Josh Hamilton eats candy bars Athletics fans throw at him
Eat It
Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton took the high road when dealing with a group of hecklers at Oakland Coliseum Monday night.
The Athletics held “Josh Hamilton Appreciation Night” Monday in reference to the fly ball Hamilton dropped in the final regular season game of 2012 to help the A’s win the American League West Division. Of course, Hamilton was a member of the Texas Rangers then, but the A’s still wanted to show their gratitude for the costly error with the Angels in town this week.
Furthermore, fans also chose to show their appreciation by chucking Butterfingers at Hamilton during batting practice as he shagged balls in right field which the former MVP decided to be a good sport and devour the tasty treats which rained down upon him.
Josh Hamilton dropped ball auctions off for $1,280
He Dropped It
It’s a play plenty of Texas Rangers fans would probably pay good money to forget. And evidently, a play that at least one Oakland A’s fan paid plenty of money to remember.
The ball that former Ranger Josh Hamilton infamously dropped during the final game of the 2012 regular season was auctioned off by the A’s for $1,280. The proceeds were donated to charity.
The play was a small fraction of a nightmarish finish to the 2012 season for the Rangers. After blowing a four-game lead with six games to play, the Rangers faced the A’s in a winner-take-all finale in Oakland on October 3. The Rangers jumped out to an early 5-1 lead, but the A’s scratched across four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie it at 5-5.
Then, Hamilton dropped an easy fly ball off the bat of Yoenis Cespedes that would have been the third out of the inning. Instead, two more runs scored on Hamilton’s error, giving the A’s a 7-5 lead. Oakland would go on to win the game 12-5
Nolan Ryan Says Josh Hamilton Picked Worst Time To Quit Tobacco
Good Times
Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton has battled overcoming addiction most of his life and late this season he decided it was time for him quit smokeless tobacco. For owner Nolan Ryan he thinks he should have waited until after the season to kick the habit.
“His timing on quitting smokeless tobacco couldn’t have been worse. You would’ve liked to have thought that if he was going to do that that he would’ve done it in the offseason or waited until this offseason to do it. So the drastic effect that it had on him and the year that he was having up to that point in time that he did quit, you’d have liked that he would’ve taken a different approach to that. So those issues caused unrest, and it’s unfortunate that it happened and the timing was such as it was.”
WTF: Josh Hamilton
TALENT
Texas Rangers and early American League MVP Josh Hamilton can photobomb with the best of them.
Josh Hamilton Hits Four Home Runs
Good Times
Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton became the 16th player in major league history to hit four home runs in a game.
Facing the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night, Hamilton hit two-run homers in the first, third and seventh innings and added another in the eighth off of Darren O’Day to tie the major league record. He also doubled in the fifth, going 5 for 5 with a career-high eight RBI.The 18 total bases is a new single-game American League record.
The last player to hit four home runs in a game was Carlos Delgado on Sept. 25, 2003, for Toronto Blue Jays against Tampa Bay Rays.
Two of the 16 players to hit four homers in a game did it before 1900. Hamilton is the sixth AL player to perform the feat.
Hamilton leads the MLB with 14 homers as well as 36 RBIs and is batting .406.
Josh Hamilton Has A 7 Second Sex Tape Out There
Good Times
Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton recently made public that he had weak moment in his battle against drugs and alcohol in which he relapsed. In the press conference he gave without taking questions he mentioned he had been going through some family problems.
Could it be those family problems stem from extra martial affairs? On the night of Hamilton’s weak moment WFAA Channel 8 producer Or Moyal has said someone has shopped them a video of him have sex. Moyal said on Twitter said it’s “more than just a rumor. It’s there. It’s 7 seconds long. We were offered it”.
There’s report is that the person trying to sell the 7 second video of Hamilton is looking for in the range of 40k. That will sure leave more reporters towards Hamilton’s direction this spring training especially if the video is purchased a TMZ or Deadspin.
