When one thinks of Nolan Ryan, it is impossible to not think of the Texas Rangers. Ryan is the all-time strikeouts leader in Major League Baseball history, and he was an ace for the Rangers for many years. Now, years after his retirement, he has become the president of the team, and he has done a very good job in that capacity. The Rangers won the American League in both 2010 and 2011, and despite losing in the World Series in both seasons, Ryan had helped the Rangers franchise establish itself as not only one that was competitive in the present, but they seem primed to be competitive into the future as well. Until about one month ago, the Rangers were near the top of the baseball world.
That all changed though, as the Rangers squandered a 13 game lead in the American League West division, and the Oakland Athletics were able to extend their fairy tale season into the playoffs. There were a number of reasons that the A's were able to end up in the postseason, but with a lead in the division of 13 games, it is impossible to deny that the Rangers had a huge hand in allowing Oakland to overtake them on the final day of the regular season. And like it or not, when a team slumps at the end of the year, most outsiders immediately look at the superstar player as the main culprit.
For the Rangers, the superstar is Josh Hamilton, and when we look at his performance over the latter part of the season, it seems like his poor play paralleled the poor play of the team. In June, Hamilton hit .223, and in July, he hit an even worse .177. What he will probably be most known for this season, however, is the seemingly easy fly ball that he misplayed on the final day of the season against the Athletics that opened the floodgates and allowed Oakland to turn a close game into a blowout win over the Rangers and an AL West division title. There is no doubt that Hamilton's poor performance played a part in the collapse of the Rangers. He admitted himself that he did not play well, and took some of the blame for the 2012 season ending far sooner than the Rangers and their fans hoped it would.
This past week, on a radio interview in Dallas, Nolan Ryan was asked about the disappointing end to the team's season, and he opened a needless wound that not only made himself look bad, but made Hamilton look bad as well. Asked about Hamilton's struggles, Ryan said that the decision of Hamilton to quit using chewing tobacco "couldn't have been worse," and blamed Hamilton's decision to stop using chewing tobacco for the downfall of the team. For that I only have four words for Ryan: "What were you thinking?"
The story of Josh Hamilton is one of the greatest redemption stories in sports history. Originally touted as a "can't miss" prospect, Hamilton had all the talent to one day become a superstar on the baseball diamond. However, Hamilton succumbed to a drug and alcohol addiction, and it seemed like he had lost his chance to ever star on the baseball field. Eventually though, after a long period of rehabilitation, Hamilton not only overcame his addiction, but became the superstar that he seemed destined to be when he was initially drafted. We do not usually see athletes granted second chances, especially when it comes to addictions as tremendous and vast as Hamilton's multiple addictions. In a comeback story deserving of a Hollywood script, Hamilton not only was granted a second chance, but earned a second chance to play professional baseball.
In 2008, the Rangers brought in Hamilton and he repaid them with a spectacular season. He continued to improve, and in 2010, his redemption story seemed to reach its peak, as he won the American League MVP award and led the Texas Rangers to the World Series. In 2012, Hamilton hit a career high 43 home runs and drove in 128 runs. As his midseason slump would attest, Hamilton put up huge numbers during the first two months of the season, as despite his prolonged slump, he was still able to produce a superstar-like season.
What all of this means is that no matter the reason Hamilton may have slumped and the team may have fallen short of expectations, it is totally out of line for Ryan to blame the failure of the team on Hamilton's decision to quit using chewing tobacco. If anyone should know about the struggles that Hamilton has had to overcome, it should be the Texas Rangers organization. They extended a helping hand to Hamilton along his road to recovery, and they should truly appreciate his work ethic and desire to get as far away from his dark past as possible.
Hamilton himself did admit that when he stopped using chewing tobacco, it was indeed a struggle for him. However, if Hamilton has done nothing else, he has at least proven that he has both the will power and strength to overcome intense addictions. For Ryan to call Hamilton out and blame his desire to distance himself from another addictive substance is both unneeded and out of line. If Ryan truly felt that way, he should have spoken to Hamilton privately, and not aired his feelings on the radio for the entire world to hear.
Hamilton is a free agent now and it is likely that he will sign a lucrative contract somewhere. Until recently, it seemed like he fit perfectly with the Rangers, but I think Ryan's comments should change Hamilton's thoughts. The Rangers have said that they intend to allow Hamilton to field offers from other teams. If it were not for his dark past, it is likely that Hamilton would receive a monstrous deal from the highest bidder. However, even before Ryan's comments, teams had to be wary of Hamilton's past problems and the possibility that they might resurface at any time. Maybe Ryan went public with these comments to cement the fact that Hamilton was still not 100% rehabilitated in the minds of fellow general managers in order to bring the price tag for Hamilton down, but if that were the reason, I am completely against Ryan's ways of thinking.
If anyone should appreciate what Hamilton has been able to do during his recovery, it should be the Texas Rangers. With these comments, Ryan may be burning a bridge that he does not need to burn. Despite what Hamilton may say publicly, I cannot think that the comments Ryan made did not have a deep impact upon Hamilton. It would be one thing to point out Hamilton's poor performance on the field to the world in order to drive Hamilton's free agent price tag down. But to use the method that Ryan used, especially when it comes to Josh Hamilton, is completely out of line in my opinion.
I've always liked Hamilton and I think his story is one that could inspire people all over the world, and I hope he gets the big contract he has proven he deserves. Now though, because of Ryan's comments, I no longer hope that the Rangers are the team that gives Hamilton that deal. So hopefully in 2013, Hamilton can make his redemption story even better by signing with another team and watching the Rangers fall short of the playoffs again, all while Nolan Ryan tries his best to find someone else to throw under the bus for a failed season.
Daily Giants Update: The "easy" part of the schedule is over, as we now face what could be likened to a murderer's row of games the rest of the way. It starts in San Francisco this Sunday afternoon, and the 49ers will be looking for revenge for the NFC Championship game last season. Hopefully everyone in the universe picks the 49ers to win, because when that happens is when the Giants play their best.
Daily Nets Update: Yes, I'm on the bandwagon. The first preseason game against the 76ers is in two days, so we will finally get to see this newly constructed team on the court.
Daily Diamondbacks Update: New names are being thrown around to replace Daron Sutton and Mark Grace in the television booth, and I have to say that no matter who ends up replacing them, I will really miss Sutton and Grace. They made watching the Diamondbacks enjoyable, and my only hope is that whoever the replacements are can be at least half as entertaining as a duo that will be sorely missed by many Diamondbacks fans.
No comments:
Post a Comment