Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton began this season looking like he might win the triple crown as he spent the months of April and May knocking the shit out of the ball. At the end of May, he was sporting a .344/.405/.781 slash line, along with 12 home runs and 32 RBI. .368/.420/.764 slash line along with 21 home runs and 57 RBI.
Things have gone downhill quickly, and Hamilton hit a measly .177/.253/.354 in July. Now everyone is beginning to wonder about what may have caused Hamilton's precipitous drop in production. Late last week Hamilton spoke about his recent struggles, and his cryptic words only served to make his struggles even more worrisome. From the Star-Telegram:
"I've been shown a lot of things over the past week," he said. "There's disobedience and there's obedience to God. I've been being disobedient. It may be a small thing to you, but it's a big thing to him. There's consequences. It's like a father and a kid. There are disciplines. You guys can chew on that and think about it."
There's no telling exactly what Hamilton is hinting at, but it's never good to hear something like that from a guy who is in a constant struggle with addiction and has relapsed before. This also deepens the complications surrounding Hamiltion's upcoming entry into the free-agent market, as teams weigh his near-matchless talent against the the risks in his personal life.
Whatever's bothering Hamilton, we sincerely hope that he is able to move past it sooner rather than later, because he's a stunning player to watch when he's locked in, and the game is better with him in it.
Josh Hamilton: 'It's going to be good, folks' [Star-Telegram]