The Rangers also announced the hiring of Shayne Kelley as Hamilton’s new accountability partner. Kelley is not new to baseball having been a former college coach, minor league strength coach and a team chaplain.
Josh Hamilton Had Alcohol Relapse
Good Times
Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton had his second known alcohol-related relapse in a little more than three years earlier this week, according to the Dallas Morning News. Reports are that Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler was at a pub with Hamilton when he had his relapse.
However, ESPN Radio host Ian Fitzsimmons strongly refuted the report, tweeting that the presence of a teammate is a rumor. Fitzsimmons also tweets that photographs from the night will surface just like the 2009 incident.
In a statement, the Rangers addressed the report about the 31-year-old former AL MVP, indicating that they are “aware of a situation but have no further comment at this time.”
Hamilton had another relapse that became public knowledge in 2009 when he drank at a bar in Tempe, Ariz. Pictures and accounts of that night landed on Deadspin. Shortly after the incident, Hamilton publicly addressed his relapse and apologized to his family and Major League Baseball. Soon after, he passed a drug test and went through league-sanctioned counseling.
Despite being the first overall pick in the 1999 draft, Hamilton didn’t make his big league debut until 2007 for Cincinnati Reds after his struggles with drug and alcohol led to a suspension that lasted for more than three years when he was with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Texas Rangers Hire Josh Hamilton’s Father-In-Law To Be Watchdog
Good Times
The stereotypical married man would just as soon avoid his father-in-law but nothing about Texas Ranger outfielder Josh Hamilton is stereotypical, and that includes his relationship with his father-in-law. During his drug addiction, Hamilton once showed up on Michael Dean Chadwick’s doorstep looking for guidance, and they spent the night talking.
Hamilton figures to be spending more time with Chadwick this season as the Rangers hired him to be Hamilton’s “accountability partner.”
Chadwick takes the place of Johnny Narron, who took a job as the Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach after working closely with Hamilton since 2008, his first year with the Rangers. While Narron also worked with Rangers’ hitters, Chadwick’s responsibilities will focus solely on supporting Hamilton.
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels does not believe hiring a player’s relative will adversely affect his team.
“We’ve got such a unique clubhouse,” Daniels told the Morning News. “Guys know Josh and respect Josh and they know what he has overcome. I think everybody who has been here has run across (Chadwick) and respects him, too. I don’t anticipate this being an issue. Maybe if this was a less cohesive unit, but it is a very tight-knit group.”
WTF: KDFW
1986 All Over Again
KDFW, the FOX affiliate in Dallas, sent out this text alert after Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton hit his 10th inning home run. The Rangers ended up losing to the St. Louis Cardinals 10-9 after David Freese’s walkoff home run.
Jinx?
Texas Rangers To Honor Fan Who Died With Statue
Go Back To This Logo
The Texas Rangers announced that they erect a bronze statue in honor of firefighter Shannon Stone, the fan who was killed last month when he fell from the stands while reaching for a ball, and his 6-year-old son Cooper at a game. The statue likely will be in place for next season outside the park’s home plate gate.
Rangers CEO and President Nolan Ryan said it’s a fitting tribute to honor Stone, who fell as he reached for a foul ball tossed his way by Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton.
Stone’s wife, Jenny, released a statement
“We continue to be appreciative of Nolan Ryan and the Texas Rangers as we deal with the loss of Shannon. Shannon and Cooper had a special relationship, and we are touched and grateful that it will be memorialized at one of their favorite places. Our hope is that this statue will not be a symbol of our family tragedy but rather a reminder of the importance of a family’s love – love of each other, love of spending time together, and love of the game.”
