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Is there not a better time to remember Josh Hamilton?
After Vladdy Guerrero Jr. won the MLB Home Run Derby Monday night, ESPN counted down the 10 most memorable moments in Derby history. I was hoping through the entire feature that the No. 1 memory would be Josh Hamilton, the kid from Raleigh who staged one of the best comebacks in sports history.
Fifteen years ago, Hamilton literally lived the dream he often had by hitting 28 bombs in the first round of the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium. He didn’t win but had 35 total homers by the time it ended. What a story he was making!
As a superstar at Athens Drive High School, Hamilton became one of the top two picks in the 2000 MLB Draft. The other was another Josh, fire-balling Beckett from Texas. Tampa Bay selected Hamilton with the first overall pick, and he would have seen some time with the Durham Bulls.
Tragically, Hamilton never played a game for the Bulls. Before the 2001 season, he was in a car accident, after which he got strung out on painkillers and other drugs plus alcohol. His parents had already quit their jobs so they could travel with what was left of their son’s $4 million signing bonus from ’99.
Hamilton’s determination was as strong as his addiction, and he fought back through failed drug tests, causing a Major League suspension, aborted rehab attempts and two more stints in the minor leagues. By then, it was 2006 and the can’t-miss prospect had been out of baseball for almost six years. Given a second chance by the Rays, Hamilton was eligible for what was called the Rule 5 draft and wound up with the Cubs, who traded him to Cincinnati.
His amazing comeback started with the Reds, where he batted .403 in spring training and won a spot on the team’s 40-man roster. During an injury-plagued first Major League season, Hamilton hit .292 with 19 home runs and 47 RBIs but just missed winning 2007 Rookie of the Year.
The apex of Hamilton’s short career came with the Texas Rangers from 2008-2012, when he led them consecutive American League West championships and World Series in 2010 and ‘11. He broke out in his first season there, where after a stellar spring training he won the starting center fielder’s job. Sports Illustrated did a cover story on his dramatic comeback.
At Yankee Stadium on June 2, 2008, Hamilton hit 13 straight homers in his first-round 28. Back to super stardom, he went on to be the 2010 American League MVP after winning the league batting title with a .356 average.
His career was far shorter than expected, but Josh Hamilton kept on swinging.
Photo via the Associated Press.
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