An odd story has developed early in the fledgling Major League Baseball season deep in the heart of the Texas. Although technically I suppose its two stories as no one expected the Rangers to be the cream of the MLB crop two weeks into the year. The team has certainly been firing all cylinders, but one of their best pistons has malfunctioned and will be lost for the better part of two months.
Josh Hamilton, the engine that drives the Ranger’s offence (how are all these car references treating you?), fractured the humerus bone in his right arm—nothing funny about that—diving headfirst into home plate while trying to score on a foul pop-up. It’s a shame that arguably the best hitter in the game can’t seem to stay healthy for an entire season and seems destined to be injury-prone.
I’m not a doctor, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the cornucopia of drugs Hamilton ingested during his youth may contribute somewhat to his inability to stay healthy (though the drug binges that would put Charlie Sheen to shame seem to have zero adverse affects on his batting eye or his prodigious home run power).
The story, while disappointing for Rangers fans, would have been over as quickly as it had begun were it not for Hamilton’s post game comments. He basically blamed his third base coach for the injury, saying that the coach forced him to make the dash for home, he didn’t want to do it, and he suffered the injury as a result.
Let me paint a picture of the scenario and you can draw your own conclusions from it. Josh Hamilton is one of the fastest baserunners on Texas’ roster. The ball was lifted high in front of the Tigers’ dugout and both the third basemen and catcher ran towards the ball. The pitcher didn’t cover home plate, leaving the area unoccupied.
It’s a canny decision to break for home and one that would seem automatic with a player of Hamilton’s speed. However, he is also your best hitter and it’s typically not wise to put a player the calibre of Hamilton into a bang-bang play at home plate as the risk of injury is always imminent in close plays at home.
The catcher managed to scramble back just in time and tag Hamilton out as he dove head first. That was Hamilton’s first mistake. You never dive head first into a bag. It’s something you’re taught as young player. Injuries on sliding plays are always more prevalent when players lead with their heads. I, for one, never liked sliding feet first either as I was always worried about tearing up my knee, so I would always pretend I was slower than I actually am so coaches would never make me be a pinch runner.
After the game, Hamilton told the media that he didn’t want to run, but had his coach in his ear imploring him to go. This is where I call bullshit. The decision to go is always left up to the baserunner. The coach is just there to provide advice. Especially when the entire play is developing in front of him; Hamilton could see the situation. He would know if he could make it or not.
Don’t blame your coach for not making it safely or for getting hurt. It puts the coach in a terrible position to have the face of the franchise blame you for a significant injury. Be a man, Josh Hamilton and be accountable for your own actions.
Don’t whine and bitch that the big, bad coach made you do something you didn’t want to do.
I predict that, as Texas tumbles from the standings due to the litany of games Hamilton is going to miss, this is not the last we will hear about this issue and I wouldn’t be surprised if the coach is replaced before spring training. I suspect whispers of mutinous behaviour against him will abound.
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