I have to admit that I’ve been rooting for Josh Hamilton for a while now. Back in 2000, a year after he was the first overall pick in the Amateur Draft and a year before his off-the-field issues began, he signed a baseball for me. Being appreciative of this kind act from Josh led to my keeping tabs on his career. Naturally, I was troubled when he his career went down an ugly path starting back in 2001. And, I was happy to see him comeback from that in 2006.
So, it was a thrill to see the show that Josh Hamilton (and, don’t forget 71-year old Clay Counsil too!) put on during the first round of the Homerun Derby this evening (at Yankee Stadium). Sure, yes, it was just a BP session on prime-time T.V. But, it was electric.
Obviously, I never saw Babe Ruth hit. And, I missed seeing Mickey Mantle hit. (I was five during Mickey’s last season.) But, tonight, I think – thanks to Hamilton’s show – I got a chance to see what the Babe and Mick’s homeruns must have looked like at Yankee Stadium…back in the day.
Yeah, I know, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi have hit some long homeruns at Yankee Stadium. Ditto Reggie Jackson. And, I know that visiting players such as Manny Ramirez, Jose Canseco, Jim Thome, Fred McGriff, Ken Griffey Jr., George Brett, Mark McGwire, David Ortiz, and Carlos Delgado have hit some long homeruns at Yankee Stadium. But, it seems, at least to me, that those guys have hit homeruns that have gone 450 to 480 feet, at best. This evening, Hamilton was blasting them high up and off the wall behind the bleacher seats in right-center field…in excess of 500 feet.
Simply amazing.
In the end, Josh Hamilton did not win the Homerun Derby today. But, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a winner. I think a lot of people will remember the show that he put on during that first round. And, it didn’t hurt that he did it at what will be the (first and) last Homerun Derby at the House that Ruth Built.
Betcha even the Babe was looking down on this one with a smile.
9 Responses to “2008 All-Star Game Homerun Derby”
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July 15th, 2008 at 12:36 am
i bet you the george in hank liked seeing hamilton do his job tonight…its a shame the yanks don’t have enough to trade for this guy (what could it take? 2 jobas?)
July 15th, 2008 at 2:18 am
Juiced bat, juiced ball, juiced player.
July 15th, 2008 at 3:51 am
I remember you detested him because he had tatoos.
July 15th, 2008 at 6:15 am
That ball will be worth a lot of money one day.
Just a tremendous display of hitting…the boy needs to be a Yankee.
July 15th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Juiced bat, juiced ball, juiced player.
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Cynical much?
Earlier in the day I said I don’t get into the HR Derby but coming home and watching Hamilton put on that kind of display was a lot of fun. Granted, it would be hard to do that in game conditions but it was still neat to see balls hit in places that I’ve never seen before.
The kid wasted a lot of his youth polluting his body and trying to kill himself. As a result, it’s unlikely that he’ll have the longevity required to climb the ladder of great players. But, for one night, it must’ve been amazing for him to get his name chanted by the fans at Yankee Stadium. I hope that memory sustains him for life and reminds him that staying clean can lead to more great memories. Had he died, he’d never have had the chance to live for last night’s fun.
July 15th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Juiced bat, juiced ball, juiced player.
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Cynical much?
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I’d say “stupid much?”
Does the guy look like Bonds or Canseco or McGuire or Sosa?
How do you juice a bat?
And the evidence of juiced balls went away with the decline in home run rates.
In my day, we didn’t have maple bats that felt good in your hands. We swung steel bars that tore the skin off your hands. And we LIKED it!
July 15th, 2008 at 9:47 am
~~I remember you detested him because he had tatoos.~~
Basura – first of all, the way you TRY to keep track of my every word and move concerns me. Do you also remember what I had for breakfast on the morning of September 6, 1971? Com’on, that must be important, too, no? After all, it was something that I once did/decided/said a long time ago.
Secondly, you don’t have your facts straight. I’m guessing that you’re referring to an old thread at the NDF…old as in FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AGO…
this one:
http://www.netshrine.com/vbulletin2/showthread.php?t=13808
Show me where I said that I “detested him” in there?
In fact, what I wrote back then, in that thread, about Josh was:
“He still has youth on his side. He could still have a Bill Robinson type career.”
and
[On his former drug use] “And if he plays like Vlad Guerrero someday, no one will care……….”
and
“I hope he gets another chance. I think he deserves it. Tons of talent too. He could be an all-world player.”
Does that sound like “detest”?
Rich, really, can you go stalk someone else for a while? I don’t need all the attention from you. And, it’s even more annoying when you can’t get your facts straight too.
July 15th, 2008 at 10:48 am
“Do you also remember what I had for breakfast on the morning of September 6, 1971?”
Egg whites, toasted multi-grain bread (no butter), a glass of orange juice, and a cup of tea.
Every breath you take, every move you make…:)
July 15th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Actually, since I was eight at the time, there’s a good chance it was probably a couple of chocolate covered donuts…I was such a bad eater as a kid!