Josh Hamilton reflects on 'frustrating' season, unhappy fans

[Jay]

I'd love to be in his shoes, dude makes more money in a week than some small countries

 

Goes without saying; but these athletes are so spoiled and pampered that many of them have lost all perspective.

[Kenny]

If you play like Vernon Wells, you will be boo'd like Vernon Wells.

[Ohtaniland]

If Arte could tear up his contract, he would. Arte knows he got F'd on that deal. Now we have to somehow find a way to spot him into the lineup that is the least damaging to the overall productivity of the offense. It's damage control at this point.

[fan_since79]

If Arte could tear up his contract, he would. Arte knows he got F'd on that deal. Now we have to somehow find a way to spot him into the lineup that is the least damaging to the overall productivity of the offense. It's damage control at this point.

 

As a part-time DH in the 7-spot vs righthanders. Platoon with Navarro.

 

Benched against all lefthanders, available for late-inning pinch hitting.

 

I don't care if he's making a gazillion dollars. If he figures out how to hit again, well that changes things.

Edited October 8, 2014 by fan_since79

[eligrba]

I was booed at work today.  I now have a better understranding of Josh's position.

[nate]

“I don’t take offense to it because they don’t know me. There is no personal interaction.”

 

He doesn't make offense either.

[yk9001]

He has the attitude of a government worker.

[fan_since79]

Guaranteed contract for gazillions of dollars, travel expenses paid, six-month vacation, and hefty pension.

 

Meh, who needs fans?

[tdawg87]

He doesn't make offense either.

Dammit nate.

[notherhalo]

Hamilton has 25 million reasons this year not to bash the fanbase and take the higher road, regardless if they are right or wrong

[DEATHRACERCHEVY]

Been following your responses here and wanted to add a couple things....

In one of the threads Hamilton was criticized for saying he could play or forcing his way into the lineup.

What would you have said if he said "I can't play"? Don't you want players who want to play, who want to push themselves as hard as possible to play? If Hamilton really wasn't ready (and he wasn't), that's on Scioscia/Dipoto for putting him on the roster, not on Hamilton.

By the way, I think what the Angels were thinking was this "what's the upside of having Cowgill/Navarro in there and losing Hamilton for the entire postseason (which is what happens if you don't give him any ABs) vs. What's the upside of letting him have his "rehab assignment" in the no 7 spot for 3-4 games and him finding it and having an impact if we have advance?"

As for his comments about the booing, I'm sure he didn't like it, but he did understand it. He said "I don't take offense."

Maybe he could have found a more tactful way to express it but the guy wasn't sitting there with a PR rep pondering the right answer. He was throwing stuff into his bag while talking to a reporter.

(By the way, don't you all hate Scioscia for saying the politically correct things instead of the truth?)

I'm pretty sure by the end of the conversation he realized he stepped in it a little bit, which is why I didn't portray it as some tirade against the fans. It wasn't even the lead.

 

To be fair, it is not all solely on Hamilton. I'm sure I'm not alone in this, that I would prefer a player tell me his limit. He knows his body, he's been down this road before. Some players can handle the mental and physical push of a manager to get over the hump, and some players don't. CJ and Hamilton are in the latter.

 

I am always a fan, but I am also a human. My sympathy doesn't end because I would like to see them win a world series. If he came out and said " I just wasn't ready, I wasn't physically or mentally in there and didn't not want to hamper down a spot with me not being 100% there". That's fine, but when you give the okay to go out there, and stink it up you have to be prepared and be held accountable.

 

I agree with Grich. He looks completely lost out there. He seems to be having a perpetually bad time, where he can't get it together. At this point its just hoping for the best. 

[Angel Oracle]

Okay, what helped him to have a .900 OPS for the last month and a half in 2013, and get off to a great start for the first 1 1/2 weeks in 2014?

 

Whatever frame of mind he was in then, do WHATEVER to get him back to that frame of mind! 

 

And NO MORE SLIDING into 1B!    Just STOP it!

