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Josh Hamilton
From BR Bullpen
Joshua Holt Hamilton
- Born May 21, 1981 in Raleigh, NC USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Josh Hamilton was the first selection in the 1999 amateur draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. As a senior at Athens Drive High School in Raleigh, NC, outfielder Hamilton hit .529 with a school record 13 home runs and 35 RBI in 25 games. After being drafted, he struggled both with the level of professional play and with a substance abuse problem that led to several suspensions.
Major League Baseball re-instated Hamilton on June 30, 2006 from the restricted list. The Devil Rays optioned him to the Hudson Valley Renegades, of the New York-Penn League. However, about a month later, he was sidelined by a knee injury. At the time, he was hitting .260 with 5 RBI in 15 games.
On December 7, 2006, Hamilton was selected in the Rule V draft by the Chicago Cubs and then traded for cash to the Cincinnati Reds. He made his Major League debut with the Reds on April 2, 2007.
Hamilton hit .292/.368/.554 with 19 HR in 298 AB for the 2007 Reds, for an impressive 131 OPS+ in an excellent comeback. He missed time with an inflamed digestive tract and a sprained wrist. Hamilton's offensive statistics suffered greatly from a lack of offensive support around him in the lineup and finished the year with only 47 RBIs, despite hitting 19 home runs. After the season, the Reds traded him to the Texas Rangers for Edinson Volquez and Danny Herrera. He became an immediate stand-out with Texas, leading the American League in the three triple crown categories during the first months of the 2008 season. At the All-Star break, Hamilton already had 21 homeruns and led the AL with 95 RBI, leading the AL by a whopping 25 RBI, with White Sox slugger Carlos Quentin 2nd with 70 RBI.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 2000 MVP South Atlantic League Charleston RiverDogs
- 2-time AL All-Star (2008 & 2009)
- AL Silver Slugger Award (2008)
- AL Total Bases Leader (2008)
- AL RBI Leader (2008)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 1 (2008)
- 30-Home Run Seasons: 1 (2008)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 1 (2008)
