Josh Hamilton added another chapter to his unbelievable story last night with his performance in the 2008 Home Run Derby in New York's Yankee Stadium. One of the most hollowed grounds in baseball was the setting for one of the most inspirational stories to grace the game.
In the winter of 2006, after being suspended from the major leagues for his drug abuse, Josh Hamilton had a dream that he was in Yankee Stadium hitting prodigious homers in the All-Star Game's Home Run Derby. That's exactly what happened.
Hamilton stole the show. A 71-year old coach from his youth fed Josh pitch after pitch as 50,000+ people chanted his name. Hamilton clobbered 28 Bunyan-like blasts in the first round of the derby to break the previous record of 24 set by Bobby Abreu.
I believe ESPN's Steve Phillips made the comment that last night was "not a good night to be an atheist." Josh Hamilton's story is one of faith, triumph, and better than any Hollywood movie. It's only fitting that music from The Natural blared our of the loudspeakers as Josh was at the plate.
Read more about Josh Hamilton: Jayson Stark (ESPN.com), other Blue Collar Baseball posts on Josh Hamilton.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
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1 comments:
Hamilton is a great story, it's also refreshing to see someone not ashamed of their faith. I hope his body and mind continue to hold up.
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