Tragedy in Texas

The fan had a ball tossed to him after Josh Hamilton caught a fly ball and flipped over the 1st row railing falling to his death.

This is awful figuring the guy was there with his son. It will be interesting to see if the MLB will do anything about not allowing players throw the ball into the stands anymore, which was initially implemented to make the game fan friendly. Also, this has to be pretty awful for Josh Hamilton also, and isn't good to have happen to figuring hes a recovering addict.

It is the second fatal fall at a MLB ballpark this season. In May, a 27-year-old man died after he fell about 20 feet and struck his head on concrete during a Colorado Rockies game.

Josh Hamilton Is Injured

Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton is headed to the disabled list and is expected to miss six to eight weeks after breaking his upper right arm Tuesday while diving into home plate on a play he called "stupid."

What happened was there was a foul ball in 3rd base territory and no one was covering home plate and he tagged up and went. Josh blamed the third base coach on the play however, he needs to take some blame for this. The play was in front of him and he made the judgement call and ended up suffering the consequences. Maybe he shouldn't have slid head first anyways.

This is going to dent the Rangers line up for sure, as you are now replacing Josh Hamilton with David Murphy. The Rangers have a strong enough line up to still succeed without Hamilton, but still a big blow.

Josh Hamilton Wins AL MVP

"Josh Hamilton overcame eight trips to rehabilitation for drug and alcohol addiction to lead the major leagues in batting average (.359) and slugging percentage (.633) and help Texas reach its first World Series. He had 32 homers and 100 RBIs despite missing nearly all of September because of two broken ribs." Boston.com

Blah, blah, blah Josh Hamilton was a former addict. I get it, you overcame something great, I don't care anymore. What I do care though is how he missed all of September and still won the award. That pisses me off. I think either Miguel Cabrera or Robinson Cano should have received it. Miggy had lead the AL with 126 RBIs and a .420 on-base percentage.

I hate Josh Hamilton, maybe it could be for fantasy reasons, or maybe because I'm sick of his story. Either way, way to g douche bag you won an award you shouldn't have.

Ginger Ale celebrations are gay.

Josh Hamilton Running Out Of Time

If you're a Rangers fan you have to be worried about Josh Hamilton. The Division Series is one week away, leaving the Rangers' Josh Hamilton with a tight schedule as he tries to work his way back from a fractured ribs. He hasn't played since September 4 after crashing into the outfield wall at Minnesota.

This injury is more about pain tolerance then anything else, but I really think Hamilton is going to struggle even if he is able to come back. Hamilton will take more soft-toss pitching on Wednesday. If all goes well, Hamilton could start taking live batting practice on Thursday and play in a game this weekend against the Angels.

Texas obviously needs this guy in the lineup. He was the MVP before going down, and if he isn't going to be affective I don't see any chance of the Rangers being in the playoffs very long.

Josh Hamilton Looks Like He Lost Jesus

Josh Hamilton Is Back, Davis Sent Down

"Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton will be reinstated from the 15-day disabled list Monday, in time to return to Texas' lineup for the team's game against the Angels. To make room for Hamilton, the Rangers will send struggling first baseman Chris Davis to Triple-A Oklahoma City to get his swing back on track (Sportsline)."

All I can say is it is about fucking time the Rangers sent down Davis. He is leading the league is strikeouts (114) and is batting .202 on the season. He was going to break every strikeout record if they didn't send him down. he has power, but really needs work. Hopefully some time in the minors will get him back on track, because the Rangers had high hopes for this kid.

Still the Rangers have to be happy to be getting Hamilton back. They have a chance this season to make it interesting in the AL West, and if Hamilton is healthy he makes an already dangerous lineup just that much better. The kid is a stud, but the question is always he is health, so we will see how long he can stay on the field.

Josh Hamilton Out 4 to 6 weeks

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a partial tear in an abdominal muscle and is expected to miss the next four to six weeks.

