Josh hammers himself.

Ok, so I have been keeping up with the Rangers for the most part, even if I haven't been keeping up here. One of the major off-season stories was the signing of Josh Hamilton, shown here on the eight of spades from an Academy Sports playing card deck. Well, in Anaheim the story may have been the signing of Josh. In Texas it was the failure to sign Josh. While I understand Josh signing with another team and I understand Arte Moreno's compulsion to be just like George Steinbrenner, I do have a couple of thoughts.

Josh Hamilton was one of the most popular players in recent Rangers history. His story was inspirational and his playing amazing when he was on. He constantly used his platform to witness for Christ. That's almost all gone now. The popularity is long dried up and blown away. Josh himself torched the rapport with the fans and sadly, razed his witness as well. How did it all happen?

Josh (or his agent) told the Rangers they would get a chance to match any offer made. The first Jon Daniels heard of the Angels offer was the announcement that Hamilton signed with them. That's shady at best, dishonest at worst. Hamilton didn't want to sign with Texas because he got booed towards the end of last season as the team collapsed. That's fine. Just say so from the get go.

Katie Hamilton didn't help ease the fans' pain with her comments at the signing announcement about how the Rangers didn't really love Josh and didn't really try to resign him. That doesn't square with the $100 million four-year deal they offered shortly before Josh signed for $125 million for five years. Looks like Texas offered about what he accepted. As for if they would have matched, see above paragraph.

Hamilton showed up for the Angels' spring training full of vim and vinegar - and apparently bitterness. In an interview he famously stated the Dallas-Fort Worth area is not a baseball town. Well, if he meant that the NFL is more popular than MLB, he is right. He clarified his remarks though by stating the fans don't support the team and are "spoiled" by recent successes. Predictably, things took an ugly turn. Jerseys were burned and plans made to greet him when the Angels showed up for the home opener. Current Rangers players wisely denied knowing what Josh was talking about. Team management was suddenly not at fault for not signing him.

Home opener on Friday and the Angels showed up. Prior to the game the score board welcomed ballpark visitors to "Baseball Town." Tremendous booing for Hamilton. Every strike, out, and misplayed ball was cheered. Boos every time his name was announced. Chants of "Baseball town, baseball town." Ok, the fans got their licks in. Time to move on, right? Wrong.

At the post-game press conference Hamilton's arrogance and cluelessness was on full display. He remarked he was proud to be the source of the booing as it was the loudest he had ever heard the ballpark. If he could finally be the spark to put life into Rangers fans he was glad to help. A total load of horse manure there. Josh must have been asleep during the 2010 post-season and the 2011  post-season. Life and noise abounded.

As if that wasn't enough, Josh referenced Scripture when talking about the booing. He stated it was kind of like Jesus being rejected in His hometown. A prophet without honor and all that. Of course Josh forgot to mention what Peter says in 1 Peter 2:20 - there is no profit or glory if you suffer for your own faults.

That's the sad part. Almost all this animosity, name-calling, and bad blood has one source - Josh Hamilton's actions and words. Josh isn't some paragon of virtue returning to play against a team who scorned him. He's an immature arrogant ballplayer who can't seem to keep his mouth shut when he desperately needs to.