Josh Hamilton Steals the Show in Defeat

Justin Morneau may have won the home run derby, but when looking back on Monday’s exhibition, everyone will talk about what Josh Hamilton did. Entering the 23rd version of the derby, fans were skeptical about whether the relatively unknown cast of characters taking part in this glamour contest could entertain. Hamilton ensured that wouldn’t be the case. The feel good story of the first half, the AL’s starting centerfielder stole the show at Yankee Stadium with a majestic display of brute power that had the fans and players alike at a loss for words.

Despite getting fatigued in the derby’s final round, Hamilton sealed his place in Yankee Stadium history with a record 28 home runs in the first round, wowing the crowd with three blasts of over 500 feet. The short porch in right field was there for the taking, but Hamilton’s towering shots would have been out of any park. Many of his home runs were no-doubters, reaching the upper deck in right and the patented black tarp in center that Reggie Jackson popularized in the 1977 World Series. Jackson was on hand in New York for the festivities, and was taken aback at Hamilton’s power stroke. He definitely wasn’t the only one. At one point in the round, Hamilton hit 13 home runs in a row and looked like his run would never end.

With 71-year old Clay Counsil throwing for him, Hamilton recreated a dream he had where he dominated the home run derby at the game’s most hallowed grounds. His total of 35 home runs for the competition was the second best of all-time; he easily could have threatened Bobby Abreu’s mark of 41 in 2005, but he elected to cut short his second round six outs early because his place in the final was already secure. His monstrous first round had its ill effects as he simply tanked in the final round, hitting only three home runs after Morneau hit five. But, even Morneau would admit that the finish was anti-climactic after what had been seen earlier in the night from the runner-up.

Hamilton’s journey from baseball exile has been a well-documented one, the battles with drugs, including heroin and cocaine, a four-year absence from the game, and the tremendous candor through which he has revealed his story to everyone. His body is full of tattoos that remind him of where he’s come from and how far he’s come. Sometimes the only way to succeed is to hit rock bottom, and Hamilton has been a perfect example of that. Now, eight years after being selected first overall, Hamilton has finally become the talk of the league because of his bat, not off the field transgressions.

Tomorrow night, Hamilton will hit the third on the AL squad, a lineup that includes A-Rod and Manny Ramirez, two of the game’s biggest stars. This year, however, the All-Star Game will revolve around the new guy who has rapidly made a name for himself this season. He’s currently on a pace to drive in 159 runs, a figure that hasn’t seen since 2001. Both Ramirez and Rodriguez are staring up at Hamilton in all three Triple Crown categories and will step aside tonight. Let the 2008 All-Star Game, the second and final one at Yankee Stadium, be the place that the legend of Josh Hamilton was born.