Well, it looks like Hamilton is going to become the next injury prone slugger. Like I said in a post earlier last week. I don't see his absence taking a huge toll on the Rangers, figuring all of their players can rake. He is a hell of a talent, but I really have a bad feeling he is going to have a terribly injured career. If I owned him in fantasy I would Sell, Sell, Sell.

Josh Hamilton To The DL

Obviously God hasn't been on Hamilton's side this year. Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton went on the disabled list Tuesday with an abdominal strain that could sideline him from two weeks to two months.

Obviously this effects the Rangers, but probably not as much as you think. Without Hamilton they still have a bunch of guys who can mash the ball. Hamilton is an All-Star caliber player but injuries have put a damper on him this year. I hope for his sake he is not going to turn into one of those "injury prone" players we all have known to love.

Beyond Belief

Now that I ride the train everyday, I have needed something to pass the time, so I have been reading (I know shocking). The first book I read was "The Assist", which was a great book, and I suggest everyone reads it. The next book I read was the Josh Hamilton book called "Beyond Belief". It is the true story of Josh Hamilton, and his rise through baseball. The book has a general feel of the movie "The Natural". As a kid Hamilton was known as the kid who was going to be an MLB player, everything seemed to be going along as planned, until he got a $4 million signing bonus from the Rays (who drafted him #1 overall). While in the minors, boredom and lack of supervision over came him, and he ended up doing coke. The story goes on and he becomes a huge mess for a long time. Then it goes on to how he got to where he is today, which is one of the best players in the MLB.

The book overall is very good. The writing is a little shaky since it is written by Josh Hamilton (who didn't go to college), but you can tell what he is saying means a lot of him. The guy has been through so much, that you have to respect him for it. He does get a little Jesus crazy, but it is understandable. I was very pleased with the book, even though it can be a little repetitive, and I think it gives you serious insight into how hard it is to beat drugs. The great thing is that we can relate this book to other people, like Jeff Allison, who is going through a lot of the same troubles.

-BMack

Homerun Derby

Well Josh Hamilton lost and no one cares or will remember Justin Morneau won after Josh's 28 homer first round. But I just want to point out Chase Utley saying fuck you to the New York crowd:


It is good to see Chase saying fuck you to all the New York fans, who hasn't wanted to do that.

Winter's Biggest Trade Goes Unnoticed

Last December, the Texas Rangers agreed to trade pitching prospects, Edinson Volquez and Daniel Harrera (irrelevant) to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for centerfielder Josh Hamilton. At the time, the deal received little to no attention from the media. However, it has produced two of this years best.

Hamilton tore up spring training and earned himself the starting job. He has began the season on a blistering pace, he is fourth in average (.333) tied for second in homeruns (12), and holds a commanding lead in RBI’s (53) which is 11 more then the next guy. Numbers like these are few and far between, and although the season is young, it appears he has a legitimate shot at the triple crown if he stays healthy. Hamilton’s success has been well documented all season and was recently featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Of course, you cannot mention Hamilton’s name without talks of how he was once an addict, once dismissed from baseball, and a former first round pick. At first glance, this deal looks to be a steal for the Rangers. Hamilton is only 27 years old, and he is only making about 370,000 dollars a year.

With all the focus on Hamilton this season, Edinson Volquez has gone virtually unnoticed. Much like Hamilton, Volquez is making a run for the triple crown, the pitching triple crown of course (wins, strikeouts, and ERA). He is second in the NL in wins with 7, tied for first in strikeouts with 76, and leads the Major Leagues with a nearly transparent 1.33 earned run average. In his 10 starts this season, he has allowed only 9 earned runs in 62 innings. Although Volquez has not received the spotlight so far, he is more then deserving. He is only 24 and has never stayed in the majors for a complete season; however, he is carving up the National League with relative ease.

This trade has been significant for both clubs thus far, the Rangers desperately needed an outfielder, and likewise, the Reds were in dire need for a solid starter. If both continue on this pace (which would be remarkable), it could be another one of those deadlock-Hanley Ramirez for Beckett and Lowell- type deals.

-Brian B