Josh Hamilton Says Eye Color Hinders Hitting
Beyond Belief
Texas Rangers outfielder and reigning American League MVP believes he knows why he is such a different hitter under the sun rather than at night and it’s because of the color of his eyes. Hamilton has blue eyes and beliefs they are the cause for him hitting .122 (6-for-49) with no home runs, four RBIs and eight walks with 17 strikeouts during day games. At night Hamilton is hitting .374 (41-for-109) with six home runs, 28 RBIs, seven walks with only 14 strikeouts.
“I ask guys all the time,” Hamilton said about having any theories to his drastic splits. “Guys with blue eyes, brown eyes, whatever ….. and guys with blue eyes have a tough time. It’s just hard for me to see [at the plate] in the daytime. It’s just what it is. Try to go up [to the plate] squinting and see a white ball while the sun is shining right off the plate, you know, and beaming right up in your face.”
Hamilton said he’s finally found a pair of the sunglasses that he used while in the field last season and will give them a try once again.
“Hopefully that’ll help my eyes relax enough to take them off and bat and put them on again,” Hamilton said.
Yeah and wearing the same undershirt day in day out during a hitting streak keeps the streak alive.
Texas Rangers Josh Hamilton Apologizes To His Thrid Base Coach
Beyond Belief
Texas Rangers Josh Hamilton’s stinging criticism of his third-base coach Dave Anderson for sending him to home plate on a foul popup that resulted in the defending AL MVP sustaining broken right arm Tuesday caused a stir within baseball circles. Wednesday morning Hamilton stood by his critical comments of Anderson, saying:
“What do you want me to do, lie about it? People are going to blame who they want to blame.”
But later in the day he said he apologized to Anderson. “I see where I need to take responsibility for it,” Hamilton said. “I was just frustrated more so for getting injured.”
Hamilton, who slid head-first on the play, said he will continue to play aggressively who has been on the DL 11 times in his professional career.
Texas Rangers Use Rain Delay For Some Slip & Slide Time
The Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles game on Friday was rained out but that didn’t stop the Rangers from remaining lose when half of the team took to some slip and slide action on the tarp. Rangers bullpen catcher Josh Frasier recorded team ringleader Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Adrian Beltre, and a few others continuing to show off the strong bond that this team has with one another.
Derek Jeter & Joe Mauer Lead MLB As Best Selling Jerseys
Maxim's Top 100
Derek Jeter, Joe Mauer and Roy Halladay top the list of most popular MLB player jerseys heading into the new 2011 season.
The New York Yankees shortstop, Minnesota Twins catcher and Philadelphia Phillies pitching ace rank 1-3 on the list released Wednesday by MLB and the MLB Players Association. The rankings are based on sales of official Majestic jerseys during the 2010 calendar year.
The Phillies boast three players in the Top 10 while the Yankees have two. Here’s the list: 1) Jeter 2) Mauer 3) Halladay 4) Chase Utley, Phillies 5) Cliff Lee, Phillies 6) Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals 7) Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers 
Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox 9) Alex Rodriguez, Yankees 10) Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants.
The Yankees sell the most licensed merchandise among MLB clubs. The Red Sox are second and the Los Angeles Dodgers rank third. Here’s the Top 10 list by clubs: 1) Yankess 2) Red Sox 3) Dodgers 4) Phillies 5) Chicago Cubs 6) Cardinals 7 Chicago White Sox Atlanta Braves 9) Twins 10) Detroit Tigers
Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player: San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
Every Tuesday Sports Grind Entertainment presents you with the Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player of the Week. This week the recipient of this prestigious honor goes to the San Francisco Giants. The Giants won the World Series after beating the Texas Rangers 3-1 in Game 5 to take the trophy to the city by the Bay for the first time. The Giants last wore the crown in 1954, four years before they moved to the west coast when they still played in New York at the Polo Grounds.
Trailing San Diego Padres by 7 1/2 games in the NL West on July 4, they hung around in the wild-card race until the stretch run, where they would end up winning the division and finishing 92-70. The Giants postseason run saw them end the career of Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox and do away with last years National League champions the Philadelphia Phillies.