Edited October 8, 2014 by Angel Oracle

[Jeff Fletcher]

Scioscia needed only to rely on Hamilton for how he felt physically. Hamilton said he felt well enough, and there's no evidence that's not true.

As for whether he had sufficent timing to hit major league pitching, Scioscia/Dipoto didn't need his input for that. They watched him take BP, including against Drew Rucinski throwing at game speed.

At that point, it was their call, not Hamilton's.

[mtangelsfan]

Sure was strange then how poor he looked.  Honestly he looked really bad, like he had no clue what to do when he was up at the plate.

[tomsred]

Hamilton has 25 million reasons this year not to bash the fanbase and take the higher road, regardless if they are right or wrong

Just to be accurate, $17M this year with probably 40-50% of that funding the Federal and State governments.  Fans exercise no restraint in voicing their opinions, is it fair to ask Josh to curtail his free speech?

[Palomar]

The bottom line is Josh is never going to get the benefit of the doubt for saying something like that (regardless of HOW he meant it) until the fans connect with him and that is not going to happen until he starts hitting consistently.  He didn't even hit ONE HR at home this year...it's not like we have fond memories. (Disclaimer: still don't like the booing and definitely don't think it helps the situation)

[Inside Pitch]

Sure was strange then how poor he looked.  Honestly he looked really bad, like he had no clue what to do when he was up at the plate.

 

Well, not arguing with you but Hamilton can go from looking great to awful to great again in a single game...    Howie and Aybar can too but with Hamilton it seems to be pretty often.  

[Guest]

Just to be accurate, $17M this year with probably 40-50% of that funding the Federal and State governments.  Fans exercise no restraint in voicing their opinions, is it fair to ask Josh to curtail his free speech?

Josh isn't being prosecuted by the government for his speech anymore than morons like me on forums are. Freedom of speech isn't a license to speak and not expect consequences of any kind.

[notherhalo]

Just to be accurate, $17M this year with probably 40-50% of that funding the Federal and State governments.  Fans exercise no restraint in voicing their opinions, is it fair to ask Josh to curtail his free speech?

 

No but it seems fair to ask him to act professional, even if not contractually obligated to do so.

 

If a fan throws a bottle at Milton Bradley, was he wrong for throwing the bottle back?  Are there not parallels here?

[Ohtaniland]

To be fair, it is not all solely on Hamilton. I'm sure I'm not alone in this, that I would prefer a player tell me his limit. He knows his body, he's been down this road before. Some players can handle the mental and physical push of a manager to get over the hump, and some players don't. CJ and Hamilton are in the latter.

 

I am always a fan, but I am also a human. My sympathy doesn't end because I would like to see them win a world series. If he came out and said " I just wasn't ready, I wasn't physically or mentally in there and didn't not want to hamper down a spot with me not being 100% there". That's fine, but when you give the okay to go out there, and stink it up you have to be prepared and be held accountable.

 

I agree with Grich. He looks completely lost out there. He seems to be having a perpetually bad time, where he can't get it together. At this point its just hoping for the best. 

 

I just can't blame Scioscia or Dipoto for Josh Hamilton for being on the ALDS roster. Josh Hamilton put the entire organization on the spot when he told the media on Tuesday before the roster was set..."He said he's set for Thursday when the Angels host the wild-card winner in the opener of the AL Division Series.

"I feel good, just like yesterday. I ran, threw, faced a lot of pitching, so I'm good to go," Hamilton said.

What was the organization going to do call him a liar and leave him off the roster? 

[Stradling]

Josh isn't being prosecuted by the government for his speech anymore than morons like me on forums are. Freedom of speech isn't a license to speak and not expect consequences of any kind.

This needs to be posted in the Game Day Thread every day next year.

[Sully151]

I may have been booed in bed last night, or maybe not. Sometimes it's hard to tell.

[martinpa25]

Meanwhile Hamiltons spending his dough not giving any fks about what we say or think LOL

[Stradling]

Meanwhile Hamiltons spending his dough not giving any fks about what we say or think LOL

How dare he make money and spend it. What a jerk.

[martinpa25]

How dare he make money and spend it. What a jerk.

I know right? I never thought that was possible!!