ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers fan base showed former slugger Josh Hamilton with affection on Saturday evening at Globe Life Field.
The former American League MVP and All-Star, who dazzled fans for several years and helped the franchise to a pair of World Series appearances, showed up to receive his blue blazer, representing his enshrinement in the Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame.
Hamilton was inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2019. Texas didn’t start presenting jackets to inductees until 2021.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy never managed Hamilton, but he did manage against him on several occasions. Most notably, he was the manager of the San Francisco Giants in 2010 when they faced the Texas Rangers in the World Series.
He knew about Hamilton long before he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Tampa Bay Rays. Bochy’s brother scouted Hamilton while he was in high school.
“It was just incredible the talent he had,” Bochy said. I mean, all facets of the game — defense, offense, there was nothing he couldn’t do. Incredible power, just an amazing athlete. When you look at the No. 1 picks of the last 30 or 40 years, it’s hard to say anyone had more talent that he had.”
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Josh Hamilton’s Career
Texas Rangers Josh Hamilton had the crowd going during the first round of the MLB Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx July 14, 2008. Although Hamilton didn’t win the derby, he did hit a record-setting 28 first-round dingers, including 13 straight on 13 swings. / Frank Becerra Jr / USA TODAY NETWORK
Hamilton was originally the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 MLB draft by the Tampa Bay Rays out of Raleigh, N.C. He was considered one of the best prospects in all of baseball. But his battles with substance abuse, along with a car accident, derailed his career.
At one point, the Chicago Cubs selected him from the Rays in the Rule 5 draft and then traded him to the Reds.
The Rangers acquired Hamilton in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds in 2008 and in 2010 he took baseball by storm with a season that led to him winning the American League MVP and the Rangers to their first World Series appearance.
He won the AL batting title with a slash of .359/.411/.633 with a 1.044, along with 32 home runs and 100 RBI. He was also named the AL Championship Series MVP as the Rangers defeated the New York Yankees in six games.
Hamilton was named an AL All-Star five straight seasons (2008-12) and won three AL Silver Sluggers in 2008, 2010 and 2012.
He posted one of the greatest single hitting performances in franchise history on May 8, 2012, in Baltimore. Against the Orioles, he became the first player in franchise history to hit four home runs in a game, as he went 5-for-5 with eight RBI, four runs and 18 total bases, the last of which remains a franchise best.
In six seasons with Texas, he slashed .302/.359/.542 with 150 home runs and 531 RBI. He also played for the Reds (2007) and the Los Angeles Angels (2013-14).