San Francisco entered the World Series and watched as their pitching staff completely shut down Josh Hamilton and the rest of the Rangers, who lead the majors in batting average. The Rangers hit just .190 in the five games and was outscored 29-12.
Congratulations San Francisco Giants you are this weeks Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player.
MLB Trys To Limit Champage Celebrations
Stop Wasting
Are champagne celebrations becoming watered down? Can they be handled differently especially now having witnessed the Texas Rangers celebrate with ginger-ale because of teammate Josh Hamilton’s bouts with drugs and alcoholism?
The New York Times has learned that prior to the World Series, Major League Baseball issued a memo to both the Rangers and the San Francisco Giants, telling them to limit the amount of champagne provided for victory celebrations, to offer non-alcoholic beverages and telling teams are not allowed to bring the drinks on the field.
The Rangers acknowledgment that the celebrations could be handled and enjoyed without the use of alcohol along with the passing of Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim pitcher Nick Adenhart last year due to a drunk driver could actually help Major League Baseball go from party poopers to ground breakers. However, until Major League Baseball decides to turn away the checks that Budweiser gives them then the champagne and beer celebrations aren’t going anywhere.
Instead of spraying and wasting how about pulling up a stool and sip away.
New York Yankees, Who’s Your Daddy?
Is the New York Yankees season over? No, that will happen somewhere around 7 pm EST later today courtesy of the Texas Rangers. The Rangers showed up to give the Bronx Bombers another beat down last night when they put on double digits in the run department, 10-3. This all came after Texas just hung a shout out, 8-0, on the Yankee mystique during game 3.
So naturally what will come next? That’s right a Rangers victory in Yankee Stadium against their Cy Young candidate CC Sabathia that end’s New York’s season.
You can thank this douchebag Jared Macchirole and Benji Molina, who did it big for everyone person out there that has to wear big boy pants, for this post.
SGE MLB Regular Season Awards
Best In 10
Since it takes Major League Baseball almost right up to spring training to hand out its regular season awards, I’ve decided to help speed up the process. With it being postseason time in baseball, that means it’s that time once again to hand out some awards on the baseball diamond here at Sports Grind Entertainment. Lets begin by starting off in the senior circuit with the National League MVP Award.
NL MVP Award: The Cincinnati Reds first baseman had some completion for this award but it was Joey Votto who had a .324 batting average and 37 home runs to go along with 113 RBI’s on a team that is headed to the postseason for the first time since 1995. For the Reds to reach their first postseason appearance in 15 years they counted on everything Votto did as he finished virtually near the top in all of the offensive categories. However it was when Votto delivered that matter most of all as he hit .374 with men on base and .357 from the seventh inning on pushed him ahead of the rest.
NL Cy Young Award: In the off-season the Philadlephia Phillies took part in a three team trade that included one of their top pitching prospects in Kyle Drabek to get the consistent 20 game winner of Roy Halladay. So far in his first regular season with his new team Halladay hasn’t disappointed the front office. Halladay is 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 33 starts, leader in all categories. He has gone the distance 9 times for Philadelphia, while putting in 250.2 innings of work. In that time has struck out 219 batters and lets not forget thrown a perfect game.
NL Rookie of the Year: The St. Louis Cardinals left hander entered the season a toss up of being on the roster to being a fifth starter. By seasons end he rose to a legit number three starter for the Cardinals behind Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. Jaime Garcia went 13-8 with a 2.70 ERA (which was his highest of the season) and 1.32 WHIP in 28 starts. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa only allowed him the chance to go the distance once and he delivered a shutout. The rookie struck out 132 batters while hitters where only able to hit .243 off him.
NL Manager of the Year: The San Diego Padres won 75 games and finished in 4th place in the NL West in 2009 but Bud Black was able to turn the club around in 2010. Black was forced to work with an opening day payroll of $37.7 million to win 90 games and fall short of the postseason by just one game. The 90 wins achieved by the Padres in 2010 was the most the franchise had seen since 1998, the year they made it to the World Series and lost to the New York Yankees.
