There was a slugfest in Cleveland yesterday that the Texas Rangers won 10-8. While a Memorial Day match between two sub .500 teams may not seem like the biggest deal to Angels fans, it was actually a very interesting game for the Halos. The Rangers have won six in a row and sit just a game behind the Angels and six and a half behind the AL West leading Houston Astros. Perhaps more importantly, it marked the season debut of Josh Hamilton.
By my unofficial count, and for any prospective biographers out there, I believe this is part six of Hamilton’s baseball career. Part Two included lots of booze and drugs. The booze and drugs briefly returned in Part Five which drew the ire of Arte Moreno and ended his Angels career. Which brings us to his prodigal son return to Texas. Now, this was a day game on a drinking holiday in Cleveland. The crowd appeared rather indifferent to Hamilton making his season debut. Of course, Prince Fielder and Adrian Beltre had just hit back to back homers in the top of the first so the wind was already out. It will be a different and more interesting story when Hamilton returns to Arlington on Thursday. Will Rangers fans roll out the red carpet for the player who signed with division rivals and then said Dallas isn’t a baseball town?
There will be peanuts and popcorn but I’m hoping for a full circus upon Hamilton’s return. Elephants riding tricycles, bears juggling, clowns spitting fire, octopi on highwires, the whole shebang. There’s a chance I’ve never been to an actual circus. But that’s a post for another day. Let’s focus on Hamilton’s debut.
For Angels fans, it went as well as you could hope. He was just coming off of a rehab assignment and, I’m sure, plenty of mental anguish. His final stat line was 0-3 with a walk, two strikeouts and a run scored. The first K came in the top of the first and was ugly. The first pitch was an 87 MPH Shaun Marcum four-seamer that Hamilton took for a strike. See the artist rendition below. He fouled an 87 MPH cutter foul before taking another 87 MPH four-seamer high for a ball. Hamilton punched out flailing at an 81 MPH changeup down and away that he would struggle with all day.
In the bottom of the second, Hamilton’s defensive chops took the stage. Jason Kipnis lined one into left center that Hamilton half slid for and was ruled a deflection instead of an error. It ended up being a double as Hamilton was rather lackadaisical in his pursuit.
Hamilton walked in his next plate appearance in the third inning but not before missing badly on two more changeups. He would later score on an Elvis Andrus double. In the seventh inning, Hamilton recorded his second strikeout on a 91 MPH cutter, wait for it, down and away. He did manage to put the ball in play in his final plate appearance of the day. Hamilton crushed a 94 MPH Zach McAllister offering roughly 30 feet back to the mound. McAllister airmailed his throw to first five feet over the first baseman’s head which plated Fielder.
It was a performance Angels fans had grown accustom to during Hamilton’s brief tenure in Anaheim. I think some rust will come off and better days will be ahead. I doubt the Angels will miss an MVP season from the former MVP winner. Or maybe even a 2+ WAR season. But the power is still there and I bet he’ll ramp up for games against the Angels. Stay tuned.
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