And he was out Josh Hamilton attempted to score a rather cheap run in the first inning of a 5-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers yesterday.
He slid head first. Hurt his shoulder. He fractured his humerus bone just below his shoulder.
He's out six to eight weeks.
The news didn't shock me nor did it necessarily depress me.
The Rangers have dealt with significant injuries the past three seasons. Never has there been a moment with either Kevin Millwood, Ian Kinsler, Hamilton, Nelson Cruz or someone else wasn't out two months due to something.
Hamilton, especially. The talk of moving him around the field to prevent him from injuring himself has been proven as hogwash. We say it's "the way he plays the game."
Well, Hamilton isn't the only well-built athlete diving, sliding, jumping, climbing and banging. He just happens to be the only one that gets injured each time. It's not "the way he plays the game." It's a fragile body. It happens. All the time, in fact. There are athletes in every sport that can never stay healthy. Some never make it long enough to play.
Hamilton's simply injury prone. And this fact plays heavily into the Rangers' plans for him, long term. Do you give him the contract he probably wants? Do you take the injuries and just roll with it?
The ancilliary stories are interesting. Chris Davis has been called up from Round Rock. I find this interesting. Does this team need another third baseman/DH/first baseman? Hardly.
Which leads to the centerfield conundrum. Julio Borbon made another boneheaded move getting picked off first base in a one-run game yesterday. Right now, you have no choice but to go with Borbon for at least the next two months, sink or swim. With the call up of Davis, that leaves you with just Borbon playing centerfield. I think Dave Murphy could play in a pinch; however, he doesn't have near the range as Hamilton or Borbon.
So you have Murphy in left and Borbon in centerfield. Wouldn't Endy Chavez or Craig Gentry been the much more logical choice for a call up? And isn't this Davis' last option? Why not let him stew in Triple A (where he was bashing) and build some confidence (and trade value)?
Also, Hamilton took time after the game to throw third base coach Dave Anderson under the bus, calling the decision to try to take home "stupid" and adding that he (Hamilton) knew it was a dangerous play. Then you argue that he should've slid feet first.
I don't blame either guy. Athletes play on instinct. Making a split-second concious decision to slide a certain way is not in their DNA.
To Anderson, this is the same team that turned the playoffs on its head several months ago for going from second to home on a groundball out, stealing bases, suicide squeezes and all the fun, adventurous baserunning that have put the Rangers on the map.
Ballplayers routinely disregard coaches. How many times to players run through stop signs at third base or steal on their own? Hamilton could've easily ignored Anderson, chalked it up to not hearing him ... this being the case if Hamilton really thought it was a dangerous move at that second.
All is not lost. Murphy will get some well-deserved at-bats.
And this team isn't 9-2 because of Hamilton's golden bat. He's a great player and will be missed. But this team's where its at due to pitching. And as long as that keeps up its current pace, everything will be OK.
