Mr. Man Of The Hour
After Josh Hamilton's 4 home run performance Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles, the natural talk around the metroplex and in the baseball landscape was, sign this guy! Even if you have to over pay sign this guy!
The Rangers top brass is smarter than to have a knee jerk reaction to the greatest single hitting performance in the history of the American League, so they wont do anything stupid and throw a Pujols type contract at the guy.
But I hope they were paying attention to one thing, THEY NEED TO SIGN THIS GUY!
I don't think there is any debate at this point that Hamilton is the best player in the game right now. He is 31 currently and is still in his prime. He has several more years of this type of productivity and, barring injury, could become the greatest player in the history of the Rangers, and possibly a Hall of Famer.
I did mention that nasty work though, INJURY. Hamilton has a history of getting hurt and missing significant playing time. But is that a reason not to sign the best player in the game. When he is in the lineup, he has a tremendous impact on those around him. The Ranger hitters could be the most potent in the game and he is EASILY its most lethal member.
Some will say he has off the field problems and a history of drug and alcohol abuse that he is fighting to overcome. Some well publicized relapses don't help his cause either. But is THAT a reason not to sign him? Its not against the law to get drunk and fool around with a girl in a bar bathroom. You think Derek Jeter has never done that? And he is one of the most beloved Yankees of all time. Has there ever been evidence of this guy doing it during the regular season and it effecting his play?
Whether the Rangers front office wants to admit it, or even likes it, Josh Hamilton is the face of the franchise. He is the best player and the one that is the most newsworthy. While there are many that have helped the Rangers on their way to two straight World Series, Josh Hamilton played a HUGE role in getting them there. Its not surprise that when Hamilton got here, the team began to change for the better.
Don't give him a crazy 8-10 year contract, but 5 maybe 6 will do, and I think Josh knows, TEXAS IS THE BEST PLACE FOR HIM.
Would the Yankees have passed up on resigning Mantle or Ruth, if free agency was around then, because of their off the field problems?
Do the right thing...keep Hamilton in Texas where he belongs.
