Yesterday, May 8, was the 1-year anniversary of one of

the most memorable nights in DFW sports history. Twas the night that

Josh Hamilton hit 4 Home Runs in 5 at bats at Baltimore.

They were all 2-run homers and it marked only the 16th time in the

history of baseball that 4 home runs were hit in the same game and it rocked

the sports world. Not only that, but the 8 RBIs were his new career

high and the 18 total bases on the night against the Orioles was an all-time

American League Record.

It continued a run of

fantastic play in 2012 that seemed like it might go on for the entire summer

following the 2011 World Series where Josh appeared to have won with a Home Run

late in Game 6 until bad things happened.

Here are

reminders of the heroics on May 8, 2012:

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People that occasionally knee

jerk (I look in the mirror), have these discussions in front of live

microphones. I am pretty sure I was ready to rush to his

representatives the next day and figure out this negotiation that had troubled

the public for quite a while before that evening.

Caution was being thrown to the wind. He was so good that we should

ignore all of the warning signs that things could end without much notice.

That night raised his average to .406, his OBP to .458, his

slugging to a Bonds/Ruth-like .840, and his OPS to 1.298. He sat at

14 Home Runs, with 36 RBIs, and a strikeout rate at 19.8%.

He clearly had issues to consider that made Albert Pujols, Prince

Fielder, or Jayson Werth’s contracts seem unreasonable comparisons, but both

sides – assuming they wanted to extend their relationship, would have to find

numbers to work with on a new post-arbitration contract to get him that cash

that he has worked hard to attain.

If you can remember

back that far, he certainly was not against saying things that gave you pause.

The latest, after his “issues” that popped up before spring

training in 2012, were that there would be no “home town discount” to

stay with the Rangers. They were not owed anything by his

calculations which may have been his sincere feelings or just negotiation

tactics. Either way, they were not well received when most observers

had seen the Rangers bend over backwards to accommodate him. They

did, and to this point in time, he had not let them down in 4 years and change

with the Rangers.

Here were his career numbers from

2008-May 8, 2012 with the Rangers:







Games ABs HRs/RBIs AVG/OBP/SLUG OPS K

Rate 526 2071 113/414 .316/.370/.556 .927 19.9%

And, again, here were his numbers

from 2012 on May 9, 2012:











Games ABs HRs/RBIs AVG/OBP/SLUG OPS K

Rate 27 106 14/36 .406/.458/.840 1.298 19.8%

I am always fascinated by the negotiation in sports.

It is something that we have a hard time relating because in the

world most of us live in, it is all based on past performance. We do

things well, and it is generally assumed that we continue to do things well in

the business world because our speed or hand-eye coordination shouldn’t affect

our ability to sell or buy or broadcast.



Sure, the employer looks at age with some

consideration, but compared to a professional athlete, that seems like a

distinct difference, and then compound it with Josh’s very complex

backstory.

He

needed a contract. One that would carry him from 2013 (when he turns

32 on May 21) to the end of his productive years. If he could get

8-10 years like everyone else, he would try, but we would find out that the

Angels bid 5 years and we really have very little proof of whether there even

was a 2nd bidder to know if they merely outbid themselves.



He would remain red hot through the month of May and here were his

numbers on June 1, 2012:

Anyway, back to last year.He would remain red hot through the month of May and here were hisnumbers on June 1, 2012:





Games ABs HRs/RBIs AVG/OBP/SLUG OPS K

Rate 48 186 21/57 .366/.417/.758 1.175 21.5%

And somehow around there is where the “things”

started happening. Tough to go back and list them all, but there were

contact lenses, energy drinks, lethargy, tobacco, and a list of things that

made guys like me put him in the Dez Bryant “it is always something with

this guy” bin.

It absolutely affected his play, but his numbers, even when playing

poorly still looked pretty strong in certain categories. Here is what

the numbers from June 1 – the end of 2012 looked like:







Games ABs HRs/RBIs AVG/OBP/SLUG OPS K

Rate 101 380 22/71 .245/.322/.487 .809 32.3%

Again, a stat line of 22 home runs and 71 RBIs is a real

nice season for most players. If we are going to say this is only 4

months of a year and that it is supposed to be shockingly pathetic, you can

understand some people wondering if you are being reasonable.

Here is the whole of 2012 that

the Rangers’ brass had to chew on against the moment in Oakland that has become

his defining last moment as a Ranger:







Games ABs HRs/RBIs AVG/OBP/SLUG OPS K

Rate 148 562 43/128 .285/.354/.577 .930 28.8%

versus this:

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So, by the end of the year,

Jon Daniels and Nolan Ryan had to make a decision. I am reasonably sure that there were never

real sincere efforts by JD to sign up for more years with Hamilton here. Nolan has given indications since then that

he was more interested, but even that is difficult to pin down.

The Angels put a giant 5 year/$125m deal on Josh and of

course, since then we have heard Josh alienate the city with his thoughts on

DFW being a “baseball town” or not.

That

makes for good copy, but if he puts up another year of 43 HRs and 128 RBIs,

there is a pretty good chance the Angels win big and his comments are but a

footnote.

But, because his play from June 1 to the end

of the season in 2012 appears to have relocated in Anaheim, the mystery of what

the next 5 years will be like in California has become a daily discussion in

Texas.

Make no mistake – he, just 1-year ago today,

was a fan favorite. Maybe, he was THE fan favorite. At

least on a national level, he was the face of the Texas Rangers.

He has since left and returned to boos. It looks like

another absolute stroke of genius from Daniels, a guy who appears to be

incapable of getting decisions like these wrong anymore. Josh has

started very slow in Anaheim so far this season. Very slow.

Even with a home run yesterday in Houston, here is why the good

people of Orange County are freaking out:







Games ABs HRs/RBIs AVG/OBP/SLUG OPS K

Rate 33 132 3/10 .205/.255/.311 .566 30.3%

The numbers for the last year from May 9 to May 9 will

not be as stunning as June 1 to June 1, we assume, but given his very poor

start in Anaheim, we can now look at the last 365 days from Josh.

Josh Hamilton, May 9, 2012 through May 9, 2013:





Games ABs HRs/RBIs AVG/OBP/SLUG OPS K

Rate 154 588 32/102 .245/.313/.469 .783 30.7%

Again, for ease, here are the numbers from 2008 – May 8,

2012 (what looks like you would assume a $25 million player produces):







Games ABs HRs/RBIs AVG/OBP/SLUG OPS K

Rate 526 2071 113/414 .316/.370/.556 .927 19.9%

And then, here are the American League Averages for this year for the entire

league:









AVG/OBP/SLUG OPS K

Rate .255/.321/.411 .732 22.5%