AL MVP Award: This award came with just about the stiffest competition of them. Detriot Tigers Miguel Cabrera, New York Yankees Robinson Cano and Texas Rangers Josh Hamilton each made strong cases to be awarded however Cano had the luxury of hitting inside a lineup that saw a lot of protection since it has seven all-stars and a team that scored an American League high of 859 runs. Hamilton’s knock is that he missed perhaps the most important month of regular season baseball when he sat out all of September, with the exception of two games, due to a rib injury. Cabrera had misfortune of playing for a team that was not a factor in the postseason race. Though the Tigers weren’t in contention it wasn’t due to the Cabrera’s bat as he finished either number one or number two in a variety of offensive categories such as: on-base percentage, slugging, on-base plus slugging, runs scored, total bases, and extra bases hits. Cabrera even collected 126 RBIs, hit for a .328 batting average and 38 home runs to finish in the American League one, two, and three in those stats.
AL Cy Young Award: The Seattle Mariners right hander Felix Hernandez finished the season 13-12 and had the unfortunately to play for a team that could not hit the ball whether he was or wasn’t on the mound. The Mariners in fact finished dead last in the run department in the American League, scoring just 513 runs on the season. In fact Hernandez left seven of his last 14 starts in the seventh inning or later with zero runs on his side of the scoreboard. In areas Hernandez could control he finished number one with 2.27 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. He did this while pitching a league high 249.2 innings pitched. Hernandez would have been the leagues strikeout leader but his season was shutdown on his final start causing him to come one strikeout short of Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim Jered Weaver at 232. Amazingly Hernandez also had to go the distance six times just to insure the bullpen wouldn’t screw up what he had accomplished.
AL Rookie of the Year: The Texas Rangers closer Neftali Feliz is a huge reason the team is making their first postseason appearance since 1999 as he registered 40 saves to finished third in the American League while blowing only 3 saves all year. He was dominant in allowing just 21 runs on 43 hits in 69 innings to compile a 2.73 ERA while hitters where still unable to hit .177 of him and reached base just 24 percent of the time.
AL Manager of the Year: To be a big league manager is already a hefty task but being the Texas Rangers skipper this year meant having to deal with a little extra pressure and it started before a meaningful game was played with the release of Ron Washington failing a drug test from last season. Washington entered the season already on the hot seat, had to deal with his own admission to cocaine use in spring training to the back in forth sale of the Rangers that went all the way to bankruptcy court, all this in conjunction to winning Major League Baseball games. The Rangers already known for being a team that could hit the ball, Washington guided a pitching staff to finish third with 3.93 ERA in the American League, while making the decision of handing over the ball to a rookie closer. That decision earned the Rangers 40 saves. Washington also guided his club to a 15-12 record in September, a month that saw the Rangers play without AL MVP candidate Josh Hamilton in the lineup. The Rangers collected 90 wins good enough to win their first AL West title since 1999, the last time they made it to the postseason.
SGE Fantasy Baseball Preview: Outfield Part Deux
Sleeper Pick
It’s just 3 days away from Opening Day and its time for a bonus edition of the outfield position for those still to have their fantasy baseball draft this weekend. As stated in part one of the outfield rankings this is where you will find players who will gather the most points for you through out the season in five categories. Those categories being hitting for average/home runs/RBI’s/scoring runs and stealing bases. Guys like Cleveland Indians Grady Sizemore, St. Louis Cardinals Matt Holliday and Philadelphia Phillies Jayson Werth are the best at this and will be sure to be taken early so lets go deeper.
Breakout Player: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
- McCutchen surely will be on quite a few radars since he led all rookies with 47 extra base hits and showed plenty of speed on the bases paths. As with any sophomore there is the potential for a slump but McCutchen can rely on his legs to help avert long slumps. In 511 career minor league games he hit .286 and stole 105 bases and his 2010 numbers should resemble 100 runs, 20 home runs, 60 RBI’s and 30 stolen bases with a similar batting average to last year.
Sleeper Pick: Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies
- Can you be a sleeper pick if the Oakland Athletics where hesitant on trading you away for Matt Holliday, the answer is yes because he’s still 24 and has only 508 at bats under your belt. He has all the tools to rack up points in the five categories and is very similar to McCutchen in Pittsburgh. Gonzalez will have the benefit in playing in a hitter friendly home ball field but he is as equal threat on the base paths. See his 2010 numbers to reach about 25 steals, 18 home runs, 75 runs and 90 RBI’s.
Risky Player: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
- I can say this since I was on the come back Hamilton band wagon back in 2007 when the Cincinnati Reds gave him a chance in April. That success lead me to draft him far earlier than anyone would have anticipated in 2008 and he rewarded me with 32 home runs, 132 RBI’s and 190 hits but I watched as he hit a wall towards the end of the year when national jumped on his band wagon. I speak from watching 246 games of his before he became the 2009 spring training hot topic. Hamilton suffered more than one setback in 2009 when photos surfaced of him drinking and taking shots off women who weren’t Mrs. Hamilton. Then he endured a back injury that limited him to only 89 games. Can Hamilton repeat 2008, yes of course, but the back problem should be taken into account. I said he is of risk, not saying he’s undraftable.
Slipping Player: Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs
- Soriano can thank Milton Bradley for being a Cub last year as if wasn’t for the disastrous season Milton had on and off the field, Alfonso would have taken the majority of the heat for his lackluster performance. One main reason for Soriano’s downfall over the years is injuries have plagued him and they have cut back his ability to steal bases and hit home runs which is what made him such a threat earlier on in his career. Soriano missed time in September with knee problems and add to the fact he has never been a selective hitter the evidence is showing its ugly head he is slipping. For the third year in a row his numbers in the runs, hits, home runs, RBI, stolen base, and hitting for average departments have been worst than the previous year.
Blackmailer Leads To Unearthing Of Texas Rangers Ron Washington’s Cocaine Use
Weezy!!!
Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington knew he used cocaine and so did the Rangers front office before the news hit their doorsteps yesterday. The Rangers where well aware of the situation because they had a blackmailer in house.
The blackmailer knew of the positive test on Washington and was making demands which the team has confirmed.
Back in July of 2009 Washington confessed o his bosses that he had used cocaine on the road in California after he took a random drug test. The Rangers then notified MLB immediately, who placed him in a mandatory confidential substance assistance program. Washington stay clean through the program as he continually passed several more random drug tests. A confidentiality thing between employee and boss would have made this to be never heard of except then came the blackmail threats.
A team employee knew and looked to cash in. The team employeewho was fired at the end of last seeason knew the details of the situation. He also had a list of demands for the club.
Some of the demands were met, but the Rangers declined to giving him a flowing recommendation and refused another item on the list. Sometime after January the former employee was putting Washington name in the streets of Arlington. Then all of sudden Washington received a call from SI.com saying they had all the details of his failed test and his enrollment into the drug program.
Questions remain should of Washington been fired in July when the Ranger found out? Some will say yes, I will say no especially since they employee a player who has been giving five chances after his addiction, Josh Hamilton. Manager or not a second chance is in order. If his record speaks that he should be fired then let his record do the talking.
Yes, Washington was on the hot seat last year but a funny thing started to happen the Rangers started to win and even with the Rangers knowing of the situation and watching their employee enrolled into a drug program administered by MLB awarded him with a contract extension.
Almost the entire team attended Washington’s media session as a show of support and that says something about how far his respect level has climbed within the Rangers. Especially Nolan Ryan who did not hire Washington and is now standing by the man he signed off on giving an extension to and even though knowing of his cocaine use.
