basis.
It is more than certain that Hamilton’s career is nearing an end. His days as an everyday player are over, and probably his days as an every other day player, too. However, his story is one we can all learn from. Everyone goes through struggles in life, but it is how you get through those struggles, and how you overcome them, that makes you who you are. Josh Hamilton’s baseball career is a blueprint of how, if you want something bad enough, you have to get over the life obstacles that get in your way.
While his playing days will soon die off, his story should live forever. I have no doubt that, one day, fans will walk through the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and see Josh Hamilton there. It took him a while to get to Texas, but when he did he made himself a house hold name. Yes, he made the mistake of leaving for the money, but when people remember Hamilton many years from now, they will remember him as a Texas Ranger. Truth his Josh Hamilton always has been, and always will be, a Texas Ranger.
Main Photo:
